Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BLUES MAY BE AT RISK WARNS ‘KEEPER CIARA
“Fingers [O’connell] had been quiet,” Mcnamara points out. “He was man of the match nearly in the Munster final, he got four points off Ciaran [Carey] and he’d been kind of quiet and then he got that big point and it kind of lifted the whole thing.
“It was all over, you could just see the Galway heads just drop, they were gone.”
Clare won by five in the end, starting an unbeaten run at Croke Park that didn’t end until 1999, and their record there is something Mcnamara believes will stand to them in this evening’s semi-final, the first between the counties in 23 years.
Incidentally, Mcnamara and a few Clare players have somewhat tatty souvenirs from that game. August 1995 was the hottest for that month since records began and, at halftime, Galway changed their jerseys. “I was marking Conor O’donovan,” laughs Mcnamara, “and after the game Conor says, ‘You wouldn’t mind, we’re after getting the s**t jerseys, Phelim [Murphy, hurling board secretary] took the good ones off us at half-time!’
“Conor swapped with me so I got a second-hand Galway jersey because the good ones were taken!” CIARA TRANT claims Mayo have come back more dangerous than ever from their internal crisis.
The Dublin goalkeeper dismisses the notion that the reigning All-ireland champions will have it easier at Dr Hyde Park today against the team they beat in last year’s final.
Cora Staunton was among 10 players who walked away from the Mayo Ladies’ camp in the build-up to the All-ireland qualifier win over Cavan, citing player welfare issues.
Also among the withdrawals were captain Sarah Tierney and vicecaptain Fiona Mchale but Trant still expects Mayo to be serious opposition in their final qualifier tie.
“In the Cavan game it actually gave them an edge and it has probably brought them closer together,” claimed Trant.
“I can only speculate about their team. I don’t know much as we are focusing on ourselves.
“Mayo are a great side and as with any great side you need depth in your panel.
“They have that, they proved that having lost however many players they lost and for the other girls to step up and lead and put in a massive shift and get that result is huge. It proves that they are a more dangerous outfit.”
Trant added: “I don’t know what happened. It’s a shock and it will rattle any team.
“If any team was to lose 10 or 12 players, or whatever it was, that is huge to your panel and it will have a huge psychological and emotional effect on you.
“They must have fantastic leaders still in the group to rally them and pull them together.”
Dublin didn’t have a game in the Championship until the Leinster final and have only lost once since they won the All-ireland last year, in a League game against Galway.
Leah Caffrey and Sinead Goldrick return to the Dublin backline, with Lyndsey Davey restored to the half-forward line.
Although they both scored goals against Cavan, Laura Mcginley and Oonagh Whyte are benched by Mick Bohan.
Trant (abobe) has been pleased with how Dublin have dealt with the mantle of defending All-ireland champions.
“When teams come up against Dublin, they’ve that extra bit of bite just because they are playing the Dubs – and now there’s even more reason against the champions.
“That puts the onus back on us to be better every time we go out.”