*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE WELCOME Wexford to Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg for the second Sunday running with a lot on the line for both counties.
Promotion to Division 2 of the Allianz National Football League is still within reach for both counties who are both sitting in joint second along with Westmeath with three wins and two defeats each.
All three teams need to win to keep their push for promotion alive with the loser of Clare versus Wexford likely to fall out of the reckoning. The fixture takes on extra significance when the prize of lining out in the All-Ireland series rather than the Tailteann Cup comes into play. The final round sees Wexford host Westmeath while prior to that the Lakeside County face Limerick who are in dire need of a win to avoid relegation following their nine point loss to Clare in the last round.
Throw-in for Sunday’s game is at 13:00 with Darragh Bohannon and Cillian Rouine continuing their recovery from hamstring injuries. There are no additional injury headaches for squad members that have featured thus far in the National Football League.
On the prospect of the duo featuring, Clare manager Paul Madden said, “The injuries will clear up when they are ready, we won’t be rushing lads and we won’t play them if they are not ready. The way we are playing you need to have high energy and if you are not fit then you cannot play, that is the mantra, we want all the lads to be able to play but our physios will be working with them and if they are right they will play and if they are not right then they won’t and we will trust the guy that plays instead of them”.
Madden and his management allowed members of the panel who have not been receiving too much game time to line out with their clubs in the opening round of the Cusack and Garry Cups last weekend.
It followed a challenge game on Tuesday last where Clare overcame Tipperary. The line-up was predominantly made up of Clare’s substitutes and extended panellists with Seán McAllister and Ciaran McMahon among those impressing.
Wexford have no injury concerns for Sunday’s game, manager John Hegarty confirmed. He said they are treating their trip to Ennis as a league semi-final. “At the moment, our mindset in entirely on Clare. We’ll be approaching it like a league semi-final. That’s all we can do anything about this week, so all focus is on Clare. It’s great from a competitive nature. You couldn’t have written the script better than three teams that are pushing for one promotion spot are all playing one another. Clare have home advantage and that is significant but, at the same time, I think all three teams are there on merit. We’ll be going down to have a real good cut at it”.
