A disappointing day for Clare football

Kerry 2-21 Clare 0-3

Sunday July 2, 2017 is a date that will go into the Clare GAA history books but for all the wrong reasons

A twenty four point defeat in the Provincial final is not something that Clare would have envisaged even if they entered today’s final at Fitzgerald stadium in Killarney as rank outsiders

Clare scored first through midfielder Diarmuid Ryan who pointed from play in the opening minute but the writing was on the wall early in the game even if Kerry failed to convert a number of good scoring chances

With centre forward David Clifford and wing forward Donal O’Sullivan causing huge problems for the Banner side, Kerry wouldn’t have been flattered by a much greater lead at half time by which time they had amassed ten wides, seven more than their opponents.

The winners led by eight points at the interval when the score was 0-10 to 0-2, Clare’s second point having come from a free by their captain Dermot Coughlan.

Kerry increased their dominance on the change over and they added 0-7 without reply in the third quarter at which time they were reduced to fourteen when full back Jayme O’Sullivan saw red as he picked up a second yellow card.

Kerry had increased their lead to sixteen points when Clare had their only score of the second half through Coughlan who converted a free two minutes from the end of normal time.

Even though the result was clearcut there was no let up for Kerry and Donal O’Sullivan struck for two goals at the death as his side ran out easy winners.

Kerry; Devidas Uosis; Sean O’Leary, Chris O’Donoghue, Cian Gammell;Michael Potts, Eddie Horan, Niall Donohue; Barry Mahony, Diarmuid O’Connor; Adam O’Donoghue, David Clifford, Donal O’Sullivan; Fiacghra Clifford, Donnchadh O’Sullivan, Brian Friel

Subs; Jack Griffin for Friel; Michael O’Leary for Gammell; Patrick Warren for David Clifford; Ciaran O’Reily for Donncadh O’Sullivan; Ryan O’Neill for A.Donoghue; ; Dylan Casey for S. O’Leary

Clare; Mark Lillis (Cooraclare); Jack Sheedy (St. Breckans) Jayme O’Sullivan (Wolfe Tones), Joe Miniter (Kilrush); Sean Rouine (Ennistymon), Fergal Donnellan (Cooraclare), Colin McNeilis (Clondegad); Diarmuid Ryan(Cratloe), Keith White (Inagh-Kilnamona); Ross Phelan (Kilrush), Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), Ross O’Doherty (Ennistymon); Gearoid Cahill (Corofin), Gavin Cooney (Eire Og), Riain Considnne (Cratloe)

Subs; Ciaran O’Donoghue (Cooraclare) for Considine; Danny Griffin (Eire Og) for White; Conor Dillon (Ennistymon) for Cahill; Conor McMahon (Cratloe) for Phelan; Seamus Casey (Kildysart) for Rouine

Referee; David Murnane, Cork

***Clare fans in Killarney had one reason to cheer as the members of the 1992 Munster senior championship team were introduced to the attendance just before the throw in for the senior final.

Clare beat Kerry in that final which was played at the Gaelic grounds in Limerick on a final scoreline of 2-10 to 0-12.

By Seamus Hayes