*Ciara Grogan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A nine-point loss to Cork at Páirc Ui Rinn on Saturday means that Clare will play in Division 1B next season.
Cork 1-15
Clare 1-6
Venue: Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork
Defeat in all of their games this season leaves them bottom of the table with one game to play. That game is against Tipperary and it is scheduled for Cusack Park on this Saturday at 2p.m.
Victory for Clare allied to defeat for Kilkenny who play Waterford could lead to three teams being level on points and this would lead to score difference being required to decide on placings. Currently Clare have an inferior score difference to the other teams and it would be a huge surprise if they manage to avoid the drop to 1 B.
Clare managed just one score in the opening half and this was a pointed free by Ciara Grogan. Cork played with the aid of the breeze and they went to the break with a 0-6 to 0-1 advantage.
Hopes were high that with the aid of the elements Clare would get back into contention in the second period but they were rocked inside three minutes when Cork struck for their goal.
Caoimhe Cahill pointed for the Banner outfit but Cork responded with a brace of points. An Aine O’Loughlin goal left six between the sides with the score now at 1-8 to 1-2.
Cork held upperhand from here on but Clare battled to the end and had further points from Caoimhe Cahill, Ciara Grogan and substitute Zi Yan Spillane.
Clare will begin their Munster championship campaign in late April and they will be hoping that the experience gained in the league which saw a number of new players introduced to the senior team will help the side get back to winning ways.
Clare: Rachel Daly (Scariff-Ogonnelloe); Capimhe Lally (Newmarket), Avbby Walsh (Scariff-Ognnelloe); Muireann Scanlan (Cratloe); Lynda Daly (Scariff-Oginnelloe), Ellen Casey(Newmarket), Susan Daly (Scariff-Ogonnelloe); Niamh Mulqueen (Broadford) Ciara Grogan (Clooney-Quin) 0-3; Caoimhe Carmody (Kilmaley) Caoimhe Cahill (Kilmaley) 0-2, Aoife Anderson (Ruan); Jennifer Daly (Scariff-Ogonnelloe), Aine O’Loughlin (Iruagh-Clonlara) 1-0, Hannah Mai Neylon (Ballyea)
