Fitzgerald wants more games to bring on Banner

Clare may have booked a place in next year’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A but, for manager Davy Fitzgerald, the restructured league means their progression will be stunted.

The Banner manager felt his side needed to playing more games against higher standard sides to improve.

“There should be a 10-team Division 1,” he said. “There should not be a six-team Division 1 or 2. We need more games in the hurling league and I think the likes of Limerick, Offaly and Wexford need to be playing in that first division.

“That’s a system I’d like to see, where there are more top-class games — eight or nine games would be good. Then the top four play the semi-finals. More games would be better. Look at Wexford in Division 1, when I was involved [with Waterford] they ran some teams very close but you’re not going to improve unless you play those games.”

Wexford take on Laois next Sunday in the Division 1B relegation decider with Carlow and Westmeath meeting to see who gets promoted from 2A. With teams reduced to just five regular-round games it’s a condensed, more intense league but as Fitzgerald noted, it reduced exposure for hurling. Now his side get the ‘bonus’ of playing Kilkenny in the semi-final.

“I don’t know if it’s a bonus or not — what they did to Galway is frightening. But to be honest, I’m not going to think about it. We have achieved our goal. We’ll see what happens from here on. Even in championship, we know the odds will be stacked against us.

“I don’t need to tell ye what my major target is because anybody that knows me has a fair idea what I’m like. But we’ve got to be realistic for the boys. There’s no point setting massive targets. They’ve achieved something. That’s important and we acknowledge it. We’ll worry about two weeks’ time in two weeks’ time, but there’s a massive jump in [class] again.”

Saturday’s win was a display of real character by a very young Clare side and captain Pat Donnellan, whose midfield heroics in the final 30 minutes inspired a 10-point turnaround, epitomised their efforts.

“We’re a very fit team, but we’re a young team too, a lot of energy, dying to get out there and play the game,” he said.

“Myself and Nicky [O’Connell, midfield partner] knew we were being beaten in the first half. We knew we had to up it and I think we did, came into it a lot more.

“But there’s a huge onus on every player to win his own battle, and even if you’re getting beaten to keep fighting away, stay battling. In fairness to Davy he’s giving us great confidence, we know there’ll be no rash decisions made on the sideline. We’re training hard all year, he has placed his faith in us and trusts us to come through in the end.

“I know it’s only a Division 1B final but for a team like us, a young team, up-and-coming, we’re setting ourselves targets and it’s good to meet this one.

“It’s great for Clare to have days like that, to have so many supporters following us. It does give you a lift.”

But he knows they must improve for the semi-final against Kilkenny.

“This game was a high enough standard tonight but there’s still room for improvement.

“Those are things we can work on and Kilkenny will be another step up.”