Tag Archives: NFL

Clare 2-11 Down 0-11 THE key to Clare’s six point defeat of Down in Cusack Park on Sunday, was David Tubridy’s injury time goal just before half-time. The Doonbeg man put away Clare’s second goal, seconds after he had pointed a clear goal scoring chance. Keelan Sexton scored Clare’s first goal in the second minute after Tubridy had cut in along the end line, easing beyond Down defenders Gerard McGovern and Niall Donnelly. [data-ps-embed-type=slideshow] > iframe {position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;} http://photos.clarechampion.ie/js/psEmbed.js _psEmbed(“http://photos.clarechampion.ie”); Come half time Clare led 2-7 to 0-3 and while that 10 point lead was emphatic, they could have led by much more. Clare kicked eight wides in the first half, along with missing at least two clear goal opportunities. The game was played in bitterly cold conditions in Ennis in front of an attendance of 1,749. Clare’s opening 20 minutes was their most impressive spell with their tackling and tracking exceptional, even if their shooting did not …

Clare 1-8 Derry 0-11 A James Kielt point, kicked from 40 yards, five minutes into injury time, snatched a late equaliser for Derry in the opening game of the NFL division 2 in Celtic Park on Sunday. This was a game that Clare created sufficient chances to win and in fact they kicked 15 wides and missed at least two goal chances. However Clare goalkeeper Joe Hayes made two excellent saves while three Clare players were black carded in the second half. Clare had no substitute left to replace black carded Dean Ryan in the closing minutes. Derry led 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time. Clare kicked eight first half wides and spurned great goal scoring chances when Seán Collins and Jamie Malone failed to capitalise on excellent opportunities. Gary Brennan, playing his second game inside 19 hours, made several energetic runs from midfield and was involved in creating some of Clare’s first half points. Midfielder Ciaran Russell put over Clare’s …

Clare 2-17 Kildare 1-19 AN Eoin Cleary free, converted five minutes into injury time in a pulsating NFL division 3 league final in Croke Park on Saturday evening, guided Clare to a sensational defeat of Kildare. Corofin’s Jamie Malone was fouled for the crucial free and Cleary, who had been promised a trip to Liverpoool by selector David O’Brien if he delivered at GAA headquarters, stroked over the winning point from a tight angle, 23 yards out. With normal time almost up, Clare trailed 1-18 to 1-15 and it looked as if their chances of winning had evaporated. However a Martin McMahon diagonal ball, found Gary Brennan and the Clare captained placed Dean Ryan for a dramatic equalising goal. Not noted for his goal scoring, Ryan finished lethally from six inches. Two minutes later, substitute Shane McGrath hit the post with a point effort but another sub, Enda Coughlan, reacted quickest and fisted over the rebound. However Kildare responded with …

Kildare 0-22 Clare 1-14 ALTHOUGH beaten in Newbridge on Sunday afternoon the Clare footballers will play division 2 league football in 2017 as their scoring difference ensured that they will join Kildare in the higher league. The same counties will also meet in the division 3 NFL final in Croke Park on Saturday April 23. Clare are likely to be without David Tubridy however. The Doonbeg man was shown a straight red red following an incident with Kildare wing back Ciaran Fitzpatrick as the game approached injury time. From this observers point of view Tubridy was very harshly red carded. Fourteen minutes from time, Clare led 1-14 to 0-15 and it looked as if they had every chance of at least drawing. However powered by their bench,with Eamon Callaghan particularly effective, the home county scored the last seven points with Clare not managing a score in that spell. So while Clare were delighted when word came through that Longford had …

Offaly 0-15 Clare 1-11 FOLLOWING an exceptionally poor first half display, Clare improved significantly in the second period but eventually lost out to a Michael Brazil point from play, which was kicked six minutes into injury time. The fact that the Offaly centre forward cut through the Clare defence without any Clare defender impeding his progress, underlined some of the deficiencies in this display. Lifted by their wins over Limerick and Westmeath, Clare showed few signs of their form in those games. While their performance was not good enough, if promotion is to be a realistic aim, they did show admirable resolve in the second half and Eoin Cleary’s 70th minute goal leveled the game. Five minutes into injury time the Miltown forward was certain he had kicked the winning point but it was waved wide and neither was a 45 awarded. He confirmed afterwards that if the ball was in fact wide, it was definitely a 45. A minute …

Clare 1-18 Westmeath 0-10 WITH just three fixtures left to play in division 3 of the NFL, Clare took a huge stride towards promotion with a comprehensive win over Westmeath in Ennis on Sunday. They now sit joint second in the table, along with Tipperary. The Munster teams are two points behind Kildare, who have won all four of their games to date. Clare travel to O’Connor Park in Tullamore next Sunday, where they play Offaly who are currently on four points. Clare blitzed Westmeath who were completely off the pace, particularly in the first half. Such was Clare’s dominance they led 0-7 to 0-0 after 23 minutes with David Tubridy, Eoin Cleary, Pearse Lillis and Cathal O’Connor putting over those early points. Westmeath, who reached the 2015 Leinster final and were expected to at least contend for promotion, didn’t kick their first point until eight minutes before half time when substitute Shane Dempsey scored. They did come within four …

Clare 1-11 Sligo 0-7 A Gary Brennan goal, nine minutes from time, was the game clinching score in Clare’s opening 2016 division 3 league game in wet and windy Miltown Malbay on Sunday. A huge element of luck helped Clare to create the goal. A long ball from Jamie Malone bounced over the collective heads of the Clare full forward and Sligo full back line. The ball hit the post and bounced into the arms of Clare substitute Pat Burke, who placed Brennan for the games crucial score. In a five minute second half spell Sligo had black cards shown to key men Niall Murphy and Brian Egan, leaving the already depleted Connacht county running out of options. Clare played into a very strong breeze in the opening half and trailed 0-4 to 0-2 at half time. While the conditions made it very difficult to play constructive football, both teams gave the ball away regularly and their decision making was …

Clare 1-14 Fermanagh 2-9 PLAYING the best football of their 2015 league campaign, Clare secured their division 3 status for 2016 with an ultimately narrow win over Fermanagh in Cusack Park on Sunday. It was their third league win of 2015. Played in front of an attendance of 938, Clare led 1-14 to 1-5 with just six minutes left and the game looked over. However Fermanagh hit the home county for 1-4 without reply in the closing minutes and until their last attack was repelled, there was a nagging anxiety amongst the Clare supporters that the already promoted Fermanagh might bang in a late goal, which would have relegated the home county. Clare knew that a win would keep them in division 3 next season and they set about making sure that happen, although it took them 13 minutes to score, when Jamie Malone kicked the games opening point. The exceptionally industrious Podge Collins added another before Fermanagh full forward …