*Brian McNamara. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BRIAN MCNAMARA is named to make a return to the Clare senior football team.
Midfielder McNamara missed out on Clare’s second round win over Leitrim with a groin injury but is included in Peter Keane’s fifteen for Sunday’s tie against Fermanagh in Cusack Park alongside Seán McAllister at midfield.
McNamara’s return means Cillian McGroary drops to the bench and Ikem Ugwueru reverts from midfield to wing-back where he is joined by Fionn Kelleher and Alan Sweeney.
Eamon Tubridy continues between the post for the third game in a row while Keane has stuck with the same full-back line, half-forward line and full-forward line as has been in situ for all their games thus far in Division 3 of the Allianz National Football League.
Three time Clare SFC winner, Mark McInerney more accustomed to appearing in the full-forward line at club and county level is listed as sub goalkeeper. For last year’s Munster SFC semi-final against Waterford, there was potential of McInerney appearing between the posts but on Sunday he will wear the number sixteen jersey.
Clare remain without the duo of Dermot Coughlan and Ronan Lanigan, both of whom are sidelined with injury. Peter Keane told The Clare Echo, “They are still a few weeks away. We hope our panel will be getting stronger. In a league environment where you are playing a lot of games week after week, you do pick up injuries, you would expect a few every day and you don’t get the time then to recover”.
Fermanagh had one point to spare over Antrim in the second round after losing by fifteen points to Kildare in the opening round.
Clare:
1: Eamon Tubridy (Doonbeg)
2: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
3: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
4: Cillian Rouine (Ennistymon)
5: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
6: Fionn Kelleher (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
7: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
8: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
9: Sean McAllister (Clondegad)
10: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
11: Emmet McMahon (Kildysart)
12: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
13: Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil)
14: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
15: Keelan Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
Subs:
16: Mark McInerney (Éire Óg)
17: Connor Meaney (Lissycasey)
18: Cillian McGroary (Corofin)
19: Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
20: Darragh Burns (Doonbeg)
21: Shane Griffin (Lissycasey)
22: Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown)
23: Gavin Murray (Éire Óg)
24: Jamie Stack (St Breckan’s)
25: Joe Rafferty (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
26: Diarmuid O’Donnell (Kildysart)
