Comeback Kings
Comeback Kings
Clara do it again - 8 points down at half time against the Kildare crowd and come back and win by 1. Pat Flanagan must have the king of half time speeches. Well done to all concerned
JUTEMAN
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Bord na Mona man
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Re: Comeback Kings
It was some comeback.
Clara were 9 points down during the first half.
You certainly wouldn't have backed the Magpies to reel in the 8 point half time deficit when the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half were scoreless.
They gifted the Larries the big head start. The first two scores of the game were goals for the Kildare men with the Clara defence missing in action.
The Clara full back line was in real trouble early on against a much taller full forward line. With the aid of the breeze Laurence's were able to pump balls into the danger area and cause trouble.
The substitutions and switches made a big difference though - John Ledwith helped steady things up at the back and Graham Guilfoyle's direct ball carrying drove Clara forward.
John Reynolds kicked some superb points in the second half. He got 4 or 5 from play. Scott and Ross Brady got on top at midfield as the game wore on.
Clara never panicked and went chasing goals. They had enough self belief to keep playing to plan and not start playing desperation football. Also, too often teams make a comeback to within a point and then lose it again, whereas Clara never let up.
Clara's edge in fitness and freshness told. The Larries probably thought they had the game won and were then unable to raise the tempo again once Eoin Brady scored the goal to get the deficit back down to 3 points.
A great win for Clara, but at the moment they look short of the standard of the really big clubs.
Clara were 9 points down during the first half.
You certainly wouldn't have backed the Magpies to reel in the 8 point half time deficit when the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half were scoreless.
They gifted the Larries the big head start. The first two scores of the game were goals for the Kildare men with the Clara defence missing in action.
The Clara full back line was in real trouble early on against a much taller full forward line. With the aid of the breeze Laurence's were able to pump balls into the danger area and cause trouble.
The substitutions and switches made a big difference though - John Ledwith helped steady things up at the back and Graham Guilfoyle's direct ball carrying drove Clara forward.
John Reynolds kicked some superb points in the second half. He got 4 or 5 from play. Scott and Ross Brady got on top at midfield as the game wore on.
Clara never panicked and went chasing goals. They had enough self belief to keep playing to plan and not start playing desperation football. Also, too often teams make a comeback to within a point and then lose it again, whereas Clara never let up.
Clara's edge in fitness and freshness told. The Larries probably thought they had the game won and were then unable to raise the tempo again once Eoin Brady scored the goal to get the deficit back down to 3 points.
A great win for Clara, but at the moment they look short of the standard of the really big clubs.
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The Magpie
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Re: Comeback Kings
Comeback Kings indeed. But Clara can't keep giving good teams healthy leads.
The first five minutes of this game saw quite a few mistakes on both sides and defences generally dominating. Then things sprung to life. Between the 5th and 6th minutes, Laurences walked through the Clara backline and found the net twice. Their movement was good and their inside forwards, led by the Lawlor brothers, looked extremely lively. Clara were 2-0 0-0 behind - a nightmare start.
Clara pulled a couple of points back, but the movement of the Laurences full forward line was ever improving and they continued to cause a lot of problems for the Clara full-back line, extending the original 6 point advantage. To be fair to the Clara full-back line, they had a troublesome wind to contend with and most of the Clara team in front of them were not coping well with the high-posession, excessive hand-passing and constant movement of the Laurences team.
Before the half ended, Clara replaced Michael Rosney with John Ledwith and Colm Kelly with Graham Guilfoyle. As the first-half drew to a close, Laurences led by 9 points (2-7 0-4) and Clara had a mountain to climb. Graham Guilfoyle finished the half with a great goal chance (which he really should've scored) that just went wide of the goalkeepers left-hand post. Then Clara tagged on a late point to finish the half 8 points down (2-7 0-5).
After a very early scare in the second half, Clara started to find some traction. Despite missing three early chances, they managed to tag on a couple of points. More importantly, they were coping better with the oppositions running game and starting to dominate around the middle of the field. Guilfoyle was cutting through the Laurences backline, with his phenomenal pace and Clara were bringing the game to the Kildare champions. When Clara breached the Laurences full-back line with about 15 minutes to play, Eoin Brady dispatched well into the bottom left-hand corner of the net to leave only a goal between the two side. Clara scored the next two points to leave the bare minimum between the sides with about 6 minutes to play (2-7 1-9).
At this point Dessie Lawlor clipped over the only Laurences score of the second half with his left foot and the Kildare men looked to have broken a spell. However, John Reynolds kicked a huge score from near the sideline to reduce to a single point again and then after another Clara assault on the Laurences goal, Reynolds cleverly chose to fist the ball over the bar, rather than taking his chances for goal. Sides level for the first time since the start of the match.
