I am bitterly disappointed with the performance from us. To say I am not surprised is what annoys me the most. Cork were well pumped and we simply weren't at the same level of intensity. It's true you can't just switch form on and off, and the two games against Waterford really stood to Cork, particularly in the second half. I had no complaints that the best team won and won fairly. No problem at all and we in Clare will take our medicine and head of to the qualifiers knowing that we have massive room for improvement and we have the players and the management that can see us hurling well into August. No team wins all the time, not even Kk but losing sometimes allows you to learn an awfully lot. We are still All Ireland Champions. We weren't Munster Champions so we have lost nothing if you look at it objectively. These young lads need defeats every now and again to gain their edge, and keep the apatite. Training will now be more focused and the pride will be dented. Whoever we face in the next match will face a fired up team.

On the subject of the referee, while I do not believe for one second he cost us the match, as I said Cork were the better team. But god almighty the referee was very poor, Clare were given an awful time by the man in the middle and Stevie Wonder could tell you that.

BannerBoy2013 (Clare) - Posts: 325 - 16/06/2014 10:20:28    1604276

Cork did get most of the softer frees but every forward is told to get out in front for the ball & get down over it, any touch from the back & its a free. Cooper's free against Bulger was no free or if anything a free for Clare for charging. In saying all that Cork were much the better team & the final scoreline was flattering to Clare.

dcb (Kilkenny) - Posts: 26 - 16/06/2014 10:23:01    1604278

Firstly Cork played the better hurling over the 70 minutes and Clare made far too many unforced errors, misplaced passes, wrong options and so on, BUT the ref was indeed hard on them and very inconsistent.

Tuohy did charge and it was a free in, that was correct, but the one near the sideline was more or less the Cork lad turning and running straight into Bugler (I think), no foul, play on, certainly not a foul to the Cork man as McGrath thought.

Maybe Ger Locks rant at Cork not wanting Johnny Ryan in last years replay has irked a few men in black/green/red!!

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 16/06/2014 10:53:11    1604312

LAst year Davy totally out foxed JBM which surprised me and John Allen which didnt. Davey came up with formulae which allowed Clare to play games on their own terms and they were deserving A I champs. However anyone who knows hurling could see that things would be different this year when the sweeper or playing forwards at midfield no longer held the element of surprise.

This is a good Clare team with exceptional hurlers but I never thought they would be in the reckoning this year.2 months ago I said they would lose to Cork and they would lose at AI qualifier stage and yesterday only reinforces my opinion. People can continue to talk about All ireland finals and can continue to believe in the media hype but the reality is that based on perfomances to date Clare are not in top 4 poss not in top 6. Based on PERFORMANCES and not hype would anyone put Clare before Kilkenny Cork Limerick Dublin or Tipperary? I wouldnt

They can however be much better than they were yesterday. They need to reinstate Kelly as keeper he not great but he is best they have, they need morey at 4. They need to replace Bugler but do they have a good wing back t replace him with??. They need to leave Galvin at midfield and poss need to replace Donnellan. They can also add MAc to forwards and come up with some tactic to get McGrath and Podge going but none of the above will get them to AI semi in my view.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 16/06/2014 10:55:36    1604316

Can anyone here ever remember Davy Fitz being gracious in defeat ?

jerryp (Cork) - Posts: 104 - 16/06/2014 10:56:56    1604318

No.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/06/2014 11:01:24    1604321

Jerryp
County: Cork
Posts: 55

1604318
Can anyone here ever remember Davy Fitz being gracious in defeat ?

Yesterday he was gracious in defeat to be fair to him. Davy is a character and he probably needs an hour to wind down after the game (nothing wrong with that). Yes, he had a go at the ref but what was wrong with that? Clare are still in the championship. Davy is just building up some ammunition for his team. More power to him.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 16/06/2014 11:02:05    1604323

When we beat Clare 2 years ago he was in fairness. Probably through gritted teeth all that said!!!

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 16/06/2014 11:03:05    1604325

ok took a while to read all the posts so here is my take on yesterday.

