Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final: Clare 3-16 Kilkenny 1-20
Clare are Allianz Hurling League champions but returning ace Shane O’Donnell has warned the achievement will be diminished if they don’t back it up against All-Ireland holders Limerick in two weeks.
The back-to-back Allstar came on for his first appearance of 2024 to a huge cheer from Banner fans as they clinched silverware against Kilkenny on Saturday evening.
He was satisfied to pocket a second League medal, his first in eight years, but knows bigger hurdles lie ahead.
“It’s important but I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on it,” O’Donnell said.
“We’ve talked about it. If we looked back to 2016, the last time that Clare won the League, then we went out in the first round of the Championship and we lost.
“I think anyone in a county set up at the moment would take that swap, losing the League final and then winning the first round of the Championship.
“If that happens in two weeks, nobody’s going to be remembering that we won the League and patting us on the back so I think we need to keep it in context.”
GOAL 🚨 @GaaClare's goal scorers combine as Fitzgerald assists McCarthy for his second and the Banners third goal of the final #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/4W1j0HnHis
— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 6, 2024
That said, it would’ve been a darker scenario had Clare expended all that energy and effort in this dramatic final and lost to a late Kilkenny comeback.
Aidan McCarthy blasted 2-10 as they went seven ahead but still required goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan to save Eoin Cody’s 69th-minute penalty to protect their lead to the finish.
Johnny Murphy made the controversial call after Mark Rodgers fouled John Donnelly outside the box. The referee deemed it a cynical swing of the hurley, giving the Clare attacker a black card.
Cody bounced his shot into the ground but the soft surface removed all the power and allowed Quilligan to save. From there, the 14 men held out through five minutes of added time.
The westerners are most deserving champions after going through the league unbeaten across seven games including a pair of sweet victories over the Cats, who have eliminated them in the past two All-Ireland semi-finals.
“It’s massive for us,” said manager Brian Lohan.
“The group works really hard and you do want to get some reward for your effort.
“It was just massive for us, particularly with our results against Kilkenny over the last couple of years. We’ve had to deal with a lot of disappointment from Kilkenny so we were very focused.”
There was the added boost of getting game time into O’Donnell and David McInerney but questions remain over Tony Kelly’s fitness ahead of their Munster Championship opener. He didn’t come close to selection for this final.
“He’s still working hard as he always does,” said Lohan. “We’d be hoping that he’ll get better and we’ll see how we go.”
It was just massive for us, particularly with our results against Kilkenny over the last couple of years. We’ve had to deal with a lot of disappointment from Kilkenny so we were very focused.
— Brian Lohan
A hamstring injury picked up by TJ Reid on Thursday forced a late rethink for Kilkenny, with Derek Lyng opting to start Billy Drennan instead.
“It’s no excuse,” Lyng stressed. “Everyone is missing players and we have a number of players that are coming back. I was very confident in the team and the panel we had so that’s no excuse.”
Brewing up a Storm was an appropriate choice of pre-match music as a fierce wind whipped towards the Town End goal at Thurles. Kilkenny played with Storm Kathleen at their backs in the first half but would return to the dressing rooms two behind, 1-8 to 0-9, at half-time.
They took no advantage of three goal opportunities, with Quilligan, Adam Hogan, and Conor Leen making crucial blocks. They also had nine wides, including two Drennan frees, and two more shots dropped short.
They still led by three but Clare finished with a 1-2 counter punch from McCarthy, who finished the goal well from a Rodgers pass.
They had another one minute after the restart. O’Donnell’s first touch released his clubmate David Reidy and he teed up David Fitzgerald to find the net. 2-13 in the last four games for Ireland’s most in-form hurler.
Clare struck for their third goal in the 54th minute. Like the first, it came from a long puck-out and was finished by McCarthy, with Fitzgerald providing the assist. Their lead was seven now, 3-12 to 0-14.
But Kilkenny just don’t know how to give up. Substitute Martin Keoghan landed four points and Cody, otherwise well-marshalled by Hogan, sent a dipping shot to the net.
Crucially, he couldn’t connect when given the chance with a penalty four minutes later.
Clare: E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, C Leen; D Ryan (0-1), J Conlon, C Galvin; C Malone (0-1), D Lohan (0-1); D Fitzgerald (1-0), D Reidy, P Duggan; M Rodgers (0-2), A McCarthy (2-10, 0-9 frees), I Galvin (0-1).
Subs: S O’Donnell for I Galvin (h-t); A Shanagher for Reidy (53); D McInerney for C Galvin (58); Rory Hayes for Leen (59); S Morey for Lohan (67).
Black card: Rodgers (68-f-t).
Kilkenny: E Murphy; S Murphy (0-1), H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield (0-1), P Deegan, R Reid (0-1); C Kenny (0-2), J Molloy (0-1); A Mullen (0-3), J Donnelly (0-1), B Ryan (0-1); L Hogan, B Drennan (0-1 free), E Cody (1-4, 0-3 frees).
Subs: M Keoghan (0-4) for Hogan (30); T Clifford for Drennan (45); K Blanchfield for Molloy (50); L Blanchfield for Ryan (60).
Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).