Footballers’ league luck runs out

Limerick 0-14  Clare 2-7

Although Clare outscored Limerick 1-5 to 0-1 in the closing 12 minutes, Limerick held on to record a crucial NFL Division 4 win in Cusack Park last Saturday. Even a draw would have secured Clare’s promotion to Division 3, while Limerick had to win to remain in contention. Clare will have a second, albeit tricky, opportunity to secure promotion in Dungarvan next Sunday when they play Waterford, whom they will meet at the same venue in the opening round of the Munster championship.
Clare were completely outplayed in the opening half and were fortunate to be just four points adrift, 0-8 to 1-1 at half-time. It got much worse for Clare as Limerick stretched their advantage to 0-13 to 1-2, 14 minutes from full-time.
Pointed David Tubridy frees, won by Michael O’Shea and Barry Toner, didn’t suggest that Clare were about to launch a near game-winning comeback. They needed a goal and it was Tubridy who provided it. Mark Tubridy’s point effort was spilled by Limerick goalkeeper Brendan Moran and his Doonbeg cousin reacted quickest to bury the loose ball. Now trailing by just three points, 0-13 to 2-4, renewed belief and hope resounded around Cusack Park.
Either side of a Gary Brennan wide and a Barry Toner ball, which dropped short, Toner pointed Clare a point closer, in a move started by Darren Hickey, who showed real enthusiasm on his debut. His older brother, Shane and Shane Brennan, Gary Brennan’s brother, also made their league debuts, as did Conor O’Loughlin, who was brought on for the injured Joe Hayes.
A minute from full-time, Darren Hickey fed Michael O’Shea, who placed Tubridy, allowing Clare’s top scorer to kick his fourth point and second from play.
Now just a point down, Clare needed to win the subsequent kick-out. They didn’t and Limerick impressively held possession before creating an opening for Ian Ryan, who pointed them 0-14 to 2-6 ahead.
Seconds later, with two minutes of injury time having elapsed, Tubridy slotted over a dead ball, after Gary Brennan had been fouled. Clare needed just one more opening and they created it when they won a free 45 yards out on the right, while attacking the town goal.
Tubridy tried to point from the free, when perhaps Clare might have tried to work it short and win another free. Under current league rules, the referee cannot blow for full-time as long as the ball is live.
The free drifted wide and Kerry referee Padraig O’Sullivan blew for full-time, leaving Clare deflated.
Aided by their lucky second goal, they had at least shown real defiance. Their first-half innings had been tepid and uninspiring, as Limerick played impressive possession football, dominated midfield and kicked six points from open play.
Nineteen-year-old Limerick substitute Eoghan O’Connor made an immediate impression and in fact knocked over three points in total, while Seánie Buckley kicked two points before picking up a first-half injury.
David Tubridy’s lethally finished ninth-minute goal kept Clare in it. Declan Callinan found Gary Brennan from a free won by David Russell. Brennan laid it off to Alan Clohessy, who freed Tubridy.
He finished superbly into Brendan Moran’s far corner. A few minutes later, Enda Coughlan replaced Shane McNeilis, with Darren Hickey moving to full-back, while Shane Brennan was replaced by Scott Kinnevan, five minutes before half-time.
Rib and leg injuries respectively led to Ger Quinlan and Declan Callinan being taken off at the interval, while goalkeeper Joe Hayes limped off 12 minutes into the second half.
Although only a point divided the teams, Limerick were definitely better than Clare. They held onto possession more than their opponents and their support play was excellent for 50 minutes. John Galvin and James O’Donovan ruled midfield, while James Ryan at full-forward and Eoghan O’Connor excelled up front.
Until he picked up the injury, Joe Hayes had played superbly in goals. He saved goal-bound efforts from James Ryan in the first and John Mullane in the second period. Darren Hickey drove forward from the full-back line, although he had a difficult opponent in James Ryan, when the Kilmurry man was moved from corner to full-back. Up front, David Tubridy scored 2-2 from play, while Gary Brennan was again a decent target man but is needed in the middle of the park, where he played in the second half.
Clare will need to put last Saturday behind them immediately if they are to win promotion in Dungarvan on Sunday.

