62 SPORT Tue 03 October 17 HURLING Ð INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONHIP FINAL PREVIEW Dual mandate for Taaffe and Tubber Eamonn Taaffe will be looking to impact on both sides of the white lines in finals this weekend as he lines out for Tubber’s juniors on Saturday before managing their flagship side in the intermediate decider 24 hours later, writes Eoin Brennan. WEEKEND’S don’t come any big- ZDNHXS RQO\ EHQHÀWWHG 7XEEHU LQ “So looking back now, it was no game to make sure that we weren’t our recent games, that ability to drive ger than this for Tubber, even more refocusing the minds and attitudes harm in the world that we got that going to leave that one behind. The RQ FRPLQJ GRZQ WKH ÀQDO VWUDLJKW so for 1995 All-Ireland hero Eamonn for the remainder of the season. early little kick in the behind. lads played well and were really up and hopefully the same can happen 7DDIIH ZKR HPEDUNV RQ DQ LQÁXHQ- “In hindsight, perhaps we went into “We have been tested plenty since for that game and once you get into RQ6XQGD\µ tial dual role for his native club in the the Scariff game too lighthearted. though. We faced Killanena who a winning pattern, it helps training Taking on the might of clear cham- space of 24 hours. Now Scariff played very well on the are neighbours on one side and then DQGFRQÀGHQFHDQGZHEURXJKWWKDW pionship favourites Kilmaley means On Saturday, he will take to the day and really put it up to us even &RURÀQZKRDUHQHLJKERXUVRQWKH LQWRWKH6PLWK2·%ULHQ·VJDPHWKH that Tubber will revert to their more ÀHOGLQWKH-XQLRU%)LQDODJDLQVWODVW though we missed a few chances but other side so neither of them were last day. accustomed role as underdogs for \HDU·V ÀQDOLVWV 1HZPDUNHWRQ)HU- WKDWGHIHDWGHÀQLWHO\GLGUHIRFXVXV going to lie down too handy. And we “We weren’t really sure what to ex- Sunday’s showdown, a position that gus in Gurteen before swapping the “Even in the dressing room after- struggled a small bit at times with SHFWUHDOO\LQWKHVHPLÀQDOEXWZH saw them unassumingly catch plen- %ODFNDQG$PEHUMHUVH\IRUWKH%DL- wards, everyone agreed that more them as well before eventually get- felt that if we could stay with them ty of senior sides in the past, with nisteoir bib on Sunday as he attempts had to be done and everyone had to ting over the line. for 35 or 40 minutes that we had the Taaffe looking for one more rousing to topple Kilmaley in the intermedi- knuckle down and to be fair to them, ´%URDGIRUGLQWKHTXDUWHUÀQDOZDV hurling to win out in the end. We got performance and hopefully even an- ate version in Cusack Park. WKH\GLGDQGKDYHQRZEHQHÀWHG a big game for us I suppose given some vital scores midway through other big scalp. The last time Tubber were present- from that and have come out on the what happened the previous year the second half that we drove on “We know Kilmaley are hot fa- ed with such a welcome headache right side of it. and there was a big focus on that from and that has been a feature of vourites and probably shouldn’t be was in 2012 when they followed up a GRZQKHUHLQLQWHUPHGLDWHLQWKHÀUVW -XQLRU%WLWOHZLWKD6HQLRU%FURZQ place. And it’s also a pity that they against O’Callaghan’s Mills on the DUH LQ RXU OLQH RI ÀUH WKDW ZH KDYH same weekend. However, in terms of the