Allianz NFL Division 3
Clare 0-12 Antrim 0-9
The race for division 3 promotion and relegation will go right down to the wire after Clare’s win over Antrim in Ennis today and results elsewhere that throw the issue wide open going in to next weekend’s final day programme.
Not for the first time this season Antrim performed well but still ended up on the losing side with Colm McLarnon’s dismissal, ten minutes before half time leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second half.
It looked ominous for the Saffrons when they headed to the dressing room trailing by six points but they showed great fighting spirit to outscore the Banner County 0-9 to 0-6 in the second half and it was the home side who were the happier to hear Derek O’Mahoney’s final whistle.
With the current joint-leaders, Down and Westmeath set to clash 24 hours later in Mullingar, regardless of that result, Mark Fitzgerald’s Banner still need to get a result in Newry next weekend.
Ultimately it was only the result that mattered and in the end the home side just about merited their fifth win in six matches after a strong start and finish to the opening half.
A trio of Ciaran Downes points settled his side into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead with the Antrim point coming from big Pat Shivers. Cormac Murray for Clare and Marc Jordan exchanged further points before Mark McInerney moved Clare three in front by the 12th minute.
Antrim were moving the ball well and pressing in number as Joe Finnegan got on the end of an excellent move to close the gap to two by the 22nd minute before Murray and Coughlan edged the home side into a four point lead.
McEnhill was then off target from a scoreable free for Antrim and as things got heated Colm McLarnon was shown a straight Red and McInerney and Coughlan added late points to move Clare 0-9 to 0-3 at the interval.
It wasn’t looking good for Antrim as they headed to the dressing room but whatever was said during the interval seemed to have worked and they returned to the action fully focused on the task ahead.
Patrick McBride began the fight-back with a hat-trick of points before Gavin Murray and Mark McInearney moved the home side five ahead by the 16th minute.
Things were certainly livening up and Antrim looked in for a goal but were thwarted by a late interception and almost immediately Daniel Walsh had the ball in the net at the other end but the score was ruled out by a square-ball decision.
Murray and Eoghan McCabe exchanged further points as the visitors battled to stay in contention and substitute Ryan McQuillan also had a major impact as he scored two points but might have had a late goal that would have really put the cat amongst the pigeons but blazed over.
The final whistle couldn’t come soon enough for an under siege Clare but this win keeps them on the coat tails of Down and Meath who meet in Mullingar on Sunday while Antrim need something from the Wicklow game at Corrigan next weekend to ensure division 3 survival for another season.
Wicklow picked up their first win of the season when they defeated Limerick today while Offaly gained their third point when they drew with Sligo at Markievicz Park and wins for both Wicklow and Offaly next weekend would spell disaster for the Saffrons.
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Micheál Garry, Ronan Lanigan, Manus Doherty; Ikem Ugwueru, Alan Sweeney, Daniel Walsh; Brian McNamara, Gavin Murray (0-01); Dermot Coughlan (0-01), Aaron Griffin (0-03), Ciaran Downes (0-03, 0-03f); Mark McInerney (0-04, 0-04f), Cormac Murray (0-02), Joe McGann (0-01)
Subs: Jamie Stack for McGann (44), Cillian Rouine for Ugwueru (47), Darren Nagle for Garry (62), Thomas Kelly for McInerney (67), Shane Griffin for C. Murray (68, inj)
Antrim: Michael Byrne; Kavan Keenan, Daniel McNicholl, Declan Lynch (0-01); Dermot McAleese (0-01, 0-01m), Joseph Finnegan (0-01), Ronan Boyle; Colm McLarnon, Conor Hand; Eoghan McCabe (0-01), Patrick McBride (0-03), Ruairi McCann (0-01); Marc Jordan (0-01), Pat Shivers (0-01, 0-01f), Dominic McEnhill
Subs: Benen Kelly for Shivers (HT), Ryan McQuillan (0-02, 0-01f) for McEnhill (52), Eoin Hynds for Hand (53), Cormac McGettigan for Keenan (62), Niall Burns for McCabe (67)
Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary)