*Mark McInerney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BACK TO BACK defeats has Clare’s footballers now switching their focus from promotion aspirations to avoiding relegation.
Westmeath 2-19
Clare 1-17
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis
Clare’s first outing in Cusack Park under Paul Madden has resulted in the county’s first league defeat at the venue since March 2023. On that occasion under Colm Collins, Clare fell by eight points to Cork but that was Division 2 and the side’s latest performance was miles off the standard required to be in the second tier.
Adding another disappointing note to the afternoon was the absence of a strong home support. While the extended panel and injured players made their voices heard, an attendance of 1,389 for Madden’s first home fixture is certainly a sore point.
In round one, a five point loss to Down was not an overall fair reflection on a tie that Clare ultimately left behind them. A five point loss was again the outcome when it came to Westmeath but this was not a game that Clare could claim that they deserved to win and the margin is a bit more flattering this time.
Fionn Kelleher’s absence prompted a rejig of the Clare side, Dermot Coughlan moving to the half-back line and Joe Rafferty making his first league start at corner forward. Coughlan in a more deeper role did not aid the Clare cause, he was the best player in round one, creating chances and breaking the lines with his running.
In the second quarter of the opening half, Clare were cleaned on breaks with Coughlan missed from a more attacking viewpoint.
One of the more frustrating aspects of the Banner display was the lack of urgency. This applied on support play when Clare bodies were outnumbered constantly and the tendency to move more linear with the ball as opposed to directly taking the opponent on.
Inside the first ten minutes, Clare led by two points following scores from Aaron Griffin and Eoin Cleary. Sam McCartan’s two pointer put the visitors in front for the first time on fourteen minutes, following Kevin O’Sullivan’s white flag.
Westmeath were benefitting from Clare mistakes which allowed them take a strong foothold in the second quarter. For the final fifteen minutes of the opening half, they outscored the hosts 1-6 0-1. The goal was the final score of the half, wing back Ronan Wallace firing to the net after Luke Loughlin’s shot hit off the crossbar.
There was a response needed in the second half, Clare kicked two pointers with their first two scores via Aaron Griffin and Mark McInerney but Westmeath wouldn’t let them make inroads, kicking three singles.
Alan Sweeney, Clare’s main goal scorer in last year’s league popped up with a badly needed major on forty two minutes, Brendy Rouine and Cormac Murray putting him on his way and the gap was back to four points.
Aaron Griffin with his second two pointer plus another point along with an Eoin Cleary two pointer had Clare within two of Westmeath into the final twenty minutes of the tie.
Instead of getting closer, Clare fell further behind, conceding 1-3 without reply, Brian Cooney’s goal really zapping any bit of belief of a late rally.
Clare did kick three of the last four scores but the damage was done and league ambitions now hang by a thread.
Scorers Westmeath: R Wallace (1-2), S McCartan (0-4 2TP), L Loughlin (0-3 1f), B Cooney (1-0), K O’Sullivan (0-2), R Connellan (0-2), TJ Cox (0-2), R Forde (0-1)
Scorers Clare: A Griffin (0-6 2TP), M McInerney (0-3 1TP f), E Cleary (0-3 1TP), A Sweeney (1-0), B McNamara (0-2), C Murray (0-1), J Stack (0-1)
Westmeath:
1: Jack Connaughton (Caulry)
2: Danny Scahill (Shandonagh)
3: Charlie Drumm (The Downs)
4: Boidu Sayah (Rosemount)
12: Matthew Whittaker (Tubberclair)
6: Tadhg Baker (Caulry)
5: Ronan Wallace (Multyfarnham)
7: Brian Guerin (Mullingar Shamrocks)
9: Ray Connellan (Athlone)
8: Jonathan Lynam (The Downs)
11: Sam McCartan (St Loman’s)
10: Kevin O’Sullivan (The Downs)
14: Luke Loughlin (The Downs)
13: Danny McCartan (St Loman’s)
15: Senan Baker (Caulry)
Subs:
22: TJ Cox (St Loman’s) for Guerin (29)
20: Brian Cooney (Coralstown Kinnegad) for S Baker (HT)
23: Tom Molloy (Shandanagh) for D McCartan (55)
19: Robbie Forde (Moate All Whites) for O’Sullivan (69)
17: Eoghan Hogan (St Loman’s) for Connellan (73)
Clare:
1: Stephen Ryan (Kilrush Shamrocks)
2: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
4: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
3: Ronan Lanigan (Éire Óg)
5: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
6: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
7: Fionn Kelleher (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
8: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
9: Darragh Bohannon (Shannon Gaels)
10: Brendy Rouine (Ennistymon)
11: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
12: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
13: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
14: Mark McInerney (Éire Óg Inis)
15: Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown)
Subs:
22: Connor Meaney (Lissycasey) for Rafferty (46)
17: Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Rouine (55)
23: Gavin Murray (Éire Óg) for C Murray (60)
25: Morgan Garry (Clondegad) for Brennan (62)
18: Jamie Stack (St Breckan’s) for Cleary (66)
Referee: David Murnane (Cork)
