Pride is on the line as Galway meet Clare

NEIGHBOURS they most certainly are but up to recent times there hasn't been a lot of championship history between Galway and Clare.

In the '90s they met four times, and in that one decade they doubled their tally built up over a hundred years of hurling championships.

The most recent clash was in 1999 when Clare won after a replay, but the most famous is surely their first ever championship meeting in 1932. Galway led by 13 points at the break, increased that to 16 points early in the second half, and the Clare fans headed for home, despondency being their lot once again.

Then Tull Consodine entered the equation. Within half an hour he amassed seven goals and one point and led Clare to a most unlikely 9-4 to 4-14 win. At home in Clare that evening, in those pre-radio pre-TV days, those who left the game early just would not be convinced that Clare had in fact prevailed.

In the '60s, as Galway tried their luck in the Munster championship, they met on three occasions. Galway won the first in 1961, but that was to prove their only championship success over Clare in those eight attempts. It now stands at 5-1 to Clare, with two draws ('95 and '99), and it's a record that doesn't impress current Galway manager Noel Lane.

"It's not a good statistic, is it? But it's still a local derby and in those games form, history, everything goes out the window and matches can take a completely different course to what is expected. Club or county, anything can happen, no one will be throwing in the towel. We know what to expect, and we won't be backing down from that challenge."

History apart, the two sides have gotten to know each pretty well this year, with four games already played. 3-1 to Galway is the record here, but Clare manager Cyril Lyons is as unimpressed by that fact as Lane is by the more distant stats.

"Playing challenge matches, opening fields, with due respect that's really only rung one of the ladder in comparison to what's happening on Sunday. All those matches pale into insignificance beside this one, and Croke Park is the perfect setting.

"It's every hurler's dream to play there in a big championship match. And this is a big one, two very even teams who know each other well it should be a very close game."

In their most recent outings, both Galway and Clare had easier than expected wins over Cork and Wexford respectively, but again, neither manager is reading too much into that.

Lyons: "To be fair to Wexford, they did have to play only six days after losing a Leinster final, a difficult thing to do. We had four weeks from our previous game to get over injuries, get ourselves ready, and in that regard our preparations would have been better. On the evening, we did play well and at one point it looked like we were going to win very easily. To their credit, however, Wexford never died."

Lane: "It's acknowledged now that Cork had problems in their camp, and they didn't perform to their potential. But we didn't perform that terribly well either, we struggled for long patches. It was only when the Cork goal was disallowed and after Timmy McCarthy was sent off that we pulled away, in the last ten minutes.

"It was our first real day out and we got away with it, but I don't think we'd have beaten any of the better teams left in the championship on that display." So, he'd have preferred a tougher game with Cork? "Yes, but only if we won it!" he laughs.

To the potential outcome then, and neither manager is prepared to go overboard with predictions. "It's hard to pick a winner," says Lyons. "In our meetings this year there was never much between us, and I think one or two scores will decide this one again."

And the Galway manager says: "Clare have been dangerous since '95, regardless of who they play or where.

"It's very difficult to match them for intensity or passion. They were unlucky this year and last against Tipperary. I was at both matches in Pairc Ui Chaoimh; you could make a case either year that they should have won. They didn't, but they've scored six goals and 30-odd points in their two qualifier wins so far this year, impressive shooting. We know what to expect from them."

A mighty battle then, a great game in prospect? "Hopefully," he says, "but personally I don't care if it's two points to one, as long as we get the two!"