McNamara: to win a big match like a Leinster title, the ball has to hop for you

MIKE McNAMARA says he may be looking for a bed and breakfast “somewhere this side of Offaly” over the next fortnight as he prepares for the Guinness hurling qualifier game with his native Clare.

The date with the Banner follows Offaly’s defeat in yesterday’s Leinster final - which he attributed solely to the failure to capitalise on early goal-scoring chances. The Scarriff publican praised his players for a supreme effort and was very gracious towards Wexford and to the heroics of goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry in particular.

“If you come to Croke Park and create the chances we did out there without finishing, you are always going to pay the price. The price is a big one, and we paid it,” he commented.

Offaly created a series of chances that put them a point ahead at half-time. McNamara agreed they could have had three goals on another day.

“But in Damien Fitzhenry you’re facing the best. And funnily enough, the other ‘best’ (his own ’keeper) was on the other side!”

The loss of Brian Whelahan, almost certain to miss the Clare game, was crucial, he agreed. “If you’re to win a big match like a Leinster title, the ball has to hop for you,” he said. “Our pool is small and the team had to be re-shuffled. We spoke about this before the game, but you’d be hoping it wouldn’t happen.

“I can’t take it from Wexford. They played a smashing brand of hurling and they have come like a breath of fresh air. They matched Kilkenny and now they’ve matched us.

“On the plus side, we are arguably on the way up. There is a plan there which takes in these kind of days - and that plan is for the future. We have a smashing young team, but we needed everybody playing really, really well to win. While most played up to form and some played above themselves, there were a few dips here and there.

“The bit of an injury crisis which hit us a few months ago hit again today. You must have reservoirs of strength and then on a few occasions maybe we didn’t have that. On the other side, Wexford played some beautiful hurling out there.”

McNamara joked about ‘this unusual game’ in a fortnight, although it’s not a new situation for him. Two years ago he was the Galway trainer when Clare pulled off a dramatic win in the All-Ireland series in Croke Park.

“A qualifier isn’t exactly the most appealing thing you can look at. Still, there is nothing in Munster that Offaly can be afraid of. But Clare will be a formidable challenge the next day. We will have to get back on track. The young fellows have to take the blows that come along the way. You have to lose and, well, if you have to lose on the big day, so be it.”