You would think that a four point win in a provincial semi final would be something to be celebrated in Clare. The Banner reached their first Munster final in almost a decade, taking apart Limerick on a scoreline of 3-17 to 2-16. However, not everyone is happy.
Ger Loughnane was at the top of that list. He was unimpressed by the 'awful stuff' on show in Semple Stadium yesterday. Writing in his Daily Star column, the former Clare boss laid into his county.
Only the most deluded of supporters would have enjoyed yesterday.
It wasn't a question of Clare being a better team than Limerick. Rather, it was a question of which team was the least bad on the day. This was just awful stuff from both teams
Clare were atrocious is so many of the basics of the game. Their puck-outs were brutal, their free-taking was a mess, their ball-winning ability was non-existent.
People in Clare have to face the reality that, as a group, this is a limited bunch. When they won the 2013 All-Ireland, it was the greatest fluke of all time.
Oof. No holding back from the Sunday Game pundit.
Clare had nine different scorers in the victory, with Shane O'Donnell returning to his 2013 form to grab 2-2. They await the winners of Cork and Waterford on July 9th. That second semi final takes place on the 18th of June in Thurles.
Loughanne is the only Clare manager to win Munster since 1932 - having done so three times during his spell in charge of the Banner (1995, 1997 & 1998). Before the 2013 win, he was the last manager to bring Liam McCarthy to Ennis.
Seemingly, they have a serious amount of work to do if they want to get him back again. Or to impress Loughnane!
