Cats caught napping as Clare react to criticism

Kilkenny 1-08 Clare 2-13

Even more to their credit was the fact that the greater part of that lead had been executed by the 20th minute, following goals from Andrew Quinn and Tony Carmody.

With Brian Lohan totally dominant at full-back and Niall Gilligan in top scoring form at the other end, Kilkenny were simply outplayed.

For Anthony Daly, who was critical of the fact that five players had been yellow-carded, it was a straightforward case of his team responding to his urgings after the defeat to Galway.

There was "a big difference" in their form, agreed the Clare manager, but nothing to get carried away with.

"We were pathetic last week, pathetic against Laois and not much better against Dublin. Fellows were disappointed with the way they played.

"I had a go at them and they responded, whereas Kilkenny had been going fairly well and had been winning. You could say it was a 'kick-back' from our lads.

"They were willing to go the extra yard that they didn't seem to be willing last week!"

For his part, Brian Cody had no problem in admitting that his team had played "very poorly," but wasn't prepared to attribute it to the fact that they were missing key players, notably Henry Shefflin in attack.

"The team out there was deemed to be the best team at the moment," he said. "You can have players missing at any time. Any player out there was part of the panel."

And he felt that there was little possibility of a comeback after he had re-arranged his team.

"It was not so much what the score was but the way the game was unfolding; the way it was being played.

"Clare were winning the hard ball and they were playing with more drive. It's very difficult to score when you don't have the ball. We were being out-hurled throughout the field."

After eight minutes Clare led 0-2 to 0-1, the Kilkenny point notably coming from DJ Carey's superb strike from just outside his own 70 yards line.

They didn't get another score until the 28th minute by which time the game had as good as been decided.

Andrew Quinn's goal resulted from a speculative high ball from 65 yards which 'keeper James McGarry watched all the way but allowed slip over his head into the net.

That was in the 13th minute and six minutes later came Carmody's goal. Unusually, McGarry again seemed at fault in not stopping a ball he saw coming at him low and directly.

Not for the first time, Brian Lohan led by his tremendous example, outhurling John Hoyne before the Kilkenny management tried Eddie Brennan, Martin Comerford and substitute Conor Phelan on him.

But, in the re-arrangement which followed the withdrawal of David Hoey, Sean McMahon and Diarmuid McMahon, there were to be several other epic performances from Gilligan, whose striking from placed balls and general play made him invaluable, Alan Markham (at right half-back), Colin Lynch and from Davy Fitzgerald, who stopped three certain goals in the second half.

The only encouragement that Kilkenny could take from the game was the work done by Tommy Walsh and James Ryall in the full-back line, because they were very much up to the challenge on the day.

With Clare turning over leading 2-10 to 0-3, it was noteworthy that Phelan was sent off after a mere 15 seconds and that Brian Lohan followed him two minutes later. This was for an innocent enough pull-down on Carey after he had fouled him and a free was awarded. In another few minutes Clare had lost wing-forward Brian Lynch.

Lohan's dismissal (criticised afterwards by Carey) in no way limited Clare, which wasn't just a tribute to the way brother Frank played in his place but an indication of the absolute strength of their team performance, to which Andrew Quinn and Brian O'Connell were other major contributors.

Fitzgerald's agility in goal denied Eddie Brennan and Derek Lyng goals at a stage when Kilkenny could have done with them. And, when Kilkenny eventually succeeded in getting the ball into the net, the game was two minutes into injury time.

It may be 'only' the league, but you can be sure that Clare went home very happy.

Pat O'Connor refereed the game well. His application of the yellow card experiment seemed a bit too rigid in a few cases, while he held back in another where a fourth Clare player should have been dismissed.

Scorers for Clare: N Gilligan 0-12 (0-6 frees, 0-3 65s); A Quinn and T Carmody 1-0 each; C Lynch 0-1.

Kilkenny: J Maher 1-0; DJ Carey 0-3 (0-1 free, 0-1 65); J Coogan 0-3 frees; J Fitzpatrick and B Barry (65) 0-1 each.

CLARE: D Fitzgerald; F Lohan, B Lohan, G O'Grady; G Quinn, C Plunkett, A Markham; B O'Connell, C Lynch; A Quinn, B Nugent, B Lynch; N Gilligan (capt.), T Carmody, D O'Connell. Subs: J Clancy for O'Connell (60th minute); C Harrison for Kearse (66th). Yellow-card replacements: T Kearse for Carmody (24th minute); B Quinn for B Lohan (38th); D Clancy for B Lynch (40th).

KILKENNY: J McGarry; J Ryall, N Hickey, T Walsh; B Horgan, DJ Carey (capt.), JJ Delaney; B Barry, S Dowling; M Comerford, D Lyng, E Brennan; J Fitzpatrick, J Hoyne, J Coogan. Subs: C Phelan for Dowling (29th minute); A Fogarty for Fitzpatrick (47th); W O'Dwyer for Coogan (51st). Yellow-card replacements: R Mullally for JJ Delaney (24th minute); J Maher for C Phelan (36th).

Referee: P O'Connor (Limerick).