Sports

Last weekend saw two shock results with Newmarket Celtic falling to a 3-2 defeat against third placed Shannon Town. Meanwhile, Avenue United managed to salvage a draw against Bridge United with a 94th minute equaliser. They may look back on not winning this game with regret as given the Newmarket result, they would have been crowned champions. On Tuesday evening an appeal by Sporting Ennistymon against an FAI ruling on the circumstances surrounding international clearance for one of their players was unsuccessful. As a result Avenue have now awarded two extra points, as their draw in recent weeks against Sporting has now been awarded as a victory. This means that Avenue only need a draw if they are to dethrone Newmarket as champions with the sides meeting in the league decider next Wednesday in Roslevan. Roche salvages point for Avenue Avenue United 1 Bridge United 1 Avenue United let slip an opportunity to lift the Moloney Hardware Premier Division title …

Clare will face Meath in Round One of the Football qualifiers after this morning’s draw on RTE Radio One. Colm Collins’ side will enjoy home advantage against fellow Division Two outfit Meath on June 4/5. However, Clare have a poor recent record against Meath, having lost their last five games against the Leinster side in as many seasons. The pair met in this year’s league with Meath securing a 0-10 to 0-9 win as James Conlon’s late point was all that separated the sides in Cusack Park. Clare found themselves in the draw this morning after defeat to Limerick. It took a little bit of history to separate the sides with the first shoot-out in Munster Football Championship history deciding matters. The sides finished level at 1-19 to 2-16 after extra time before Limerick prevailed 4-1 in the shootout. Meanwhile, Meath enjoyed a facile 4-13 to 1-12 win over Wicklow in their opening game of the Leinster Championship. Jack O’Connor, …

Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 5 Clare 3-31 Waterford 2-22 CLARE deservedly soared to the summit of the Munster Senior Championship table after producing a spectacular finale to decimate the Deise in Cusack Park Ennis this afternoon, reports Eoin Brennan. Having qualified for the Munster Final with a game to spare, Brian Lohan made six changes for their final group outing against a Waterford side desperate to stay afloat in the championship. However, a new-look Clare gelled with immediate effect as eleven different scorers allowed the hosts to lead comfortably from start to finish and soar as much as twenty points clear at one stage of the second half. Central to the latest command performance was the scoring feats of the untrackable David Fitzgerald (2-3), the tireless work-rate of Peter Duggan (0-8) and a classy yet clinical display from Shane O’Donnell (0-5) who combined for 2-16 of their side’s handsome tally. There were debuts for Cian Nolan, Aaron Fitzgerald and …

All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship Round 1 Clare 4-17 Mayo 0-7 A buoyant Clare stormed into their latest bid for All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie silverware when brushing aside the challenge of newcomers Mayo in Cusack Park this afternoon, writes Eoin Brennan. Fresh from being crowned Munster Junior champions eight days earlier, the Banner’s second string weathered the expected Mayo storm that was backed by a strong gale, with a 1-5 unanswered rally entering the second quarter effectively turning the tide. Shauna Canny converted a superb solo goal in the 19th minute while debutant Aoife Anderson also finished the opening half with an impressive three point haul to move 1-8 to 0-5 clear by the break. With the conditions to come, the second period was disappointedly one-sided as an early Regan Conway deflated any remaining defiance in the recently crowned National League Division 4 winners. Further final quarter goals through Olivia Phelan and Abby Walsh completed the impressive opening contest that …

Having soared to a place in the Munster Final with a game to spare, Clare are faced with the same conundrum as Limerick were in the lead-up to last Sunday’s Shannonside derby in Ennis. Essentially that they don’t want to lose the unquestionable momentum built up so far by fielding a weakened team and possibly suffering defeat but at the same time their main focus must be on taking down the three-in-a-row champions and garnering a first Munster title since Brian Lohan himself was at his peak in 1998. What should transpire is a combination of both as any player that has any complaint or ailment will sit out this final round showpiece. Those that require some valuable game-time such as the returning Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, David Reidy, Aron Shanagher and possibly even Mark Rodgers will get the opportunity to stake their claim for a stating berth in that provincial final showdown It must also be noted that this …

All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Galway 0-25 Clare 0-9 CLARE fell to a disappointing defeat in their opening round robin game of the All Ireland Minor Hurling Championship. Despite facing a Galway side who were playing their first Championship encounter of 2022, Brian O’Connell’s men shipped the opening eight points of the game, something which they never truly recovered from, writes Ivan Smyth. In the end Clare shot nine points and 15 wides on a disappointing day where little of anything went right for the Munster runners up. Their agonising Munster final defeat may have led to a hangover of sorts but they will need to improve if they are to keep their Championship dreams alive for this year. Their final round robin game against Laois is in two weeks time A win is needed to help secure an All Ireland semi final spot with the side’s confidence sure to have taken a hit after this bitterly disappointing display. With Joe …

BEFORE a ball was pucked the line ‘Are they Gods or real folk’ was belted out again and again on Cusack Park’s new surround sound system. It was part of an eclectic playlist that’s now part of the pre-match entertainment on big match days at Clare headquarters, in a welcome move away from ‘My Lovely Rose of Clare’ and more. It’s from the old Horslips number ‘Trouble’ — the answer to ‘are they Gods or real folk?’ coming in a game from the Gods played by out two teams that don’t know what it’s like to take a step back, just as their managers don’t know either. Always going forward, always driving and giving us everything we expected it to be — a ferocious, breathless and sustained battle from first to the last whistle. No wonder the Rolling Stones’ ‘Give Me Shelter’ was aired pitchside after it was all over — just because there was no shelter, or no hiding …