REF. Regarding the ref i cant see any point in clare getting up in arms. While i hate see the ref in the spotlight and god knows he liked the limelight yesterday clare fouled consistantly through out the game. When they werent fouling then the cork forwards were on top and scoring. Lehane looked like he would open up and cadogen looks like a serious talent going forward. 90% of the frees were justifiable and those that werent could be off set by the ones cork didnt get as were illustrated by the panel of the sunday game yesterday.

CLARE. Last year cork beat clare at the same stage and look what happened. Their big players didnt perform and that could be down to being rusty and lacking game time. But could also be down to the fact that they are known now. Last year clare were an unknown entity where as this year the players are known and more marshalled. Where last year they had the freedom of the paric this year they will be harried harassed and not given the space.

CORK. With a new spine to this team cork are looking stronger and more dangerous. Ellis has anchored the backs and Cahalane is developing into a fine back. Walsh who we had been worried about has so far recieved 2 man of the match nominations in 3 games looks like he could win an all star if he keeps up the present level of play. Forward are freer and most pleasingly we have people coming off the bench who look like they will make an impact every time.

DAVY. oh Davy Davy Davy. His tactical brain took a day off yesterday. His setting up of the team was strange.His demeanor on the side line from early he looked defeated and his attack on the ref smacking of a man grasping at straws. But the best thing yesterday was it was everyone elses fault. The ref his own players. The dual players. He said yesterday that you cant be dual stars well cork had to starting yesterday and a third come off the bench. And the man just completely showed his lack of class yesterday (again) but it was wonderful to see. Clare will bounce back iv always doubted their ability to win this years all irelad for two reasons one its just so hard to retain an all ireland and two the players we knew very little about last year will be marked men this year.

To Cork yesterday ye were brilliant and there is more improvement needed going forward so there is plenty to work on.

To Clare i have no doubt we will be seeing you al at the business end of the year. Im sure ye will improve your tempo and intensity and will have a huge say in the remaining championship

And to Davy id just like to say BAH HA HA HA HA iv said it before Clare would have won last years all ireland with out davy due to the massive underage talent they had coming through and thats 2 in 12 months that davy got his tactics wrong against cork

REBELS ABU

ritchie (Cork) - Posts: 346 - 16/06/2014 11:12:44    1604334

Ritchie I'm no fan of Davy fitz but he totally out fixed JBM in both All Ireland's last year. In the replay he isolated o donnell on corks 3 GAME OVER. Clare would never have won AI without Davy. Don't like him at all but credit should go where it is due.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 16/06/2014 11:43:27    1604369

disillusiondfan what an absolute load of tripe......Clare are not even in the TOP 6 sides in Ireland you say???

Behave yourself....based on PERFORMANCES.....well League Semi Final....after beating Kilkenny and Tipp in the league. And now lost ONE Munster Championship match and you have us as nobodies and even behind yourselves. Haha I don't know what a Clareman did to you, but I'm sorry for his actions. Haha take your bitterness elsewhere.

BannerBoy2013 (Clare) - Posts: 325 - 16/06/2014 11:46:55    1604374

The referee had an EXCELLENT game. Very few mistakes from him.

If people are complaining about the free count for the first half being 12-5.... that's because Cork were far cleaner and Clare kept fouling!

A referee doesn't have to give the same number of frees to each team.

Only one incident, where McGrath and McDonnell tangles in the corner in the first half which resulted in no free, can I think of an example of a free that was missed, and I didn't even get to see a proper replay of that.

Ye Clare boys would want to cop on. Pulling jerseys, pushing, pulling, that's why there were so many frees against ye. Cork didn't go on with that so why would the ref penalise them.

I've never heard such rubbish about the ref. He had a great game.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2575 - 16/06/2014 11:48:59    1604378

"Without being based on hype would anyone put the Clare in the top 6 hurling sides in Ireland" says the comedian from Limerick aka disillusiondfan.

