Tag Archives: NFL

Meath 0-21 Clare 0-7 COMPLETELY outclassed, particularly in the second half, Clare were beaten emphatically by Meath in Navan on Sunday afternoon. Clare now sit on one point from two games. They were outscored 0-15 to 0-3 in that second period, with Gary Brennan the only Clare player to score from play. In fact his point was the only score of the second half, with his rising shot going over the bar. Brennan was Clare’s outstanding player. However, Meath responded with 0-8 without reply and pulled away from a dishevelled Clare who lost their shape and increasingly lost hope as the second half evolved. Clare trailed 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time with Meath pulling two points ahead, when Bryan McMahon pointed, with the last kick, after a disputed free was taken quickly. Clare competed hard throughout the first half with Killian Roche kicking their opening score from a 45, while Pearse Lillis, Jamie Malone and Gary Brennan (free) added a …

Clare 1-12 Cavan 2-9 SIX points up, nine minutes into the second half, Clare were both relieved and disappointed to pick up a point from their first NFL division 2 league game of the new season in Ennis on Saturday. As the three minute of injury time ticked by, Clare led by a point after Keelan Sexton had kicked them 1-12 to 2-8 in front. However, Cavan equalised from a Bryan Magee free on a day when 16 players started their first league game. Clare had six players starting in the league for the first time, including four forwards. Following a very rocky started, during which Caoimhin O’Reilly goaled for Cavan after just 49 seconds, Clare went on to dominate the first half. They led 1-7 to 1-2 at half-time on a day when five of Clare’s six forwards scored from play. Éire Óg’s Eimihin Courtney goaled for Clare in the 12th minute, when full forward Sexton cleverly intercepted an …

Meath 3-19 Clare 1-13 DESPITE an emphatic 12 point loss to Meath in Cusack Park on Sunday, Clare will play division 2 football in 2018. Derry’s defeat of Fermanagh and Down’s draw with Cork, meant that they, along with Clare ended their league campaign on five points. However Clare retained their status based on their superior scoring difference. While Clare played some good football in the first half, following a shaky start, they were comprehensively outplayed after the interval. In fact Meath outscored their 3-10 to 1-5 with wing forward Cillian O’Sullivan putting away two goals while centre back Brian Power added the third for a rampant Royal County. Meath were so much in control they substituted Graham Reilly, who put over 0-6 from play, 15 minutes from time. The winners led 0-9 to 0-8 at half-time, with Reilly and Eamonn Wallace contributing a flurry of superb points. Eoin Cleary did likewise for Clare in the opening half. Slow to …

IT IS not too often that a defeated team emerges from any game with their confidence levels enhanced. While a loss is a loss, Clare did play some exceptional football in Newbridge last Sunday. Eoin Cleary gave an exhibition of shooting from play and while he did miss a chance to equalise from a free, he was one of Clare’s standout performers. More impressive than any of their scores was the off-the-shoulder support from players like Cleary, Jamie Malone, Cian O’Dea and Dean Ryan. On several occasions, during the second half in particular, players timed their support run perfectly, so that they broke Kildare tackles without breaking their own stride. Suddenly, they were in space and had time to look up and send decent ball into the inside forwards. The best way to kick quality ball is to use support play to create an opportunity. Kick the ball too early and, have no doubt, it will come back to you …

Kildare 0-18 Clare 1-14 CLARE fell to a heartbreaking one point defeat in Newbridge on Sunday afternoon. Five points down at half-time, they took the game to the home county in the second half, with Shane Brennan scoring a crucial goal. He flicked to the net following a Keelan Sexton angled delivery. Fifteen minutes from time Clare led 1-12 to 0-13 and at that point, the pendulum seemed to be swinging in their direction. However late points from Fionn Dowling and Paul Cribbin swung the result in favour of Cian O’Neill’s team, who are now promoted. Eoin Cleary had an opportunity to equalise from an injury time free but it drifted wide. Unless Clare beat Meath in their final game in Ennis next Sunday, they will need Down and Derry to lose their final league ties, to stave off relegation to division 3. Kildare led 0-11 to 0-6 at half-time, with their midfielder Kevin Feely kicking 0-5 from frees. Clare …

Fermanagh 0-18 Clare 1-10 A disappointing second half display, during which Clare were outscored 0-10 to 1-3 by Fermanagh, contributed significantly to their second league defeat of the 2017 season. With upcoming games away to Kildare next weekend and at home to Meath on Sunday fortnight, Clare now sit on five points. They were outplayed in most sectors by Fermanagh who looked driven and focused on picking up two crucial points. Following an intense first half, Fermanagh led 0-8 to 0-7 at half-time. Clare played some good football in patches but frustratingly they lost possession on a couple of occasions, which led directly to points for the home county. Eoin Cleary pointed 0-5 in the first half, 0-4 from frees, while David Tubridy pointed 0-2, 0-1 from play. The Doonbeg forwards point from play was Clare’s first score and he put it over in the tenth minute. Fermanagh had a more even scoring spread in that half with Seán Quigley …

Clare 2-11 Cork 0-9 AN outstanding second half display, during which Clare outscored Cork 1-9 to 0-4, helped the home county to their first league win over Cork in 23 years. The game was played in sometimes very challenging conditions in front of a crowd of 985 people in Cusack Park. Clare are now joint second with Galway in the division 2 table, on five points after four games. They are just a point behind leaders Kildare. Clare captain Martin McMahon felt that the panel of players were honest with each other following last weeks defeat to Galway in Salthill. “We worked really hard this week at training. We went back to basics and really got stuck into each other. Tactics were right today and everyone just worked as hard as they could,” the Kilmurry Ibrickane man said. “Today we said that we were going to try and keep it nice and tight. I think our forwards worked really hard. …

Galway 3-13 Clare 1-11 THE Clare footballers were emphatically beaten by Galway in Salthill on Sunday afternoon, in what was their first defeat of the 2017 NFL division 2 league season. In a game dominated by an exceptionally strong wind and torrential second half rain, Clare conceded three goals, having let in none in their opening games against Derry and Down. Goals from Eamon Brannigan and Shane Walsh helped Galway to build a 2-8 to 0-5 interval advantage. Too often Galway players broke from deep with no Clare player tracking. Clare needed to start the second half with a couple of scores but instead Johnny Heaney and Barry McHugh pointed for Galway, who now led by 11 points. A Keelan Sexton goal, set up by Cian O’Dea, gave Clare brief hope but nine second half wides, cost them. Clare did miss some decent goal scoring opportunities, while goalkeeper Joe Hayes made a couple of excellent saves. “We had goal chances …