*Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
IT’S sink or swim for Clare’s ladies footballers who face the prospect of relegation to the bottom tier of the National League if they lose to Roscommon this weekend.
Having won Division 3 of the Lidl Ladies Football National League in 2024, Clare’s return to Division 2 was short-lived last season but they are now at risk of successive relegations and dropping down to the lowest tier.
A flat display in Kinawley on Sunday saw Clare slump to an eight point loss to Fermanagh, a result which seals the Ulster’s side status in Division 3 but leaves the Banner needing to better Laois’ result this weekend to avoid the drop.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Clare manager Graham Shine stated, “We’ve didn’t show up today. For whatever reason, we just didn’t so when you travel up to Fermanagh and don’t perform, there’s only one thing that’s going to happen, that you’re going to be beaten. Playing well in the last quarter isn’t good enough so as I said to the girls just there, there’s no time to feel sorry for yourself as Roscommon are coming down to us next Sunday and we have to be ready for that”./
Shine acknowledged they have a lot on the line this weekend as they welcome Roscommon to Lissycasey. “If we don’t win, we could go down to Division 4 so we’ve a week to get over this and get the minds right. I’ve repeatedly said that there’s load of football in this squad but you can’t just turn it on for 15 minutes and expect to win a game. I’ve managed teams in all four divisions so no matter what division you’re in, if you don’t show up you’ll be punished.
“We went three points up early on but you have to maintain those standards and Eimear Smyth took over and really punished us. That’s what happens when you’re not crisp and at one hundred per cent. We set targets every day we go out but we didn’t hit one target today with our shot efficiency. We had a handful of goal chances in the second half and if we’d taken them we’d be right in the game but it was Fermanagh that took them. We had way more possession than them over the hour but the difference was that they took their chances and we didn’t,” he added.
In what is a big week for ladies football in the county, Clare want to end it by retaining their Division 3 status “We’ve a big week ahead. We’ve training Wednesday night and then it’s all systems go to get over the line next Sunday so that we can park the Division 3 campaign and move on.Because they are training really hard and doing everything we want but there are just moments in games that for some reason we don’t click and we have to sort that out before championship. It’s a massive week for Clare Ladies Football. We obviously wish Spanish Point all the best on Thursday. It’s a major achievement so hopefully they can get over the line in Carlow on Thursday and come back with the cup as All-Ireland champions”.
