Brave Clare fall at Aughrim hurdle

YOU couldn’t but feel very sorry for the devastated Clare footballers. For a 20-minute spell from the 10th minute of the second half until five minutes from time, they played their most committed, no-holds barred football of 2012. It wasn’t enough and their longed-for escape from Division 4 remains on hold. Come 2013, Clare will have to face into their sixth successive year in the lowest division. They’re the bare, unpalatable facts.
In front of 4,000 people in Aughrim, one of Ireland’s most picturesque venues, Clare trailed 1-10 to 0-7 just eight minutes into second half. They were playing into a very strong wind and had lost full-back Shane McNeilis to two yellow cards.
It seemed Clare were heading for an inevitable hammering. Instead, they threw everything at Wicklow and ran at them from every corner of the field. Half-time substitutes Seán Haugh, Conor Talty and Shane Brennan contributed hugely to Clare’s commendable fightback as did Laurence Healy, who moved to full-back, Gordon Kelly who gave his last drop and the flawless David Tubridy, who lit up Aughrim with his class.
Unfortunately, Clare lost Gary Brennan, 21 minutes from time, to a hamstring injury, preceded by what looked like a back injury. Until his enforced departure, Brennan had completely dominated at midfield and it’s very likely that if he had not picked up the injury, Clare would have won. With Brennan gone from the middle, Wicklow’s James Stafford exerted a grip that had not been apparent until then.
The game was filled with some superb football and several moments of game-defining significance. Unquestionably, the most decisive play came seven minutes from time, with the teams tied at 1-12 each. Clare’s Rory Donnelly, Shane Brennan and Shane McGrath breached the Wicklow defence to such an extent that just one Garden County defender stood between them and John Flynn in goals. They went for goal but the final transfer of hand-passes between Donnelly and McGrath was intercepted by Alan Byrne’s fingernail. That moment saved Wicklow. Had Clare goaled, the home team would have been finished and Clare would have been promoted.
While that incident was an undeniable turning point, Clare will also reflect on the fact that five times in the opening half, they kicked possession into the lap of the Wicklow goalkeeper. Gary Brennan, Alan Clohessy, Niall Browne twice and Shane McGrath all landed point efforts well short and didn’t kill the ball.
Right from the throw-in, Clare attacked but it culminated with Brennan’s shot dropping short. Just over 30 seconds later, the ball was sitting behind Joe Hayes and in the Clare net after Seanie Furlong held off Shane McNeilus and transferred possession to Darren Hayden. The wing-forward buried the chance, which was created by a direct ball from Leighton Glynn.
Less than a minute later, Brennan played a one-two with David Tubridy but the Clare midfielder looked as if he might have been impeded when trying to shoot. Had a foul been spotted by the referee, Clare would have been awarded a penalty. Instead, Wicklow broke down field and their top scorer Tony Hannon outpaced Barry Hartnett and fisted his side’s first point.
David Tubridy pointed Clare’s first score with a sublime effort from 40 yards close to the sideline. Even Wicklow supporters marvelled at the skill of the Doonbeg man, who went on to kick six points from half a dozen frees.
Come half-time, Wicklow led 1-8 to 0-6, with their wing-back Dean Healy scoring two from play, escaping Niall Browne on both occasions. Rory Donnelly scored a lovely point in the 18th minute, seconds after Joe Hayes saved from Seánie Furlong. Both Tubridy and Shane McGrath linked cleverly to place the Cooraclare man.
While Clare trailed by five points at half-time, they were just 1-5 to 0-6 adrift three minutes from the interval. It was in that spell that Healy pointed twice, while Darren Hayden also pointed from play.
A notable aspect of Clare’s first-half display was how far forward Clare half-backs John Hayes and Gordon Kelly sometimes found themselves. Their men were going deep and they must have been under instructions to follow them. However, once Wicklow broke the first tackle, they often found plenty of room to run into as they ran at Clare.
Barry Hartnett and Niall Browne, both of whom had a torrid 35 minutes, were replaced at half-time, as was Graham Kelly, who was shown a yellow card and ticked in the first half. Kelly conceded five frees but worked very hard at wing-forward and wouldn’t have been substituted if the Clare management hadn’t feared that he would be shown a second yellow at some stage.
Shane McNeilus picked up both yellow cards in the opening seven minutes of the second half as Wicklow eased into a 1-10 to 0-7 lead.
Between the 11th and 28th minutes, Clare outscored Wicklow 1-5 to 0-2. A man down, with Brennan substituted injured, and playing into a strong wind, Clare showed admirable guts and courage as they fought with everything they had.
Donnelly coolly slipped the goal home after a Shane Brennan run, while Tubridy pointed three frees, with Shane Brennan and Shane McGrath tagging on the remaining points.
With seven minutes remaining, the teams were tied at 1-12 apiece. It was at that juncture that Clare spurned that aforementioned gilt-edged chance, when the Wicklow defence disappeared bar Alan Byrne.
Instead of either hitting the net or taking their point, Clare instead could only look on as Tony Hannon pointed a 46-yard free and a 45’, while Leighton Glynn notched their 15th point a minute before full-time.
Clare’s bravery in the second half made their ultimate defeat all the more disappointing. Those who were on the field could not have given another drop in that second half, while all four substitutes contributed hugely to Clare’s efforts to claw their way out of Division 4.
It’s just a pity Clare didn’t show the same level of intensity during the opening half, while those five kicks that dropped short were a huge boost to Wicklow.
Clare’s fierce efforts were best encapsulated by Martin McMahon, who was clearly struggling with a shoulder injury but stayed on the field. Their bravery and desperation to win wasn’t in question but that’s not of much solace as Clare prepare for the Munster Championship knowing they were good enough to have secured promotion to Division 3.

