*Dermot Coughlan and Ciaran Downes battle to win possession for Clare. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill A ONE POINT win kicked off Clare’s Division 3 bid in the Allianz National Football League, we take a closer look at how Mark Fitzgerald’s players performed over the course of the clash against Sligo.
*Brian McNamara. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography MARK FITZGERALD has handed a first National Football League start to his midfield pairing of Brian McNamara and Gavin Murray for Sunday’s first round tie with Sligo.
*Cillian Brennan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CLARE’s senior footballers will be without newly appointed captain Cillian Brennan for their opening outing in the Allianz National Football League.
*Kilrush goalkeeper, Stephen Ryan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill KILRUSH SHAMROCKS are gutted at coming up short by a single point in the Clare intermediate football final but “they will be back,” their manager has insisted.
*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill KILMIHIL are returning to the top tier in Clare football after winning the TUS IFC for the fifth time.
*Gearoid O’Brien gets away from Jayme O’Sullivan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill LINING OUT in the senior championship is the goal for all members of the Kilrush Shamrocks panel and they are sixty minutes away from returning to the top tier.
Gearoid O’Brien has a shot with Aaron Brennan giving chase. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill KILRUSH SHAMROCKS have qualified for the finals of the TUS Clare intermediate football championship after overcoming Wolfe Tones.
*Colm Collins and Eoin Cleary celebrate beating Cork in this year’s Munster SFC. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Last Saturday evening’s loss to Derry in Pearse Park, Longford signalled the end of Clare’s involvement in the race for Sam Maguire for 2023.
*Daniel Walsh goes to ground under pressure from Hugh McFadden. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CLARE’S SENIOR footballers didn’t grasp the chance to bounce back in the All-Ireland series, Ger Keane analyses how the Banner’s dropping confidence, pot-shots and Donegal’s defensive structure came against them.
Tony Brosnan is tackled by Stephen Ryan and Ronan Lanigan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CLARE’S SENIOR FOOTBALLERS first outing in a Munster final in eleven years ended in disappointment as they were comprehensively beaten by All-Ireland champions Kerry.