John Conlon: Silverware great preparation for the championship for Clare
GREAT PREPARATION: John Conlon of Clare catches the sliothar under pressure from John Donnelly of Kilkenny during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final match between Clare and Kilkenny at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A Division 1 medal is not be sniffed at in Clare especially when an ankle injury ruled you out of the last time the county lifted the Allianz Cup.
After suffering the setback in the 2016 league semi-final win over Kilkenny, John Conlon wasn’t involved in either of the final games against Waterford so Saturday’s victory over The Cats was additionally special.
It also helped him compartmentalise the game from the Munster SHC opener against Limerick in Cusack Park on Sunday week as much as it looms large.
“The closer you come to championship, the games are excellent to get because nothing like re-enacting the first 15 minutes when your tongue is out and you're trying to get your second wind,” said the 34-year-old.
"You can do all the training in the world and you'll never re-enact that. When you get to that latter stages of a league and a semi-final against Tipp and a final again.
"In Clare we don't have a lot of medals. I was only looking at the (match) programme, we've only four titles at National League, very little else in Munster and All-Ireland.
“We've just been taking game by game. Brian (Lohan) has been doing super stuff since we've come in and great to get some silverware and great preparation going towards championship.”
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On one hand, Conlon knows Clare’s record against Limerick in Ennis is strong. On the other, he has no difficult recollecting Clare lost their provincial opener to Tipperary there last year.
For the Clonlara man, getting off to a winning start is “huge” but he couples the game and the trip to Cork the following week as a period “that defines our season”.
He remarked: “We've Limerick the All-Ireland champions, you could argue the best team that has ever played hurling, coming to Ennis and then you've Cork the week after in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Two massive games and two massive venues to play in, we're just really looking forward to it.
“We're taking it game by game. That's our approach at the moment. We'll just prepare right for it. Put the heads down, it's a local derby, so anything can happen in those games, especially up in Cusack Park.
“Anytime we go out and play each other, it's like any club team that you play, you know, they're your rivals, you know it's going to be a hard battle. We'll be prepared, they'll be prepared, and hopefully it'll be one hell of a match.”
Conlon is buoyed by the amount of players who made a name for themselves during the course of the league.
“You could see it straight away when you came back into the panel earlier on in the year. A lot of lads had really put their shoulder to the wheel over the off-season and really worked hard to get themselves into super shape.
“I suppose those lads that are 20-23 have really pushed on, and are really putting their hands up that they want to start come championship, and really just push everyone else that's been really established for many year and that's great for any panel.”
Seeing his old comrades Shane O’Donnell and David McInerney being sprung from the bench in Thurles was also reason for cheer.
“Ah sure savage,” he smiled.
“You just want all of your players available for you come championship. They're all coming around well and working hard on their recoveries towards getting onto the field.
“We had Shane and David back there, which is super, and hopefully we'll have a few more coming back in as well over the next few weeks.”
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