Allianz Football League Division 4 – Clare 5-10 London 0-4

AFL Division 4

From the Irish Post newspaper

CLARE 5-10 LONDON 0-4

LONDON’S season went from bad to worse in Cusack Park last Saturday after they failed to score from open play during the 21-point hiding by Clare. It was a tumultuous weekend for the Exiles, who had to fly to Dublin late Friday night and travel by bus to Ennis on the morning of the game, and didn’t get back to London until Sunday evening. And when they did arrive, Paul Coggins’ side were ripped apart by a Clare team who had just one win to their name prior to Saturday’s game, which came against Kilkenny. By the interval the Banner led by 2-3 to 0-3, Alan Clohessy and Gary Brennan both finding the net, with Moindearg’s Eoin O’Neill kicking all London’s scores from frees.

Realising London were offering little attacking threat, Clare went for the jugular in the second half and leading marksman David Tubridy – who finished with 2-7 – grabbed a brace of maximums. But for Clare’s wastefulness in front of goal they would have won by even more. They hit a massive 17 wides over the 70 minutes, something Michael McDermott will be keen to address prior to next weekend’s meeting with unbeaten Roscommon.

For London, the high of an opening round win over Kilkenny has long subsided. With trips to Carlow and Fermanagh still to come – as well as the rescheduled game with Leitrim – they are likely to incur another couple of substantial beatings before the National League’s culmination. Despite their fourth straight loss, London remain within just a single point of Fermanagh, who slipped to their second defeat after John Rogers’ injury-time goal handed Roscommon victory at Kiltoom. Kilkenny registered their highest total for this year’s league – 3-1 – against Carlow, but they still suffered a 17-point defeat, while table-toppers Wicklow and Longford shared the spoils in Aughrim, corner-forward Sean McCormack missing a late free for the visitors.