TG4’s bold initiative in providing live National League coverage received further reward last Sunday with another thriller from Cusack Park as the Banner edged out the Déise in a nail-biting finish.

The Claremen clearly deserved their victory. They carried a much better attitude into the game and displayed great economy in capitalising on the few scoring chances that came their way in the second half. An Moltóir wonders about Waterford’s lack-lustre approach in the first half. If they were serious about winning this came then they should surely have been prepared to counter the predictable intensity of the Clare challenge. Instead, their lack of focus was patently obvious - too slow to react to the breaking ball and lacking in sharpness as regards ball control and striking. An Moltóir counted no less than 29 fumbles by Waterford players during the course of the game!

Elsewhere on this site, An Fear Rua has been waxing lyrical about the game and enthusing about the Waterford effort. He even suggests that “one of the encouraging aspects must be the willingness of the new manager, Just-In MacCarthy, to make shrewd positional changes when they are needed”. One wonders. It was hardly a shrewd move to select James O’Connor at full back in the first place. Modern full backs ideally require pace, physical presence and an ability to pick the ball over an opponent’s head. Some players (such as Darragh Ryan) can get away with two of these. O’Connor has none of them. He has only ever played well for Waterford at wingback, where pace is less important and his good skills can be applied to effect. A ruthless manager such as Nicky English or Eamon Cregan would have moved the in-form Tom Feeney to full back after fifteen minutes, with O’Connor moving to wingback and James Murray to the corner. By the time the Feeney switch was made, it was too late as far as Waterford were concerned. In the first half, O’Connor only struck the ball twice compared with nine times for Clare full forward Tony Carmody.

With Murray, Feeney and Brian Flannery all playing superbly in the second half (the entire Clare full forward line played the ball just seven times between them in that period), this presumably will be the last line of defence against Cork in the championship. Nevertheless, the folly of the Waterford management in not just allowing, but virtually forcing, Sean Cullinane into retirement was brought sharply into focus by last Sunday’s events. In any other county, heaven and earth would be moved to get the Rock back onside, but they appear to have other things on their mind down on Suirside, such as the unthinkable prospect of Roy Keane playing in Croke Park.

Clare’s domination of the first half was clearcut. They played the ball 75 times in that period to Waterford’s 54. Despite playing into the wind, the Banner full forward line played the ball 17 times against just six for their Déise counterparts, with Carmody in particular leading the hapless O’Connor a merry dance. After a quiet start, Joe Considine burst into the game for Clare and played a key role in allowing them to build up a decent interval lead. Conor Plunkett also played a lot of ball in the first half. However, the key line all through for Clare were the half forwards. Although his opposite number Fergal Hartley also hit a lot of ball, John Reddan was the busiest player on the field right through the game, getting in sixteen strikes in all. Moved further back after the interval, Tony Griffin continued the good work he had put in earlier on, while Jamesie O’Connor was, well, Jamesie O’Connor.

Waterford’s midfield of Tony Browne and Peter Queally - brilliant against Galway the previous week - were badly out of touch on this occasion. Queally played the ball just once in the first half and a mere three further times before eventually being called ashore. It was perhaps surprising that young Eoin Kelly, who has made his name as a midfielder (and who even had the number eight on his back) was not given a run in that position before being substituted. However, his replacement, Eoin McGrath, put in a massive second half, playing the ball eleven times in that period.

All told, the Déise side played the ball 85 times in the second half to Clare’s 63, giving an overall total of 139 and 138 respectively - a good reflection of how evenly balanced the game was in the end. However, while territorially dominant, Waterford still lacked a coherent plan of action and continued to fumble and mishit right to the end. Predictably, An Fear Rua’s “shrewd” manager brought in Dave Bennett and Dan Shanahan after half-time, and equally predictably, they made zero contribution to the Déise cause. One wonders how many more times this particular duo will be tried before the penny drops.

An Moltóir also wonders about Paul Flynn’s real value these days. Once again, when his county most needed him, he went missing. He actually played the ball just four times (apart from frees) in the course of the game, none of them to any effect. One wonders also why he was put in charge of free-taking duties late in the game: he scored two efforts from five, compared to Ken McGrath’s six scores from ten efforts. An Moltóir has never understood why Flynn is allowed to take frees from way out the field. Admittedly, he has a powerful stroke, but he generally sends these efforts wide. Would it not make more sense to have someone else drive the ball into the goal area, where Flynn’s (occasional) poaching talents could be put to better use?

Both sides will have come out of this game reasonably satisfied with their ability to be competitive in the forthcoming championship. At the same time, both management teams are a long way from having settled teams. At least Clare will have at least one further competitive game to try things out. They will be particularly concerned about the crucial wingback positions, and the fact that Colin Lynch and Ollie Baker are still not ready for seventy minutes of championship hurling. At the same time they will be encouraged by Joe Considine’s midfield efforts, and signs that John Reddan appears to be regaining the form he showed in the Munster club championship in 2000. With Tony Carmody also showing promise at the edge of the square, they may feel that if Niall Gilligan can also regain his form, they could be in with a real shout again this year.

Waterford followers will be concerned that new goalkeeper Stephen Brenner did not get a proper examination, and at the way he fumbled the couple of balls that came his way. The return of Brian Greene and (presumably) Stephen Frampton will give them added defensive options, but the in-and-out form of Browne and Queally is a source of worry. Andy Moloney provides some heft and drive up front, and the two Eoins, McGrath and Murphy, look like useful additions. If John Mullane can regain last year’s sharpness and Paul Flynn shows some interest, they too could have an interesting summer.

Related Topics:
Beidh Lá Eile ag an bPéire!