task of taking them on but look, VLJQLÀFDQFHIRUWKHIXWXUHRIWKHFOXE that’s the way it is. They are compet- reclaiming their senior status after a ing in the top level of the Clare Cup two year gap certainly tops that one and are always near the top of it and in terms of sheer priority. they have some fabulous players, “It’s a massive weekend for Tubber, the likes of Daire Keane and Mikey of course it is as we have small num- O’Malley and so on that have played EHUVDQGDUHMXVWDERXWDEOHWRSXWRXW for the county. two adult teams. We don’t have too “It’s a big task for us as Kilmaley many subs on either side so everyone are a great side but at the same time, in the village is going to pull behind Tubber have never shied away from us and we’ll go out and do our best in any challenge and we’ll certainly ERWKÀQDOV have a go at it. ´,W·VMXVWDPDVVLYHZHHNHQGDQG “We have players of real experience unprecedented really to be in two ourselves and it isn’t so long ago that FKDPSLRQVKLS ÀQDOV RQ WKH VDPH we played senior and when we were weekend so hopefully we can come up there, we were putting it up to a lot out on the right side of some bit of it. of the teams. ´1RPDWWHUZKDWÀQDO\RX·UHFRP- “And even in this year’s Clare Cup, peting in, it’s nice to be there. Going we got a good run in it. There were down to intermediate two years ago, a couple of teams to go down for the it was tough for us and we found it new format next year but we were hard to take it as we had been senior still well up the table. for a very long time. “So I won’t say that we won’t be “Now we did put in a big effort last afraid of Kilmaley but what I can tell year and were probably got caught by you is that we will give it our all and %URDGIRUGLQWKHVHPLÀQDOEXWWKDQN a hell of a lash and we’ll see what God things have gone right this year, KDSSHQVRQ6XQGD\µ lads have tuned in well and we’ve PDGHWKHEUHDNWKURXJKWRWKHÀQDOµ Left: A place in Sunday’s Intermediate Tubber’s Domhnall McMahon decider seemed merely a dream last celebrates scoring a goal against May when they were unceremonious- Broadford in the Intermediate ly humbled by Scariff in the opening Championship Quarter-Final. round in Tulla but inadvertently that Natasha Barton PATH TO THE FINAL Ð TUBBER Round 1 (Saturday, May 13) Domhnall McMahon (0-4), Paddy O’Connor; Frank Quarter-Final (Saturday, September 9) nahan (0-2), Blaine Earley (1-7, 1-0 pen, 2f) Subs David Scariff 3-10 Tubber 0-15 McCormack (1-5), Ronan Monahan (0-4), Blaine Earley Tubber 1-18 Broadford 2-10 O’Donoghue for S. O’Connor (33), Paddy O’Connor at Dr. Daly Park, Tulla (0-10 5f, 1’65) at Dr Daly Park, Tulla (6) for McCormack (44) Sub Shane O’Connor for Howard Tubber Tubber Ronan Taaffe (0-2f); John O’Connor, Mark Played 5 - Won 4 - Drew 0 - Lost 1 Ronan Taaffe; John O’Connor, David O’Donoghue, Earley, Declan Ryan; Fergal O’Grady, Patrick O’Connor, Scored 4-95 - Conceded 8-54 - Average Scored 1-18 Fergal O’Grady; Ronan Monahan, Patrick O’Connor, Round 3 (Saturday, August 26) Lorcan O’Grady; Clive Earley (0-1), John Fawle; James Average Conceded 2-10 Darragh O’Connor; Frank McCormack, John Fawle (0- 7XEEHU&RUR¼Q Howard, Domhnall McMahon, Paddy O’Connor; Frank 1); Lorcan O’Grady (0-2 1f), Domhnall McMahon, Evan at Cusack Park, Ennis