Sports

Clare 0-14 Cork 0-12 FOR the second successive season, Clare have beaten Cork in NFL division 2. Saturday nights win, in Artic conditions in Pairc Uí Rínn, was Clare’s first away league win in the southern capital for 22 years. It leaves Clare on six points in the division with one game left, at home to bottom of the table Louth, on Sunday. On an evening when every Clare player contributed, Jamie Malone and Gary Brennan were particularly superb, while Cathal O’Connor was immense around the middle and defended magnificently. Malone was deployed as a sweeper in the absence of the suspended Ciaran Russell and the Corofin man put over 0-3 from play. Aside from one misjudged free, which led directly to a Cork point, he filled that role exceptionally well. Cork could not cope with the Clare midfield with Brennan producing his best 70 minutes of the current league, while Cooraclare’s Seán O’Donoghue, who played at wing back, excelled …

Colm Galvin returns to the Clare starting line up for Sunday’s eagerly awaited Allianz hurling league quarter final clash with arch rivals Limerick. Absent for last week’s meeting with Waterford having suffered a back injury in the loss to Wexford, Galvin has been passed fit and will resume his partnership with Tony Kelly in midfield. Cathal Malone moves from midfield to wing forward and Galvin’s younger brother Ian drops down to the substitutes bench. This is the only change to the starting line up from that which faced Waterford in Walsh Park last Sunday. The team is Donal Tuohy (Crusheen); Patrick O’Connor (Tubber) Conor Cleary (Miltown St. Josephs), Jack Browne (Ballyea); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), David McInerney (Tulla), David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona); Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), John Conlon (Clonlara), David Reidy (Éire Óg); Conor McGrath (Cratloe), Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg) Subs: Andrew Fahy (Whitegate), Mikey O’Malley (Kilmaley), Ian Galvin (Clonlara), Cathal McInerney (Cratloe), Daragh …

CLARE’S Division 2 future is entirely in their own hands. If they can somehow pull out a Newry-like performance in Pairc Uí Rínn on Saturday from 7pm, they have every chance of getting a result, beating Louth at home in their final league game on March 25 and assuring themselves of a place in the same division next year. While Jamie Malone will be available again, following his two-game suspension, Clare will have to plan without Ciaran Russell, who was red-carded against Roscommon. Gordon Kelly is still suspended, leaving Clare scarce, particularly defensively. If Clare lose, which is likely given that Cork will be buoyant following Sunday’s win over Meath, their Division 2 status will rest on beating Louth and hoping that they don’t end up in a three-way tie. Clare have a score difference of -19, which is significantly worse than Meath and Down. If Clare finish level on points with Down, they will stay up, given that they …

WITH Clare and Limerick due to meet in the last round of the new-look Munster Hurling Championship in June, it will add an “extra bit of interest” to Sunday’s National Hurling League quarter-final encounter, according to selector, Jimmy Browne. The Clonlara man is well familiar with Limerick, as he is vice-president of Corporate Services and Capital Development at LIT and has spent a number of years as team manager with Monaleen. He has also been involved with the coaching of Harty Cup squads at Ard Scoil Rís and amongst his backroom team was Limerick man Liam Cronin, who is now part of the Clare backroom. Ahead of the Shannonside derby, Browne acknowledges there are huge connections between the sides. “Joe [O’Connor] and Paul [Kinnerk] have been heavily involved with a lot of the Clare players. I have been involved for the past five or six years in Limerick. While with Monaleen, Brian Geary was a key figure in the side …

Waterford 1-23 Clare 1-20 Six points ahead after the first quarter of this Allianz hurling league tie at Walsh Park this afternoon, Clare looked to be on the way to victory and a top of the table spot in division 1 A but from here on Waterford held the upperhand and emerged as deserving winners. Clare had already qualified for the league quarter finals prior to this tie but they clearly wanted to return to winning ways after their loss to Wexford last time out. However, they failed to match the hunger shown by the home side who,despite this result, face a reletation play off against Cork next weekend. Clare will now face their Shannonside neighbours and arch rivals Limerick in a quarter final tie next week and a toss of a coin tomorrow Monday will decide between Cusack Park the Limerick’s Gaelic grounds for this tie Waterford played with the aid of the breeze in the first half but …

Roscommon 2-19 Clare 2-12 DISCIPLINE is costing the Clare footballers. For the second successive game, Ciaran Russell was sent off, this time on a straight red card, eight minutes into the second half. Russell was also sent off against Down in Newry, on a yellow and black card. In their last home game, against Tipperary on February 11, Jamie Malone was red carded, while David Tubridy and Eoin Cleary were shown black cards. After that game, Clare manager Colm Collins was suspended for a month, while Gordon Kelly was hit with a three month ban, for apparently squirting water at an umpire. While a team can be unlucky on a once off, Clare’s disciplinary issues are now costing them. When Russell was red carded, Roscommon were 1-10 to 1-8 ahead and winning it was going to be difficult enough for Clare as it was. However, Roscommon were able to pick up all of the Clare forwards and deploy Niall Kilroy …

The race for the under 21 hurling championships (A, B and C) got underway this Saturday afternoon but the biggest talking point concerned a game that didn’t take place, the first round game between Ballyea and Clonlara in the B competition. Ballyea had sought a switch from Saturday afternoon because of the involvement of two of their team, Cillian Brennan and Pearce Lillis, with Clare in tomorrow’s Allianz football league game between Clare and Roscommon but Clonlara explained that due to work committments they were unable to accomodate Ballyea’s request for a change.  It is understood that Ballyea offered to play the game this Sunday evening or on Monday or Tuesday evenings. On the field of play it was a good evening for Inagh-Kilnamona, both of whose teams progressed. Their A team, after some anxious moments, put in a strong second half to overcome St. Josephs on a 1-20 to 1-11 scoreline. The final score is a little flattering in …

Waterford may only have a very slim outside chance of avoiding the Division 1 A relegation play-off but the fact that they have not managed a home win in this season’s competition is sure to be a major driving force, when they entertain Clare in the final group game in this season’s Senior Hurling League, which is scheduled for a 2.30pm start at Walsh Park on Sunday. After suffering their only defeat in this season’s competition when going down to Wexford on Sunday last, Clare are keen to return to winning ways. Victory on Sunday will keep them near the top and they could well be top of the table come Sunday evening, depending on other results. Last week’s cancellation of all fixtures, due to the heavy snowfalls across the country, will have given players a welcome rest at a time of the year when they are particularly busy, especially those who were involved in colleges competitions. The delay “has …