With 4 seconds remaining on the digital clock in Newbridge, Reynolds kicked another massive point, after riding a couple of challenges. Despite a couple of very strange decisions with frees in the 3 additional minutes that followed, Clara held out well to wrap-up an incredible comeback (1-12 2-8).
At half-time, I wouldn't have taken a free bet on Laurences being kept to a solitary point in the second-half, but they were. When Clara came within a couple of scores of them, even as the game was entering it's final phase, it really only looked like there would be one winner. There is no doubt that their mentality is in the right place at the moment.
Finally, from a footballing perspective, I think the better team won out. The Laurences approach can be very effective, but it involves far too much sideways and backwards football and not nearly enough use of the kicked pass. Still, don't be surprised to see more of them next year. They were extremely well-drilled and had some very good forwards.
The first five minutes of this game saw quite a few mistakes on both sides and defences generally dominating. Then things sprung to life. Between the 5th and 6th minutes, Laurences walked through the Clara backline and found the net twice. Their movement was good and their inside forwards, led by the Lawlor brothers, looked extremely lively. Clara were 2-0 0-0 behind - a nightmare start.
Clara pulled a couple of points back, but the movement of the Laurences full forward line was ever improving and they continued to cause a lot of problems for the Clara full-back line, extending the original 6 point advantage. To be fair to the Clara full-back line, they had a troublesome wind to contend with and most of the Clara team in front of them were not coping well with the high-posession, excessive hand-passing and constant movement of the Laurences team.
Before the half ended, Clara replaced Michael Rosney with John Ledwith and Colm Kelly with Graham Guilfoyle. As the first-half drew to a close, Laurences led by 9 points (2-7 0-4) and Clara had a mountain to climb. Graham Guilfoyle finished the half with a great goal chance (which he really should've scored) that just went wide of the goalkeepers left-hand post. Then Clara tagged on a late point to finish the half 8 points down (2-7 0-5).
After a very early scare in the second half, Clara started to find some traction. Despite missing three early chances, they managed to tag on a couple of points. More importantly, they were coping better with the oppositions running game and starting to dominate around the middle of the field. Guilfoyle was cutting through the Laurences backline, with his phenomenal pace and Clara were bringing the game to the Kildare champions. When Clara breached the Laurences full-back line with about 15 minutes to play, Eoin Brady dispatched well into the bottom left-hand corner of the net to leave only a goal between the two side. Clara scored the next two points to leave the bare minimum between the sides with about 6 minutes to play (2-7 1-9).
At this point Dessie Lawlor clipped over the only Laurences score of the second half with his left foot and the Kildare men looked to have broken a spell. However, John Reynolds kicked a huge score from near the sideline to reduce to a single point again and then after another Clara assault on the Laurences goal, Reynolds cleverly chose to fist the ball over the bar, rather than taking his chances for goal. Sides level for the first time since the start of the match.
With 4 seconds remaining on the digital clock in Newbridge, Reynolds kicked another massive point, after riding a couple of challenges. Despite a couple of very strange decisions with frees in the 3 additional minutes that followed, Clara held out well to wrap-up an incredible comeback (1-12 2-8).
At half-time, I wouldn't have taken a free bet on Laurences being kept to a solitary point in the second-half, but they were. When Clara came within a couple of scores of them, even as the game was entering it's final phase, it really only looked like there would be one winner. There is no doubt that their mentality is in the right place at the moment.
Finally, from a footballing perspective, I think the better team won out. The Laurences approach can be very effective, but it involves far too much sideways and backwards football and not nearly enough use of the kicked pass. Still, don't be surprised to see more of them next year. They were extremely well-drilled and had some very good forwards.
The Dog chases the Car....the Car stops....the Dog can't Drive!
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Re: Comeback Kings
Great support for Clara yesterday and great to see. I've noticed over the years our County champions in hurling and football get a great following from all over the county, there is not near the same support for our county teams during the leagues and even in some championship matches, we must have one of the few counties in Ireland where this happens. Very gutsy performance yesterday by the magpies, at half time it looked like curtains and for the first 12 minutes of the second half it looked like it was a lost cause after kicking some dreadful wides but once the first ball went over the bar there was only one team in it for the remainder of the game. Scott Brady had a terrific second half assisted by Ross, John Reynolds pumped over some beauties and Graham Guilfoyle's magnificent ball carrying caused endless problems for the Larries defence. Should Clara get over Rathvilly in 2 weeks[which will not be easy] a rampaging Portlaoise await in the semi final in Portlaoise if by all probability they get over the Meath champs, now it's ok giving Rhode and Lawrences head starts but it would be a different kettle of fish if you let Portlaoise take a six or eight point lead early in the game, however that is for another day. Well done again Clara.