*Clare captain, Tony Kelly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
This year Clare have their best chance of winning the All-Ireland senior hurling title since their last success ten years ago.
That’s according to former star Sixmilebridge’s Noel Casey, winner of two National league titles with his beloved Banner county in the mid seventies when he was also honoured with an All Star award.
“This is a very good Clare team, they are very good at midfield, David Fitzgerald and Cathal Malone are as good as any out there. We are just as good as any of the teams left in the title race”, according to the man who played at centre and full forward for Clare for over a decade during which time he showed his skills when filling in at centre back when the occasion demanded for club or county.
“We have big men up front, Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell, Mark Rodgers and Ian Galvin to mention a few, we have good talent all over the field. If things work out they are in with a big chance, a serious chance. I would be very confident “, the popular Sixmilebridge man said this week.
He accepts that if John Conlon is not available “he would be a massive loss as he was last year, he steadies everything, I would be hopeful that Conor Cleary will be back. Clare are as good as any of the teams left in the race, this team is the best I have seen since we last won the title and I give them a big chance”, he said.
He agreed with the view of Kilkenny great Noel Skehan that “there is nothing between the four teams left in the race” before noting that “the Munster final should have gone to extra time as Clare were deprived of a free at the death”.
“Kilkenny have it all done before and you can never write them off. They have won so much and they are back again. They were unlucky last year after beating Clare not to win the final. they gave Limerick enough of it, they are the great hurling county, medal laden”.
Casey continued, “I don’t think they are as good as they were, they are beatable. Derek Lyng will probably work the same methods they have been using as he was a selector with Brian Cody. They have their big players also like T.J. Reid, Eoin Cody, Huw Lawlor and Eoin Murphy, one of the great goalies, they will fancy their chances”.
One of the game’s great forwards from the seventies and eighties he feels “Galway could turnover Limerick, it is knockout, there is no backdoor now. The result of any of the games could hinge on a refereeing decision.
“If Clare can generate momentum they can get through. Last year, they never got going. Things like that happen, all the big players had a bad day last year, it happens everyone. I hope they can do it, it brings a great buzz to the county, it will light up everything coming into the club championship, it will give a great lift to the club scene,” he concluded.
