The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Clare 2 Galway 2
CLARE turned in a great second-half performance to earn a well-deserved draw with last season’s winners, Galway, in the Inter-League Youths Cup at Cragg, Tulla on Saturday and secure their passage to the knock-out stages of the competition.
Galway made the better start and took the lead on 10 minutes with a good strike from Mike Collins after he got too much space in front of the Clare goal.
As the half wore on, defences were on top and neither side created much from play. Galway came closest to increasing their lead on 27 minutes when a free-kick from Daryl Horgan rebounded off the crossbar and was scrambled to safety with the help of a post.
Colin Smith had to make a good interception on 35 minutes to stop Collins getting through for a second goal for the visitors while Clare’s best effort came five minutes from the break when a cross from Eoin O’Loughlin almost put Jack Walsh through but for a timely interception by Adam Lee.
Clare brought on Ruairi Norrby at half-time for Thomas McKeown and his impact throughout the second half helped Clare to a much-improved performance.
A minute into the half a long-range effort from Jack Walsh brought a great save out of Ronan Burke in the Galway goal at the expense of a corner. From the resultant corner Burke made an even better save from a header by Norrby.
On 50 minutes, Norrby had a shot from the left that narrowly missed the target.
Clare brought on Darragh Sexton for O’Loughlin with over half an hour to go and their early pressure in the second half was finally rewarded on 55 minutes when a free-kick by Norrby was headed back across the goals by Alan Roche and Darragh Corry was on hand to finish from six yards.
This was no more than Clare deserved. Unfortunately for the home side, parity was only restored for two minutes.
From the kick-off Galway attacked and some hesitation at the back led to the concession of a corner. From the kick, what looked like a foul on the keeper went un-noticed by the match officials and the ball ended up in the net. Normally any contact on a keeper would be deemed a free-kick but on this occasion the decision went against Clare.
To Clare’s credit they did not drop the heads and set about restoring parity for a second time.
Horgan was causing problems for Clare and on 65 minutes he put a good cross in from the right that was headed wide by Collins when in a good position. Five minutes later, Clare had a great chance to draw level when a cross from Walsh fell to Niall Whelan but as he was about to pull the trigger Burke came off his line smartly to make the save.
Sexton had an effort from the edge of the box saved again by Burke on 72 minutes before a corner from Walsh found Roche in some space but his header narrowly missed the target.
The home support was really getting behind the team at this stage as everyone could see the effort being put in by the Clare side. Clare brought on their final substitute, Kieran Quinlan, for Walsh on 80 minutes.Shortly after the substitution Galway came very close to getting a third against the run of play. A shot from Collins hit the crossbar and Ciaran MacMathuna was called on to make a great save from the rebound to keep Clare in the match.
Within a minute Clare got the goal that their second half performance deserved. A shot from Whelan on the edge of the box was parried by Burke in the Galway goal and Whelan was quickest to react to steer the rebound home.
Clare now sensed there was a chance of a winner and in the closing stages they dominated territorially.
Norrby had a shot narrowly miss the target on 84 minutes. Sexton and Whelan then had shots saved while in injury time both Kieran Quinlan and Darragh Corry was close.
