*Ciaran Downes. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
AS THEY bid to record a third victory on the trot, Clare’s senior footballers have made one change for their fourth round clash away to Sligo.
Clare travel to Markievicz Park to face a Sligo side yet to pick up points in this year’s Allianz National Football League Division 3. The game throws in at 13:30.
Peter Keane’s Clare head into the game on the back of wins over Leitrim and Fermanagh, they need to keep this run going to sustain aspirations of winning promotion to the second tier.
Keane and his management have made one change from the side which overcame Fermanagh by two points.
Fionn Kelleher returns to the team at centre back with Cillian McGroary dropping to the bench. Ikem Ugwueru continues at midfield alongside Brian McNamara with Seán McAllister named at wing-back for the first time, the half-back line is completed by Alan Sweeney who has scored two goals in as many games.
Cillian Brennan captains the side from full-back with Manus Doherty and Cillian Rouine either side of him as Eamon Tubridy retains the number one jersey for the fourth game in a row. Éire Óg sharpshooter Mark McInerney is once again named as sub goalkeeper.
Making his first appearance on the bench this year is Dermot Coughlan. The secondary school teacher fractured his foot at the end of September when lining out for Kilmurry Ibrickane in the Clare SFC quarter-final. He lasted twenty seven minutes in the county final played at the end of October before the injury curtailed his involvement. His return to the bench is a welcome boost. Joe Rafferty missed out on inclusion in the matchday squad as a result.
There are positional changes in attack with Emmet McMahon and Eoin Cleary swapping roles as do Aaron Griffin and Daniel Walsh.
Clare:
1: Eamon Tubridy (Doonbeg)
2: Cillian Rouine (Ennistymon)
3: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
4: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
5: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
6: Fionn Kelleher (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
7: Sean McAllister (Clondegad)
8: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
9: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
10: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
11: Emmet McMahon (Kildysart)
12: Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil)
13: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
14: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
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: Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown)
22: Gavin Murray (Éire Óg)
23: Shane Griffin (Lissycasey)
24: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
25: Jamie Stack (St Breckan’s)
26: Diarmuid O’Donnell (Kildysart)