Well yeah I would say Clare are every bit as good as Cork, Kilkenny, Dublin and the players who actually play and manage those teams would agree with me. You say based on PERFORMANCES Clare are not up there yet you place Limerick there and Tipperary. Tipperary are a great side but they have been poor performers in the Championship for two years running now, yet you place them above Clare. Limerick have failed to produce anything when playing outside their own County. So can you please sort your head before you let the bitterness take over slagging Clare off.

We were beaten by a better team on the day yesterday, but there is absolutely NOTHING in what you say. Clare will come through the qualifiers. And we will not go away because we lost one game against a very good and pumped up Cork side.

BannerBoy2013 (Clare) - Posts: 325 - 16/06/2014 11:53:50    1604383

"Without being based on hype would anyone put the Clare in the top 6 hurling sides in Ireland" says the comedian from Limerick aka disillusiondfan.

Well yeah I would say Clare are every bit as good as Cork, Kilkenny, Dublin and the players who actually play and manage those teams would agree with me. You say based on PERFORMANCES Clare are not up there yet you place Limerick there and Tipperary. Tipperary are a great side but they have been poor performers in the Championship for two years running now, yet you place them above Clare. Limerick have failed to produce anything when playing outside their own County. So can you please sort your head before you let the bitterness take over slagging Clare off.

We were beaten by a better team on the day yesterday, but there is absolutely NOTHING in what you say. Clare will come through the qualifiers. And we will not go away because we lost one game against a very good and pumped up Cork side.

BannerBoy2013 (Clare) - Posts: 325 - 16/06/2014 11:54:36    1604386

Icehonesty you've also missed the first Cork goal was never a free, Podge also fouled and free given against him and the charge into the chest Bugler that he gave to Cork.

BUT in absolutely no way did he cost us the game. We lost fair and square, and can have no complaints with that FACT!! Cork deserved to win, as Davy said, he was right, they were the better team. The two games with Waterford stood them and they won. We will take our medicine and come back from this Cork defeat the only way we can. The qualifiers represent a chance for us to gain momentum. No one was saying Clare were going to win EVERY match and the All Ireland year after year. The hate you receive as champions is something I suppose we have to accept.

But to write us off as just a "hype" is rubbish.

BannerBoy2013 (Clare) - Posts: 325 - 16/06/2014 12:04:25    1604396

BannerBoy the first goal was a free. The Corkman was pushed in the back, I believe by number 4 who had an absolute nightmare.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2575 - 16/06/2014 12:18:32    1604410

I don't know about that icehonesty I felt the player was going down before he was even touched, Podge was penalised for the exact same incident. Look it's gone and now harm. We have lost a Munster Semi Final and now we go on and face the qualifiers.

BannerBoy2013 (Clare) - Posts: 325 - 16/06/2014 12:37:59    1604428

Clare backs especially Bugler are far too erratic when they don't have the ball, McInerney aside, who is one of the best defenders without the ball in Ireland, he showed Daniel Kearney the outside and then neatly flicked the ball off the end of his hurl, rather than the arms/hurl around the head preferred by some of his teammates. A class defender who the rest should be trying to emulate.

Maybe Davy winds some of them up too much and that desperation comes out in their play.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 16/06/2014 12:55:55    1604438

Bannerboy what is it with Clare that it must be bitterness bad refereeing or the whole world is against them. With the exception of Dillon who was brilliant yesterday everything I have said about Clare was proved right yesterday. Call it bitterness if u want I just call it calling it as I see it. Ye made cork look good yesterday. If u want to draw league into it tipp beat ye well we beat tipp de facto we are far ahead of Clare so too in my opinion are Kilkenny Dublin cork and tipperary. That leaves it between Clare and Galway for 6 th place.

Keep blaming ref or whoever u want but I will go on hurling if that ok with you.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 16/06/2014 13:13:28    1604457

How is it every time Clare fail to when a match it's all the ref, the ref.Yesterday he just reffed Clare the way they should always be reffed and pulled them for their persistent fouling, thus thing about the foul count being against Clare is a non issue as they just did more fouling than Cork, the biggest mistakes the ref did yesterday was booking Kearney for Cork and failing to book Butler after he gave away 5/6 frees

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 899 - 16/06/2014 13:31:47    1604474