*Eoin Cleary and Manus Doherty. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE have stormed to the top half of Division 3 with a third win on the bounce for Paul Madden’s footballers.
Clare 1-21
Limerick 1-12
Venue: Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale
Three wins in as many weekends have reignited Clare’s chances of promotion to the second tier, a grade that last lined out in back in 2023.
Such hopes have been strengthened by Laois comprehensively accounting for Westmeath meaning Clare will need to overcome Wexford and Sligo in their last two rounds whilst hoping Westmeath fall to another defeat.
An unanswered blitz of 1-8 over the course of nineteen minutes propelled Clare to their latest win on Saturday evening. Mark McInerney getting the green light in a fitness test was a huge lift for Clare and he excelled kicking a brace of two pointers.
Between himself and Eoin Cleary, they accounted for 1-15 of Clare’s 1-21 while the next highest scorer from play was corner back Alan Sweeney. The duo of McInerney and Cleary were Clare’s best performers.
Defensively Clare were solid with Connor Meaney impressing at centre back and Ronan Lanigan the reliable anchor at full back.
Noticeably, Limerick were much more laboured in their build-up play with the contrasting quicker counters from Clare seeing them inflict plenty of damage on their beloved neighbours.
With an approximate 720 seats in Mick Neville Park according to well-placed local experts, there was no doubt among them that Clare were by far the stronger side.
Paul Madden and his management will be frustrated that Clare didn’t maintain their second quarter prowess for longer in the tie, there was a slight lag in their second half display but in truth they had secured the two points at this stage, the focus then switching to scoring difference.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
Scorers Clare: M McInerney (1-8 3f 2TP), E Cleary (0-7 1TP), A Sweeney (0-2), B Rouine (0-1), B McNamara (0-1), C Meaney (0-1), C Murray (0-1).
Scorers Limerick: E Riordan (0-5 2TPf), C Fahy (1-1), P Nash (0-3 1f), S Cross (0-2 1f), D Neville (0-1),
Clare
1: Stephen Ryan (Kilrush Shamrocks)
2: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
3: Ronan Lanigan (Éire Óg)
4: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
5: Brendy Rouine (Ennistymon)
6: Connor Meaney (Lissycasey)
7: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
8: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
9: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
10: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
11: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
12: Joshua Vaughan (Ennistymon)
13: Mark McInerney (Éire Óg)
14: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
15: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
Subs:
17: Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown) for Griffin (53)
24: Shane Griffin (Lissycasey) for Vaughan (56)
18: Jamie Stack (St Breckan’s) for Walsh (64)
22: Fionn Kelleher (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Meaney (64)
19: Michael Nash (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Brennan (67)
Limerick:
1: Jeffrey Alfred (Adare)
2: Oran Collins (Adare)
3: Darren O’Doherty (Newcastle West)
4: Diarmuid Buckley (Fr Caseys)
5: Oisin Moss (Mungret St Pauls)
6: Killian Ryan (Mungret St Pauls)
7: Tony McCarthy (Kildimo Pallaskenry)
8: Sean Clancy (Galtee Gaels)
9: Tommie Childs (Galtee Gaels)
10: Andrew Meade (Rathkeale)
11: Cillian Fahy (Dromcollogher/Broadford)
12: Eliah Riordan (Fr Caseys)
13: Danny Neville (Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan)
14: James Naughton (St Seanans)
15: Peter Nash (Kildimo Pallaskenry)
Subs:
22: Paul Maher (Adare) for Naughton (HT)
19: Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins) for O’Doherty (HT)
21: Jack McCarthy (Mungret St Pauls) for T Child (45)
23: Josh Dineen (Galbally) for Clancy (53)
25: Shane Cross (St Patricks) for Meade (56)
Referee: Eoin Morrissey (Waterford)
