*Clare’s Killian O’Connor struggles to make inroads against Limerick. Photograph: Martin Connolly
Clare’s minor hurlers are keen to get the opportunity to play in Croke Park and must overcome Kilkenny this weekend to sustain such ambitions.
Both sides lost their respective provincial finals on Sunday with Wexford prevailing over Kilkenny and Limerick recording a six point win over Clare. There isn’t much time for either county to wallow defeat and as Fergal Lynch alluded to that leaves pros and cons for each setup.
“In a way there is an advantage to it but there’s a disadvantage too, we’ve to lick our wounds and get back to the drawing board and get ready for Kilkenny. There’s not much time for a turn around but we’ve played them in a few challenge matches and we know what they are like, Wexford are a good side to have beaten them,” the Banner minor manager said.
As they gathered in a huddle at LIT Gaelic Grounds on Sunday following the defeat, the 2013 All-Ireland winner issued the message that their campaign is far from over as they prepare to travel to Thurles for Saturday’s 3pm start.
“It’s a qualifier for an All-Ireland semi-final, we’re going to go at it as much as we went at it in the Munster Final and hopefully perform much better. We still have an opportunity to play in Croke Park and what young lad wouldn’t want to do but play in Croke Park, we’ve two matches to do that and we need to get a win in the two of them”.
