Bright and refreshed Clare brush off Dublin challenge to set up Kilkenny semi-final showdown

All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final: Clare 5-26 Dublin 2-17

Whatever concerns existed about Clare’s capacity to shrug off another Munster final defeat were rebutted on a dull, muggy evening in Limerick. Unlike last year’s quarter-final, when they needed a sharp dose of smelling salts to clamber over Wexford, there were no alarms here. Clare looked bright and refreshed and ready to be contenders.

Two goals at the end of the first half smothered a speculative Dublin challenge that flickered for about 10 minutes, and Clare’s passage to another All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny passed off without incident in the second half.

Significant injuries have stalked Clare’s summer, though, and that was the only cloud on their weekend. Having started the game without Conor Cleary, Aidan McCarthy and David McInerney, Clare lost their influential centre back John Conlon towards the end of the first half with a suspected concussion.

Conlon lay on the ground for about four minutes before rising to his feet gingerly and leaving the field with the aid of Clare’s medical team. He missed last year’s All-Ireland semi-final with an injury and his recovery over the next fortnight will be critical to Clare’s chances.

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Of the others? Brian Lohan simply said they would be guided by medical advice. McInerney was active in the pre-match warm-up but didn’t take any part in the match; Cleary and McCarthy were not part of the match day panel; the excellent Shane O’Donnell came off early in the second half with a knock, but it looked like a precautionary substitution.

Clare’s panel seems to be deeper this year, and six players who saw action on Saturday played no part in last year’s quarter-final. Allowing for all that, though, Clare can’t afford to face Kilkenny without the players on their injured list.

In other respects, they’re in good shape. Unlike last year, they don’t look washed out. “From our perspective the Munster championship didn’t take as much out of us this year,” said Lohan. “I think we are more resilient as a bunch and a bit stronger personnel wise as well than we were last year.

“Look the big thing for us was that we felt we were going to play well. We thought we had a good bit of work done throughout the year. You are always worried that you are not going to get a performance, but we felt that we were going to get a performance.”

Clare struggled to find their rhythm at the start. In the Munster final shooting had been the ghost in the machine and that wasn’t exorcised immediately either. In the first 11 minutes Clare committed six wides, but it was just part of a greater malaise. On both sides there were handling errors and mistimed strikes and general clumsiness.

Dublin could scarcely have suffered a worse start. Having conceded a goal to Tony Kelly after three minutes their free-taker and most prolific forward Donal Burke was forced to leave the field with an injury just four minutes later.

To Dublin’s credit, though, they composed themselves and found a way into the game. Cian O’Sullivan took over the dead balls – and ultimately missed just one from 12 attempts; Paul Crummey and Fergal Whitely picked off a couple of points from play, and midway through the half they took the lead when Darragh Power pounced for a goal.

The advantage, though, melted within minutes. David Fitzgerald charged through the centre of the Dublin defence, after a turnover in centrefield, and fed Mark Rodgers for Clare’s second goal to put them 2-4 to 1-5 in front after 20 minutes.

Dublin were repeatedly exposed down the middle. Fitzgerald, Kelly and O’Donnell sourced oceans of space, and with Clare coming at them in waves Dublin were reduced to a scramble defence.

Seán Brennan made a great save from Ian Galvin when Dublin were carved open again by a series of slick overlaps, but the opportunities kept coming. After 35 minutes Kelly got in for his second goal, after another scoring pass from Fitzgerald, and in the first minute of stoppage time O’Donnell followed suit.

Dublin trailed by 4-8 to 1-8 at the break, and by 17 points by the end of the third quarter. Kelly completed his hat-trick three minutes into the second half and from there to the end it was a procession of scores.

By a quirk of the numbers, Dublin scored as much against Clare as Wexford had done in last year’s hectic quarter-final, but it didn’t amount to any sort of resemblance.

CLARE: E Quilligan; A Hogan, D Lohan, R Hayes; D Ryan, J Conlon, S Morey; C Malone (0-1), D Fitzgerald (0-4); P Duggan, T Kelly (3-4), R Taylor; I Galvin (0-2), S O’Donnell (1-2), M Rodgers (1-11, five frees).

Subs: P Flanagan for Conlon (24 mins, concussion); A Shanagher (0-2) for O’Donnell (40); D Reidy for I Galvin (46); C Nolan for Hogan (58, temp); P Crotty for Duggan (63); C Galvin for Taylor (65); S Meehan for Kelly (69).

DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Madden, E O’Donnell, P Smyth; P Doyle, C Burke, D Gray (0-1); M Grogan, C O’Leary; D Sutcliffe (0-1), D Burke, C Boland; P Crummey (0-3), C O’Sullivan (0-11, nine frees, one 65, D Power (1-0).

Subs: F Whitely (0-1) for Donal Burke (7 mins); C Donohoe for Madden (35); A Considine (1-0) for O’Leary (h-t); S Currie for Boland (46); D Purcell for Power (60).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).