Clare selector hopes to rock the Rebels
The Banner side returned to training last night for their semi-final clash with Cork at Cusack Park, Ennis, on Sunday week.
And Loughman maintains the weekend win proved the depth of character in the Saffron and Blue footballers.
“There was a great sense of relief in the dressing room when we managed to get the better of Waterford on Sunday because there was a tremendous amount of pressure on the players from within the county looking for the team to get back into a winning vein,” said Loughman, a selector on Cork’s victorious All-Ireland back-to- back winning team of 1989-’90.
“I wouldn’t say we won playing impressively or anything like that but we did turn in a battling performance and that was heartening because we went into the game with a lot of injury problems that disrupted our preparations.
“The fact that we were favourites didn’t help matters either. But the main thing is we got the result and that will take a lot of pressure off us going into the Cork game,” he said.
Loughman was the first to concede though that Clare will have to improve dramatically on Sunday’s display if they are to challenge Cork strongly.
“We know we have a lot of room for improvement but we will not be experiencing the same sort of tension we were under in the Waterford game and the fact that we now have a championship win behind us and the benefit of 70 hard minutes of football should certainly stand to us.
“But to be realistic about it, Cork will be very warm favourites to beat us.
“I thought they played some very good football in the League and participating in Division One should bring them on.
“That is not to say that we will be going out with a defeatist attitude. We will be asking the lads to give it their best shot and that is all they can do,” said Loughman, who also coached Imokilly to win the Cork county senior football title in 1986.
Loughman said that Clare’s injury problems are lessening even though they will still be without regular full-back Conor Whelan for the Cork game because of a broken collar bone.
“We had Odran O’Dwyer back on Sunday, while Ronan Slattery came on as a substitute.
“Both had been struggling with groin strains but should be in much better fettle the next day, while Timmy Ryan, who also broke his collar bone, is due back in training tonight,” he revealed.
