Clare’s Roscommon venture crucial to promotion bid

WITH half of the teams in Division 2 still unbeaten heading into Round 3, it’s the clash of Roscommon and Clare that will take precedence in the race for promotion to the top tier, writes Eoin Brennan.

For the winner, keeping pace with Galway and Derry is essential as none of the top four have met yet so far but for the loser, it would be a significant set-back in what appears a very high standard at the helm of Division 2.

While Connacht rivals Galway and Roscommon were expected to be in the shake-up to bounce straight back up, Derry’s star was also expected to rise after winning last year’s Division 3 honours.

Clare remain the outsiders but in truth, they have been ever since returning to Division 2 in 2017 as every year, they have been placed among the bookies favourites to fall through the trapdoor but it’s almost seen as a badge of honour for the Banner to continually prove people wrong.

It has always been safety first before looking upwards but after their best start to the National League in their seven year stint in the second tier, Colm Collins’ new-look side have every right to want to sustain their current momentum.

Following a two week break, their biggest evaluation to date arrives this Sunday as one of Clare’s poorest displays in the division came two years ago at the same venue when lowered by 1-8 to 0-4 by hosts Roscommon.

Considering that the Banner have averaged 1-12 throughout their 34 National League matches since 2017, a four point haul was by far Clare’s lowest total and allied to a seven point home defeat in 2018, the Banner will require a big performance to turn things around in Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon.

The thing is that Clare have finally got a strong squad at their disposal as demonstrated with scoring cameos from the bench in both their ties so far against Offaly and Cork, with Jamie Malone (3), Ciaran Downes, Emmet McMahon and Daniel Walsh contributing crucial points.

Overall, Roscommon have an enviable home record that since meeting Clare in the league in Ennis in 2018 have only lost to Dublin and Kerry in the intervening period that included two stints in Division 1.

Consequently, if this was a Last Man Standing competition, you’d either choose Roscommon but most likely avoid it completely as it’s ultimately too difficult to call.