Quinn points Clare in right direction

Clare 2-15 Offaly 1-9

Home supporters going out into the pouring rain in Ennis on Saturday night after a third consecutive win in the qualifier series might not be so sure either. But, like Daly, they would have taken a lot of satisfaction from some individual performances, most notably from Clarecastle team- mates Jonathan Clancy and Derek Quinn.

For subdued Offaly manager John McIntyre, it was more a case of looking back, making a point of stressing that Brian Whelahan had not been dropped. And, criticising the media ‘spin’ on the issue, he said it had “reflected poorly” on the management.