Claregalway 3-12

Caherlistrane  0-9

Kevin Egan at Tuam Stadium

THESE two teams came into Saturday evening’s clash at Tuam Stadium in very different frames of mind, given their contrasting experiences in the first round of this year’s championship.

Claregalway scored just 1-5 in their battle with St. Michael’s, and while Caherlistrane weren’t exactly prolific in their contest with Monivea-Abbey, the important statistic is that they scored more than their opponents, and thus had reason to have much more of a spring in their step going into this fixture.

However to clubs like these, one or two personnel changes can mean a lot. Claregalway manager John Fitzmaurice was able to call in Conor Campbell and Jack Glynn to bolster his defence, and while the latter’s performance was a pale shadow of those that lit up the intercounty championship this summer, he still represented a huge boost to the men in green and gold.

Campbell was even more influential, both in defence and when he was moved into a more attacking role, while for good measure, the decision to switch Conor Flaherty out of goals and into full forward bore fruit in spectacular fashion, particularly in the early stages when Claregalway were battering at the Caherlistrane door, but the lock was holding firm.

Meanwhile, Caherlistrane were without the services of both Éanna Glynn and Céin D’Arcy, meaning they weren’t where they wanted to be in terms of getting their best team on the field.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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