Clare’s Munster Minor Football campaign has already had a bit of everything — and they’ll be hoping that hard-earned experience stands to them when they face Cork in Phase Two next Monday evening in Clarecastle.
It didn’t start well. A slow opening in foggy Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Quilty saw Clare fall 0-13 to 0-10 to Waterford, leaving them with work to do. But they’ve bounced back tremendously well since, stringing together two wins brimming with character to reach the Phase Two stage for the third year in a row.
Liam Keane was the standout in Round Two, the towering Lissycasey man hitting nine points in Mountcollins as Clare did enough to hold off a late Limerick surge and get the Banner moving.
Then came a real test against Tipperary in Clarecastle. The hosts were flying early on with Shane Cahill and Caelum Killeen to the fore building a ten point lead, only to see it wiped out as Tipp stormed back with the aid of two goals, the first from a spot kick which also cost Clare a black card . When Joe Hayes’s side fell behind late on, it looked like the chance of staying alive in Munster was gone — but Thomas Dillon popped up in injury time, finishing a rebounding Steven O’Neill effort to the net to snatch it and send Clare through.
Two tight wins, plenty of lessons, and a team that’s learning on the job. They’ll need all of that against a strong Cork side, but Clare won’t lack belief.
Dillon's haul of 1-02 vs. Tipperary earns the Doonbeg man a starting berth at right half forward with club mate Zak O'Shea starting in the same line. Kilrush Shamorock's Eoin Soffe is introduced at left half back . His fellow Shamrock Rian Cotter lines out in attack after impressive outings in Phase One.
