Questions raised about sandy pitch

The state of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh pitch came in for further criticism yesterday from Clare trainer Michael McNamara, whose team will face Tipperary at the Cork venue next Sunday in the eagerly awaited Munster hurling semi-final. Last weekend's Waterford-Limerick match was spoiled by the surface which had been too heavily sanded.

"It looked absolutely dreadful," said McNamara. "I don't know what they did with the field. It looked like something which had been ploughed. I was amazed at it, particularly in Cork where they pride themselves on the state of the pitch, but it was unbelievable in this day and age.

"One wonders what the hell went wrong. The wrong type of sand must have been used. They've a week to get it right for our match, but then again they'd a week to get it right for Sunday's and didn't."

It is believed that the trouble was caused by ongoing drainage work on the pitch, similar to work carried out at Croke Park a few years ago and which co-incidentally caused Clare's 1995 All-Ireland semi-final with Galway to be played on a very sandy surface. These problems were exacerbated by a lack of rain. Players from the intermediate championship match which preceded the senior fixture came into the dressing-rooms with cuts from the abrasive surface

The Cork County Board were, however, happy to defend the pitch. "What was wrong with it?" said PRO Jim Forbes. "A bit of sand? I didn't hear any complaints about it. They've been doing work on the field and it needed a bit of rain. Only the sideline down by the covered stand was really affected."

Asked about the Clare-Tipperary match, he replied: "It will be much improved by next Sunday."

Munster Council spokesperson Fr Seamus Gardiner said that the matter hadn't been raised formally with the council, but commented that the pitch needed "more time" for growth.

On the team front, it is expected that both Clare and Tipperary will name their selections tonight. Michael McNamara said that Clare are putting Ollie Baker's chances of playing at no greater than 50 per cent. The All Star centre-fielder has damaged ankle ligaments - the same complaint as his Waterford counterpart Tony Browne overcame to play in Sunday's match at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Baker's fate is particularly hard to tell, according to McNamara.

"Most injuries have a deadline. You know roughly when they'll clear up. With ankle ligaments it's pot luck. It might be two months or it might be a week. It's also difficult because you can't put pressure on the injury until match day. Then you do a fitness test and he's fine but five minutes into the match he's gone again. I'd say we'll name him and give him as much time as possible, up to the weekend, to recover."

Clare have welcomed back some familiar names in recent weeks. Central forward Conor Clancy is back after a knee operation and pushing for a place on the team. Ger O'Loughlin has also returned despite speculation that he might have retired.

"Sparrow's back," said McNamara. "It was a shot out of the blue. He must have decided he was missing it all. In recent times he curtailed his training to a great degree. That creates problems because the game we play is played at pace with power. So although he's been back a few weeks, we don't know whether he'd be capable of playing."

Tipperary have a full pick from which to select their team. "For the first time in a couple of years, we're injury-free," according to PRO Liz Howard. Paul Ormonde, a long-term casualty, has been out with a broken arm but of the current panel, no-one has picked up any knocks.

Indications are that Limerick hurling manager Eamonn Cregan, who ended his two-year association with the senior team on Sunday, will be offered a new two-year contract. A county board spokesperson said that shortly after Sunday's defeat by Waterford they intimated to Cregan that they were anxious to re-open talks with him.

The manager, however, suggested that they should first allow the dust to settle before any decisions were reached by either party.