THEIR PLAYING DAYS were illuminated by success but the managerial game is proving unforgiving for Brian Lohan and Henry Shefflin.
Collectively the duo won 12 All-Ireland senior hurling titles and 15 All-Stars. They dominated their sectors on the pitch, but the sideline roles are proving challenging.
Both exited the last four stage at the weekend, Lohan at the helm of Clare and Shefflin guiding Galway’s fortunes. That’s four years in the bank for Lohan with his native county and two seasons done by Shefflin in his voyage out west.
What’s next for them?
Similar themes crop up for both as they face into an off-season of contemplation.
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The familar pain of defeat…
If his first two campaigns was about steadying the ship for Clare, the last two championships have seen Lohan really take his team forward. They have undeniably made huge strides but the pain of defeat has been sharp.
Strikingly their sequence of results in the major moments across 2022 and 2023 mirror that which Galway have experienced under Shefflin.
Clare have lost two Munster deciders to Limerick, Galway have lost two All-Ireland semi-finals to Limerick. Clare have been taken down twice in All-Ireland semi-finals by Kilkenny, Galway have been defeated twice in Leinster finals by Kilkenny.
Defeat has visited them in different ways. Clare just fell three points short yesterday, the same deficit Galway faced twelve months ago. Clare emphatically dismissed on a Saturday evening in 2022, Galway suffered the same fate this weekend.
Both have nailed down top four status but the failure to land a knockout blow against the heavyweight forces of Limerick and Kilkenny, will sting for both.
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No silverware…
The playing careers of Lohan and Shefflin were defined by the lifting of silverware. In early steps taken as part of management teams they demonstrated that, Lohan with Cratloe and UL, Shefflin with Ballyhale Shamrocks. It will grate for them that they have been unable to made additions to the trophy cabinet at inter-county senior level.
Clare’s pair of Munster final losses were tough to absorb, three points in arrears after extra-time in Thurles last year and one point short in Limerick last month. Galway were poor in the 2022 Leinster final but made amends this season with a terrific second-half fightback, only to be chinned on the line by Cillian Buckley’s stunning late goal.
For their core group of players the lack of medals recently will grate. Between the senior success of 2013 and their U21 victories, Clare enjoyed a period of brilliant glory. Across 2017 and 2018, Galway won an All-Ireland, two Leinsters and a National League.
But those success rates have dried up considerably.
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Tactical regrets and goal concessions…
Specific to this weekend’s games, there was aspects of the defeats that will trouble the Galway and Clare camps when they review them. Galway got so much right for the first half on Saturday night in pushing up to make life uncomfortable for Limerick, Brian Concannon and Conor Whelan floating into pockets of space to devastating effect. But being outscored 1-18 to 0-6 from the 25th minute on was illustrative of their struggles as the game wore on.
Their own puckout broke down as a source of possession, Limerick applied the pressure to Eanna Murphy’s deliveries as they monstered Galway in the middle third in the second half. That had the effect of shutting down that regular supply of quality ball to Whelan inside.
Clare signalled their approach by starting Seadna Morey as a sweeper yesterday. The concerns over the fitness of Conor Cleary, John Conlon and David McInerney may have informed their thinking, as did the fact that Kilkenny butchered them in the first half last season and ended the game as a contest by the break. Clare did succeed in staying in contention at the interval, then they shook things up with Peter Duggan moving to 11 and a trio of livewire forwards stationed inside. But the lack of shape in their attack in the opening period was highlighted all the more by the improvements there in the second half.
And then there was the concession of goals. Aaron Gillane slipped behind Daithi Burke for Limerick’s first goal. Seán Linnane lost possession in the build-up to Limerick’s second and Galway’s defence could not scramble effectively as Gillane netted again. For Clare the sequence that saw Eibhear Quilligan and Rory Hayes trying to work it out from the back before Kilkenny pounced to rob them, will be revisited frequently as this defeat is inspected.
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Experienced core…
It’s a decade since Clare last claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup and six years since Galway enjoyed that feat. On the Clare side, David McInerney, John Conlon, Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell and Seadna Morey all played in that 2013 final and featured yesterday. From the Galway side on Saturday night, Daithi Burke, Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney were all survivors of their 2017 triumph.
Debate will naturally circulate as to how much more some of those long-serving stalwarts have left to give. Galway also missed the immense leadership of David Burke this year after his cruciate injury.
How many will be back spearheading challenges in 2024? They have all tasted success at the highest level but recent campaigns have hurled a succession of disappointments at them as they sought to scale the heights once more.
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The hope of kicking on…
The weekend’s action illustrated the scale of improvement necessary for Galway and Clare. The standard set by Limerick have been staggeringly high over the past few years and Kilkenny have pushed on in an effort to try to topple the champions. That is what Galway and Clare must aspire to, and amidst the searing disappointment of 2023 championship exits, they will hope they can build on the nucleus of their system.
At different stages this season the class of Conor Whelan, Shane O’Donnell and Tony Kelly all surfaced. Galway got positive contributions from Cianan Fahy, Kevin Cooney and Evan Niland during the championship as they sought to build a squad. For Clare, youngster Adam Hogan has been a terrific find in defence and Mark Rodgers stood up in the forward line, posting 0-10 yesterday as he shouldered the free-taking burden.
The rate of improvement must continue, the range of leaders needs to improve and the depth of their panels has to increase. Shefflin and Lohan are iconic hurling figures. Will they go again for the 2024 season in their respective posts? The next move by both will be intriguing.
