Brendan Cummins: 'Lohan walks on water in Clare. But he needs win badly'

Brian Lohan may be able to walk on water in the hurling heartland of Clare, the Banner County's very own small ball messiah.

But he needs a win on Sunday – and he needs it more than the man in the opposite dug-out, first-year Kilkenny coach, Derek Lyng.

That's the thoughts of former Tipperary ace, Brendan Cummins, ahead of this weekend’s All-Ireland semi-final between the pair.

Cummins told the RTÉ Sport GAA podcast that, while Lyng has already proved his mettle having stepped into the cavernous shoes of Brian Cody, Lohan – beatified though he may be by the yellow and blue – needs to repay that unyielding support by giving his people another big day out.

"Clare have to win, to be honest," Cummins said, flatly. "I know everyone 'has to’ win an All-Ireland semi-final – it is the be-all and end-all. But for Brian Lohan and the project, he’s taken them so far… he can walk on water in Clare, he’s Christ Almighty to be fair to the man.

"Before the Munster final, he went up to do the interview and all the Clare supporters stood up and just clapped and cheered and the whole lot. If I’m an inter-county manager, I want to be like that!

"Think of all the things that happened along the line, like they misfired the goalkeeping situation [against Tipperary] in Ennis that day. Gave a fella a go [Eamonn Foudy], it didn’t really work out. The Munster final, where they left the full-back line wide open for as long as they did – [Aaron] Gillane went to town.

"Still, unwavering support for the man. Everyone believes in Brian Lohan because he is tradition, he seeps Clare hurling out of him. He’s just so teak-tough strong. Doesn’t give a sh*te about anybody else. 'Say what ya like about me, I don’t care’. That’s why, if Clare can win this, it would