*Dermot Coughlan is expected to revert back to the half-forward line this weekend. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s senior footballers are back in action this weekend knowing a win is essential to revitalise their Division 3 campaign in the Allianz National Football League.
Without a win following opening round losses to Down and Westmeath, Clare need to bounce back and put points on the board but facing off with Fermanagh in Brewster Park, Enniskillen at 13:00 on Sunday will be no easy task. Both sides are sitting at the bottom of Division 3 and are badly in need of a victory.
Having produced a strong display in the opening round to hold a six point lead at the beginning of the second half against Down in Páirc Esler, mistakes began to mount and Clare fell to a five point loss but die-hard supporters who travelled North left on an optimistic given the overall performance.
A fortnight ago, five points was again the final margin as Clare tasted defeat at home to Westmeath but the performance was far poorer. Having put together the largest ever Clare senior football panel, the decision to move centre forward Dermot Coughlan to wing back after Fionn Kelleher was ruled out, depriving the side of one of their main attacking platforms as opposed to starting Morgan Garry, Connor Meaney or Daniel Walsh has stood out as one of the more questionable decisions of the new management.
Despite the disappointment of the Westmeath display, Clare travel to Enniskillen knowing they can still turn things around and keep themselves in contention of winning promotion to Division 2. It may seem an unlikely feat but Clare simply need to bounce back and picking up their first points and first league win under Paul Madden would garner momentum. They have no choice but to as another loss would almost certainly rule out promotion.
Fermanagh are in the same position having lost their first two games and Declan Bonner is putting a big emphasis on shooting efficiency as they look to impress in front of their home crowd.
Two points and the width of the crossbar separated the sides when they met in Division 3 last February. A last gasp Declan McCusker attempted two pointer hit off the crossbar in the closing stages of that tie as Clare held on for a 1-17 1-15 win, Emmet McMahon kicking ten points over the seventy minutes with Alan Sweeney raiding for goal.
Offering hope to revitalise Clare’s campaign is the expected return of captain Cillian Rouine. He has missed the opening two rounds through injury but featured for the full seventy minutes in a challenge match against Galway held last week. His return is not the only lift as the feedback from the tie itself is Clare have wiped the Westmeath game from their system and were pleased with how they fared against Pádraic Joyce’s side.
Rouine is likely to slot in a centre back which will allow management the option to push Ikem Ugwueru further forward and harness his powerful attacking credentials.
Midfielder Brian McNamara is in Sigerson Cup action for UL on Wednesday evening along with sub-goalkeeper Tristan O’Callaghan. The duo alongside Mark McInerney were rested for the Galway challenge.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Madden stressed that they must turn things around this weekend. “We’re in the position we’re in now, it is a different type of battle and we need to start getting points on the board, no matter what happens from here on in the only ones that can get us out of this are ourselves”.
