Gaels unlikely to blow their big chance

ALL-IRELAND CLUB SHC FINAL: O'Loughlin Gaels v Clarinbridge:ANY ATTEMPT to bill this game as a potential classic must carry certain terms and conditions: we've been saying that about the last few AIB All-Ireland club hurling finals and each time they fell disappointingly flat – not that the victorious team could have cared any less, naturally.

Part of the danger here is Clarinbridge come into the final after one of the greatest displays of club hurling in living memory – their semi-final win over Waterford’s De La Salle. It took 53 scores, extra-time and a last-gasp goal from Éanna Murphy before they got the better of them, and it’s asking a lot of Clarinbridge to raise that sort of excitement level again.

O’Loughlin Gaels come with the big-time status all Kilkenny champions naturally claim and yet haven’t exactly had a blockbuster run to the final. They rode their luck against both Ballyboden St Enda’s of Dublin and Wexford’s Oulart-The Ballagh and have so far lacked the lethal touch that often marks stand-out Kilkenny teams.

Another consideration here is that last year’s final also marked a potentially classic showdown between two far more prolific Galway and Kilkenny clubs – Portumna and Ballyhale Shamrocks – yet that turned into a fairly straightforward win for Ballyhale, and a record fifth title. All things considered then it’s about time we had a classic final.

What is certain is neither club will lack any incentive whatsoever to win. Clarinbridge were here before in 2002 but were well beaten by Birr, yet that experience is sure to stand to them.

There are still strong ties with that 2002 team, starting with manager Michael Donoghue, who was captain and centre back nine years ago. Donoghue is able to pick from a full-strength panel, including twin brother Liam, the club’s long-serving goalkeeper, and other familiar names, including the Kerins brothers Mark and Alan, David Forde, and the lesser-known brothers Brian and Shane Burke.

Clarinbridge don’t actually boast any members of last year’s Galway panel, which underlines both the strength and depth of hurling in the county, and also the devotion of the club itself. Indeed one of their main strengths may well be their spirit, which obviously helped them come through against De La Salle when most other teams would have surrendered.

Donoghue has identified a few areas for improvement on that semi-final epic, not least defensively, and the need to cut down on the 1-27 they conceded to De La Salle. In the open spaces of Croke Park they certainly can’t afford to give their Kilkenny opponents much breathing space.

It is however a first final for O’Loughlin Gaels, who lost out in the 2004 semi-final, after a replay, to eventual champions Newtownshandrum. They may not be blessed with the headline Kilkenny players as Ballyhale were, but the likes of Martin Comerford and Brian Hogan certainly won’t fear the big stage.

Manager Mick Nolan is also able to name his strongest team, with full back Andy Kearns recovered from the hamstring tear that ruled him out of their semi-final win over Antrim’s Loughgiel Shamrocks – with Brian Murphy the player to step aside.

Like most Kilkenny clubs, winning the county title is half the battle towards winning an All-Ireland club title – and since beating Carrickshock last October O’Loughlin’s have been steadily gaining in confidence.

“In Kilkenny the ambition is to win the county final,” admits centre forward Mark Bergin, the provincial player of the year. “Once we got out of Kilkenny we knew we had a chance, and when we’d got through the Leinster championship, we said ‘we might never be here again so we’ve got to make the most of it’.

“Now we’re in the final and we’re going to give it a good shot.” Like most finals then it will come down to who gives it their best shot – and O’Loughlin Gaels might just have saved their best shot until last.

Paths to the final

Clarinbridge (Galway)

– Galway final replay: beat Loughrea 0-18 to 0-15.

– All-Ireland semi-final: De Le Salle (Waterford) 3-22 to 1-27 (after extra-time).

O’Loughlin Gaels (Kilkenny)

– beat Rathdowney-Errill (Laois) 3-16 to 0-14.

– beat Ballyboden St Enda’s (Dublin) 1-21 to 3-11 (after extra-time).

– Leinster final: beat Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford) 0-14 to 1-8.

– All-Ireland semi-final: beat Loughgiel Shamrocks (Antrim) 3-10 to 0-10.