Tag Archives: National Football League

IT IS not too often that a defeated team emerges from any game with their confidence levels enhanced. While a loss is a loss, Clare did play some exceptional football in Newbridge last Sunday. Eoin Cleary gave an exhibition of shooting from play and while he did miss a chance to equalise from a free, he was one of Clare’s standout performers. More impressive than any of their scores was the off-the-shoulder support from players like Cleary, Jamie Malone, Cian O’Dea and Dean Ryan. On several occasions, during the second half in particular, players timed their support run perfectly, so that they broke Kildare tackles without breaking their own stride. Suddenly, they were in space and had time to look up and send decent ball into the inside forwards. The best way to kick quality ball is to use support play to create an opportunity. Kick the ball too early and, have no doubt, it will come back to you …

THE absence of captain Gary Brennan and half-forward Seán Collins has hampered Clare’s panel depth, as they aim for a first league win over Galway since 1995. Both were substituted against Down on February 12, carrying hamstring injuries and neither have recovered, while Brennan is also focusing on preparing for Ballyea’s All-Ireland club final against either Cuala or Slaughtneil. The Clare Champion understands that Ballyea panellists Pearse Lillis, David Egan and Shane Brennan will be available to the footballers this Sunday. “Gary or Seán haven’t trained since we played Down. Both of them came off injured, so I wouldn’t expect to see either of them this week, or maybe not for the Cork game either. Cathal and Kevin Harnett were the two lads with injury concerns going into the Down game. Both of them have got another few weeks under their belts and they are grand,” Clare selector David O’Brien confirmed. Galway are also on three points, having drawn with …

Carron will host the Clare lady footballers’ first league game, when they play Waterford at 2pm on Sunday. All-Ireland intermediate finalists in 2016, where they lost by just a point to Kildare, Clare are likely to field up to four débutantes this weekend. With a number of key players from last year not involved this season, Clare will field a much less experienced team. Younger players like Lizzie Roche, Anna Courtney, Amanda Mulcair, Tara Kelly and Nicole O’Doherty are very likely to feature on Sunday, as Clare comes to grip with the absence of Louise Henchy (retired), Niamh Keane, Emma O’Driscoll and Laura Egan. Eva O’Dea is still absent due to a long-term knee injury, picked up in Clare’s 2016 All-Ireland semi-final win over Tipperary. Manager Neil Moynihan is hoping for the best against what are senior opponents. “Home advantage will be no advantage whatsoever when you’re playing the likes of Waterford, who are a senior team. We played them …

In the immediate aftermath of Clare’s five-point defeat yet promotion-clinching league game away to Kildare on April 3, Mick Bohan identified strengthening the panel as a priority come the 2017 season. Saturday’s league final will, of course, feature largely the same personnel but it will be fascinating to see how Clare have evolved since playing the same opposition just three weeks ago. Club fixtures have cut into their preparation time but a feature of Clare this season has been their response to defeat. Losses to Tipperary and Offaly were followed by immediate improved performances and wins in their subsequent fixtures. If Clare can follow their defeat to Kildare with a win, or at least an exceptional display in Croke Park, it will further underline the quality of their preparation and their capacity to learn from game to game. “What has to happen now is, we have to put a plan in place for everyone involved in football in Clare including …

Clare footballers received a major boost in the build up to their Division 3 league final with Kildare with the news that ace sharp-shooter David Tubridy will be available for selection. Tubridy was red-carded in Clare’s final group game, incidentally against Kildare, after an incident with defender Ciarán Fitzpatrick but he successful challenged that dismissal at a meeting of the Central Hearings Committee in Croke Park on Thursday night. Tubridy was granted a personal hearing and was accompanied to the meeting by county secretary, Pat Fitzgerald, paving the way for the Doonbeg man to line out in the Allianz National Football League Division 3 final in Croke Park on Saturday, April 23.

IF Clare win or draw in Newbridge on Sunday, they will be playing Division 2 football in 2017. That would represent a second promotion in three seasons and huge progress for the size five game in this county. Kildare are already promoted, so will surely not be as motivated as they would be if they had to win. Twelve months ago, Clare played already promoted Fermanagh in their last league game. That time, Clare had to win to stay in Division 3 and they did just that. If Kildare are a bit off this weekend, they could leave the door ajar for Clare to storm in and join them in Division 2. However, given that Kildare will be at home, in front of a large crowd, they are unlikely to be overly relaxed. They will want to put on a show and win. Here is where it gets complicated. If Clare lose, they can still get promoted as long as …

DIVISION 3 has emerged as a particularly congested and unpredictable league this season. With just two rounds left to play, the only team that cannot be relegated in Kildare. They are on eight points from five matches followed by four teams on six points including Clare and Longford, who meet in Cusack Park on Sunday. Tipperary and Offaly also sit on six points, which leaves five teams, including Kildare, vying for the two promotion places. Clare’s three wins have been achieved against the bottom-three teams, Limerick, Westmeath and Sligo, while they have lost away to Tipperary and Offaly. This weekend’s game is a very significant one on several fronts. The winner will be potentially one game away from promotion, while the loser could, in a worst-case scenario, end up relegated. Clare will play Kildare away in their final league fixture and definitely do not want to have to travel looking for a win to ensure their divisional status. If Clare …

AS they head for Tullamore on Sunday, Clare’s priority will be to produce a second 70-minute performance once the clock hits 2pm. If they can reproduce and sustain the level on view against Westmeath, the result will look after itself. However, it must be expected that Offaly will test Clare’s resolve far more than Westmeath did. The Lake County were very poor and aside from a few minutes late in the first half, they didn’t take the game and simply folded late in the second half. Offaly are just two points behind Clare in the league table and a win on Sunday would almost guarantee their Division 3 status for 2016 and put them in with an outside chance of promotion. Offaly lost to Tipperary last weekend, having beaten Sligo 1-13 to 0-14 in their previous fixture. They will look to players such as Michael Brazil, Niall Smith, Niall Bracken and Niall McNamee on Sunday to steer them to what …