Wicklow: John Flynn; Ciarán Hyland, Anthony McLoughlin, Alan Byrne; Dean Healy, Michael McLoughlin, Stephen Kelly; James Stafford, Rory Finn; Leighton Glynn (captain), Darragh O’Sullivan, Darren Hayden; Tony Hannon, Seán Furlong, John McGrath.
Subs: Niall Gaffney for Michael McLoughlin (64) and Austin O’Malley for John McGrath (68).
Scorers: Tony Hannon (0-7, 4f, 2 45’), Darren Hayden (1-1), Dean Healy, Leighton Glynn and Seánie Furlong (0-2 each) and John McGrath (0-1).
Wides: 2; frees won: 29; 45s: 2.
Yellow cards: Ciarán Hyland, James Stafford, Darragh O’Sullivan and Darren Hayden.

Clare: Joe Hayes (Lissycasey); Barry Hartnett (Meelick), Shane McNeilis (Kildysart), Laurence Healy (Ennistymon); Martin McMahon (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Gordon Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown), John Hayes (Kilrush); Gary Brennan (Clondegad), Ger Quinlan (O’Curry’s); Graham Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown),  Shane McGrath (Thomas Davis), Niall Browne (Two Mile House, Kildare); Alan Clohessy (Liscannor, captain), David Tubridy (Doonbeg), Rory Donnelly (Cooraclare).
Subs: Conor Talty for Graham Kelly (half-time), Seán Haugh (O’Curry’s) for Barry Hartnett, Shane Brennan (Clondegad) for Niall Browne and David Russell (Kilkee) for Gary Brennan (injured, 49).
Scorers: David Tubridy (0-7, 6f), Rory Donnelly (1-1), Shane McGrath (0-2), Gary Brennan and Shane Brennan (0-1 each).
Wides: 5; frees won: 26; 45s: 0.
Yellow cards: Graham Kelly, Gary Brennan, Shane McNeilis and David Russell.
Red card: Shane McNeilis.

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).