A must-win game in Carlow

The time has come for the Clare footballers to take the gloves off. Their year hangs on winning on Sunday against Carlow in Dr Cullen Park. Although they hammered Kilkenny two weeks ago in Miltown, Clare lost their last meaningful game.

That was their opening league fixture against Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon. Losing by a point, 0-12 to 0-11, was disappointing enough but losing Gordon Kelly and David Tubridy to straight red cards had equally negative consequences.
Both are still suspended this weekend and will not be easily replaced for what is a defining league game even though the league season is only entering its third weekend for Micheál McDermott’s panel. If Clare lose, their hopes of winning promotion will have more or less disappeared. Win and they can prepare for successive home league games against London, Roscommon and Longford with substantive optimism.
Up to now, Carlow have picked up just one point from three matches. Last Sunday, they were beaten 2-13 to 0-8 by Roscommon while Fermanagh beat them by seven points. Their lone point to date was picked up against Wicklow in their opening game, when the teams finished level.
Aside from Kelly and Tubridy, Clare will also be without Ger Quinlan, who picked up an injury in a challenge last week against St Brigid’s, David O’Connor and Dean Ryan, who is absent with a long-term knee injury. 
Although Carlow lost to Roscommon by 11 points in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday, McDermott says that the scoreline didn’t reflect the game in its entirety.
“James Foran was at the match and he said what really made the difference was Roscommon had the wind in the first half. It was a very, very strong wind. They put up a good score and Carlow were always chasing it. They got it back to two points at one stage in the second half, missed a goal opportunity and Roscommon just took over again. So it wasn’t as bad a result as it looked in the scoreline,” he said.
He acknowledged that this weekend’s game is a pivotal fixture for Clare and one that they must perform in to maintain long-term interest in seeking promotion.
“It’s a game that we have to give a big performance in and I’m convinced if we do for 70 minutes, like we played in the second half against Leitrim, I’m confident we can win the game,” he said.
Joe Hayes has been playing very solidly in goal for Clare, while the Clare defence will need displays of real quality and intensity from John Hayes, Laurence Healy, Martin McMahon and Barry Duggan, while Niall White, albeit substituted against Leitrim, is definitely benefiting from playing senior inter-county football.
It’s possible that Clare might start with Timmy Ryan and Niall Browne at midfield, with Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor at centre and full-forward respectively. Clare definitely need more ball-winning ability up front to add to the running and workrate of Rory Donnelly and Alan Clohessy.
This is a must-win game for Clare and it’s as important as any championship match they will play this summer. The knowledge that their season depends upon winning in Carlow should be enough to drive them to victory.
Carlow v Clare will throw-in at 2.30pm on Sunday in Dr Cullen Park.