Bobby Duggan: Ability to win close battles a lift to Clare

Clare’s ability to come out on the right side of so many tight battles in 2016 has restored confidence in the camp, according to Bobby Duggan.

Of the nine games contested by the Bannermen last year, four ended in one-point defeats — including the Division 1A relegation play-off against Kilkenny and their Munster quarter-final meeting with Limerick — while Davy Fitzgerald’s charges were three adrift of Cork when dumped out of the championship in July.

It was a far different story this spring with Limerick edged out by four points in the Division 1B decider; Tipperary beaten by the minimum in the league quarter-final and Waterford also overcome by a single point in the league decider.