Limerick: Brendan Moran; Mark O’Riordain, Conor Mullane, Andrew Lane; Padraig Browne, Shane Gallagher, Pa Ranahan; James O’Donovan, John Galvin; John Mullane, Cormac Joyce Power, Seánie Buckley (captain); Ger Collins, James Ryan, Ian Ryan.
Subs: Barry Fitzpatrick for Conor Mullane, Eoghan O’Connor for Seánie Buckley (inj), Eoin Joy for Barry Fitzpatrick (inj), Stephen Kelly for John Mullane and John Cooke for Ger Collins.
Scorers: Ger Collins (0-4, 0-3f), Eoghan O’Connor (0-3), Seánie Buckley, John Mullane and Ian Ryan  (0-2 each) and Cormac Joyce Power (0-1).
Wides: 9.
Frees won: 27.
Yellow cards: Andrew Lane.

Clare: Joe Hayes (Lissycasey); Darren Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Shane McNeilis (Kildysart), Laurence Healy (Ennistymon); Mark Tubridy (Cooraclare), Gordon Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown – captain), Declan Callinan (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Ger Quinlan (O’Curry’s), David Russell (St Senan’s, Kilkee); Shane Brennan (Clondegad), Michael O’Shea (St Senan’s, Kilkee), Shane Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Alan Clohessy (Liscannor), Gary Brennan (Clondegad), David Tubridy (Doonbeg).
Subs: Enda Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Shane McNeilis (14), Scott Kinnevan (Parteen) for Shane Brennan (30), Mark McCarthy (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Declan Callinan (inj – 36), Barry Toner (Shannon Gaels) for Ger Quinlan (inj – 36) and Conor O’Loughlin (St Joseph’s, Miltown) for Joe Hayes (inj – 47).
Scorers: David Tubridy (2-5, 0-3f), Gary Brennan and Barry Toner (0-1 each).
Wides: 10.
Frees won: 15.
Yellow cards: Scott Kinnevan and David Russell.
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).

McDermott looks to Waterford tie

Clare may have only lost by a point to Limerick but there is no avoiding the reality that Mickey Ned O’Sullivan’s team were much more cohesive, physically developed and patient enough to retain possession while probing for an opening.
The major positive from a Clare perspective was the fact that they didn’t collapse when they were 0-13 to 1-2 behind, 14 minutes from full-time. Whatever about their shortcomings, this Clare team is definitely an honest one.
“We showed great character to come back from seven points down and battle until the end,” Clare manager Micheál McDermott said afterwards.
For a second or so, he even thought that David Tubridy’s injury-time free was heading over and about to take Clare up a division.
“I thought it was actually sailing over and it would have put us through to promotion but it’s still in our own hands. If we win in Waterford we’re promoted and that’s what we have to aim for next Sunday and get this game behind us. We know it’s going to be a tough battle down in Waterford but I think these guys will rise to that challenge. In the last 20 minutes there was only one team in that game and it’s just unfortunate we came up short,” he added.
McDermott acknowledged that Clare’s first-half display was very poor.
“They just didn’t play. Maybe it’s a bit of belief and maybe giving too much respect to Limerick. It’s hard to put your finger on it. We were second to every ball. They dominated the area around midfield, both in the air and in breaking ball. We didn’t get to grips with that area at all.
“Gary Brennan made a huge difference out in the second half. We had left Gary on the edge of the square with the wind to try and get the benefit out of him there but we were forced to bring him out in the second half,” he explained.
“We could have pulled out the draw that we needed today and it would have been no fluke. We played some fantastic football in the last 20 minutes when we ran at Limerick. That’s what we needed to do in the first half but it just didn’t happen,” McDermott reflected.
Losing Ger Quinlan, Declan Callinan and Joe Hayes to injury didn’t help and they may be absent in Dungarvan next Sunday, where Clare must win to nail down promotion.
“We really want to get up to Division 3 and that was our goal at the start of the year. That goal hasn’t changed and the game is still in our own hands. That result is going to be vital next Sunday.
“Home advantage is a big plus for Waterford but sometimes Clare play well away from home because there’s less pressure on them and I think they’ll go and raise their game for next Sunday. I just hope they do. It’s a vital game for our progress and there’s no mistake about it, we need to win that match,” the Clare manager concluded.