Skipper Clancy reveals final wish list
The obvious hope is that the Midlanders win a second title from their fourth appearance in five years. Linked to that, he wants them to withstand early pressure if they are to have any chance of winning.
Personally, he prays for better luck than he experienced against the Dubs in last year’s semi-final.
“I was gone after nearly 20 minutes,’’ he said, recalling the shoulder injury which ended his participation. “I only heard the result at half six in the Mater (hospital). It wasn’t nice to hear of the mauling we got.
“We were three or four points down when I went off. I was after missing a goal and a point before that. We could have been close to them, as bad as we were playing. In the end, they beat us nearly a point a man, (3-17 to 0-12). It wasn’t a nice feeling.
“It’s hard to say what happened. I know a lot of people has us favourites going into the game. We were being built up to be this great Laois team, but we weren’t producing the goods. We were only after beating Carlow in the first round.’’
A year earlier, in the final, it was a very different story.
“We started very badly and they were six or seven points up going in at half time. We knew we hadn’t performed the way we could have. We got back into it in the second half. Tomas Quinn got the last ‘45 to win it.’’
Clancy walked a bit of tightrope when he was quizzed at yesterday’s media conference in Dublin about the difference in approach between Mick O’Dwyer and new boss Liam Kearns. Careful not to offend either, he joked they hadn’t been doing “as many laps” under Kearns.
“Liam Kearns has his own way of doing things. He brought in a weights programme at the start of the year which maybe we weren’t doing, or adhering to.
“I don’t think anyone likes laps, but that’s the way Micko trained us. It wasn’t too bad. It worked for him. We train as often, shorter and snappier.’’
One thing has changed. For the four years O’Dwyer was in charge, they were always in the spotlight. This year, they have had a much lower profile and he agrees that their form hasn’t been very convincing.
“We’re playing a Dublin team in top form and we haven’t really performed the way we can.
“We’ll be up against it, but we are looking forward to it — playing a team a lot of people rate as All-Ireland candidates.’’
Dublin captain Colin Moran is looking forward to another massive occasion at headquarters.
“I think it will inspire both teams. When we played Laois in the final two years ago and it went down to the wire. It will be something similar Sunday.’’
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