Clare youths off to a good start

Roscommon 0 Clare 2

CLARE had a good victory over Roscommon in the first round of the Inter League Youths Cup at Newbridge, near Ballinasloe on Saturday.
Niall Whelan gave Clare a great start by putting them ahead after only six minutes when he shot low to the right corner.
Roscommon bounced back after the Clare goal but Colin Smith made a vital interception in the 10th minute at the expense of a corner. Shortly after this, Clare goalie Ciaran MacMathúna produced a good save.
Midway through the first half, Clare were forced to make a change when Thomas Clair picked up an injury. He was replaced by Dylan Blake, whose first action was to fire in a cross which Darragh Sexton headed just wide of the target.
Clare continued to have the better of the exchanges and Ruairí Norrby came close after a good move. Roscommon should have drawn level with just over five minutes remaining in the half but the chance was wasted by Shay Smith.
Clare finished the half strongly and Whelan saw his goal-bound effort turned behind for a corner. When the cross came in, Whelan’s effort was cleared off the goal line.
Clare started the second half as they finished the first, with Daragh Corry having a good effort just go over the bar from a well-delivered cross from Norrby on the left wing. There was a great run out of defence by Colin Smith on 55 minutes and his cross found Sexton, whose well-struck effort brought a good save from Fallon in goals.
A good clearance by Paraic O’Malley found Norrby and his cross from the left should really have been put away by Sexton but his effort agonisingly missed the target. Jack Walsh had a good long-range effort on 60 minutes, which again just went the wrong side of the right post.
Roscommon were still in the game at 1-0 and a mistake at the back resulted in a great chance for them, only for Gallagher to miskick with only the keeper to beat. Two minutes later, Roscommon had another great chance from a corner kick when Green got a free header but MacMathúna made a good save.
Sexton had another good effort well saved on 67 minutes and again on 69 minutes Norrby had a good chance for Clare, only for his left-footed strike to narrowly miss the right corner.
Roscommon put a good move together on 72 minutes and substitute Gary Patterson should have done better when he missed the target with only MacMathúna to beat. A slip at the back on 75 minutes created another good chance for Roscommon but luckily for Clare, Shay Smith’s effort missed the target.
Clare got a great chance to kill off the game on 77 minutes when Daragh Sexton was taken down in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Daragh Corry’s effort from the spot was well saved by Fallon and the result was still in doubt. A well-delivered free kick from Jack Walsh on 80 minutes was met in the air by Norrby but yet again the Clare effort went wide of the target.
Healy won a good ball on the left wing on 85 minutes and found Sexton in space. Sexton rounded the advancing keeper and finished well to ensure Clare would return with maximum points.
Clare will take on Galway at home in their next match on November 27 and hopes will be high of getting a result against one of the stronger teams in the competition.

Clare: Ciaran MacMathúna (Ennis Town), Thomas Clair (Lifford AFC), Paraic O’Malley (Tulla United), Colin Smyth (Avenue United), Darren Murphy (Bridge United), Niall Whelan (Tulla United), Jack Walsh (Avenue United, captain), Daragh Corry (Tulla United), Daragh Sexton (Avenue United), Thomas McKeown (Tulla United) and Ruairi Norrby (Lifford AFC).
Subs: Dylan Blake (Lifford AFC) for Clair, Marc Healy (Kilmaley/Fern Celtic) for Norrby and Mark Roche (Avenue United) for McKeown.

Roscommon: Noel Fallon, Thomas Byron, Kevin Byrne, Damon Keadon, Ryan Wordei (captain), Michael Green, Shay Smith, Cathal Connelly, Padraig Scott, Tom Gallagher and Conor Freeley.
Subs: Michael Flynn for Byron, Gary Patterson for Scott and Jack Callason for Connelly.