McCormack, Ronan Monahan (1-4), Blaine Earley (0-11, Scorers O’Donoghue; Clive Earley (0-1), Paddy O’Connor (0- 8f) Subs Shane O’Connor for Paddy O’Connor (22), Blaine Earley 2-45 (1-0 Pen, 23f, 3’65) 1), Blaine Earley (0-9, 4f, 2’65) Subs Mark Earley (0-1) Tubber David O’Donoghue for McCormack (57) Ronan Monahan 1-12 for McCormack (44), McCormack for J. O’Connor (57) Ronan Taaffe; Emmet Quinn, Fergal O’Grady, Declan Frank McCormack 1-10 Ryan; Lorcan O’Grady, Patrick O’Connor, John O’Con- Semi-Final (Sunday, September 24) Domhnall McMahon 0-9 Round 2 (Saturday, August 12) nor; John Fawle, Clive Earley (0-2); James Howard (0-1), Tubber 1-18 Smith O’Briens 0-12 Clive Earley 0-6 Tubber 1-24 Killanena 2-07 Domhnall McMahon (0-1), Paddy O’Connor (0-1); at O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge Lorcan O’Grady 0-3 (1f) at Gurteen Frank McCormack (0-5), Ronan Monahan (0-2), Blaine Ronan Taaffe 0-3 (3f) Earley (1-8 4f) Subs Mark Earley for Paddy O’Connor Tubber Ronan Taaffe (0-1f); John O’Connor, Mark James Howard 0-2 Tubber (50), Evan O’Donoghue for J. O’Connor (57) Earley, Declan Ryan (0-1); Fergal O’Grady, Patrick Paddy O’Connor 0-2 Ronan Taaffe; Emmet Quinn, Fergal O’Grady, Declan O’Connor, Lorcan O’Grady (0-1); Clive Earley (0-1), Mark Earley 0-1 Ryan; John O’Connor, Patrick O’Connor, Lorcan John Fawle; James Howard (0-1), Domhnall McMahon John Fawle 0-1 O’Grady; John Fawle, Clive Earley (0-1); James Howard, (0-4), Shane O’Connor; Frank McCormack, Ronan Mo- Declan Ryan 0-1 Tue 03 October 17 SPORT 63 HURLING Ð INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONHIP FINAL PREVIEW Banishing the ghosts of championship past Last year’s relegation from senior was a seismic shock to the system but now only 60 minutes away from an immediate return, manager Conor Clancy is hoping that Kilmaley can redress the balance and reclaim their top flight status this Sunday WITHIN touching distance of a FRXQW\ VHQLRU ÀQDO DSSHDUDQFH LQ WKDW.LOPDOH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHV LQWKHLQWHUPHGLDWHYHUVLRQWZR\HDUV ODWHUVLPSO\UHHPSKDVLVHVWKHPDQ WUDWKDWQRFOXELVWRRELJWRJRGRZQ +RZHYHU LQVWHDG RI ZDOORZLQJ LQ VHOISLW\ .LOPDOH\ LQVWHDG JRW RQ ZLWKWKHWDVNRIUHFWLI\LQJWKDWEOLS VWDUWLQJZLWKDKXJHO\HQFRXUDJLQJ &ODUH &XS 'LYLVLRQ $ FDPSDLJQ WKDW NHSW XS WKH VHQLRU VWDQGDUGV DV WKH\ HDVLO\ QHJRWLDWHG WKHLU ZD\ WKURXJKWKHLQWHUPHGLDWHFKDPSLRQ VKLSDUHDFWLRQWKDWKDVSOHDVHGPDQ DJHU&RQRU&ODQF\ ´:H·UH YHU\ KDSS\ ZLWK KRZ WKH \HDUKDVJRQHVRIDU$WWKHVWDUWRI WKHVHDVRQWKHUHZDVREYLRXVO\DORW RI GLVDSSRLQWPHQW WKHUH DPRQJ WKH SOD\HUV WKDW ZH KDG JRQH GRZQ EXW ZHKDGWRSXWWKDWÀUPO\EHKLQGXV DFFHSWWKDWZHZHUHDQLQWHUPHGLDWH WHDPDQGZHZHUHH[WUHPHO\KDSS\ ZLWKKRZWKH&ODUH&XSZHQWDVZH ZHUH GRZQ D ORW RI SOD\HUV :H·YH ZRUNHG UHDOO\ KDUG WKURXJKRXW WKH \HDUDQGKDYHPDGHRXUZD\WRWKH ÀQDO WKLV ZHHNHQG ,W·V D ELJ JDPH EXW RQH WKDW ZH DUH UHDOO\ ORRNLQJ IRUZDUGWRµ ,W·VKDVQ·WEHHQDOOSODLQVDLOLQJIRU &ODQF\DQG&RWKRXJKZLWKLQMXULHV WRNH\SOD\HUV0LNH\2·1HLOO$LGDQ 0F*XDQHDQG%ULDQ&DKLOOKDPSHU LQJ WKHLU SUHSDUDWLRQV IRU WKH EXVL QHVVHQGRIWKHFKDPSLRQVKLS%XW RQH PDQ·V ORVV LV DQRWKHU·V JDLQ DV LWKDVDOVRDOORZHGRWKHUVWRWDNHXS WKH PDQWOH DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH GRXEOH $OO,UHODQGZLQQHU ´$OOWKUHHDUHXQOLNHO\WRSOD\WKLV 6XQGD\