2024 Allianz Football League Division 3 – Clare 2-15 Wicklow 0-8

Clare defeated Wicklow by 2-15 to 0-8 in Round 4 of the Allianz Football League Division 3 on Sunday February 25th at Cusack Park Ennis.

Murray brace helps earns routine win for Clare over Wicklow https://t.co/XkHsbPQ7bx

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) February 25, 2024

Murray brace helps earns routine win for Clare over Wicklow

Allianz Football League Division 3 Round 4: Clare 2-15 Wicklow 0-8

Report by Eoin Brennan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

What’s seldom is wonderful as Clare welcomed a rare drama-free Division 3 tie to easily fend off a disappointing Wicklow in front of 1,719 hardy souls in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon.

Following three exceedingly tense outings against Sligo, Westmeath and Offaly that were only decided by the last kick, Mark Fitzgerald’s new-look side produced their biggest victory of the campaign to date thanks in the main to a brace of Cormac Murray goals in as many minutes just before the break.

Murray, in his first start of this year’s National League, demonstrated his devastating finishing when first gathering a through ball from Alan Sweeney and racing through to billow the net in the 31st minute before benefitting from an Emmet McMahon interception that was worked through Ciaran Downes to squeeze his shot past goalkeeper Shane Doyle on Clare’s way to a 2-5 to 0-4 interval cushion.

Considering that a wind-assisted Banner struggled early on to get into their stride and found themselves trailing by 0-3 to 0-2 by the midway mark of the opening half, those goals would prove the catalyst for a comprehensive win following a settling quartet of Emmet McMahon frees.

Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for Oisín McConville’s side but in truth, they never recovered or perhaps weren’t let recuperate by a buoyant Banner that subsequently put the game to bed after raiding for the first five points of the new half to soar 12 clear by the 47th minute.

With only a solitary Christopher O’Brien point to show for their previous 40 minutes, the ailing visitors finally emerged out of their ultra-defensive cocoon helped by the introduction of four simultaneous substitutions.

However, while one of those replacements, Brian Nesbitt, grabbed a brace of points, they would be outdone once more by a final Banner flourish as Ciaran Downes’ late trio of points cemented a 13 point triumph in what was Clare’s third victory of the campaign.

A Shannonside derby date with Limerick in Rathkeale next Saturday (6pm) is next up for Fitzgerald’s promotion chasing Banner while it’s now crisis time for Wicklow who face fellow pointless Leinster side Offaly in a must-win relegation showdown in Tullamore next Sunday (2pm).

Scorers for Clare: C. Murray (2-1, 0-1 mark); E McMahon (0-4, 4f); A Griffin, C Downes (1f) (0-3 each); B McNamara (0-2); R Lanigan, D O’Donnell (f) (0-1 each)

Scorers for Wicklow: G Murphy, B Nesbitt (0-2 each); JP Nolan (f), E Darcy, C O’Brien, K Quinn (f) (0-1 each)

CLARE: S. Ryan; M. Garry, M. Doherty, R. Lanigan; E. O’Connor, A. Sweeney, D. Walsh; G. Murray, B. McNamara; C Downes, E. McMahon, I. Ugwueru; C. Murray, A. Griffin, S. Griffin
Subs: D. Nagle for O’Connor (34, inj), J. McGann for S. Griffin (47), D. O’Donnell for Murray (53), J. Guyler for Walsh (61, inj), D O’Brien for McMahon (62), J Curran for Ugwueru (69)

WICKLOW: S. Doyle; M. Nolan, M. Stone, T. Moran; J. Prendergast, P. O’Kane, E. Murtagh; C. Maguire, J. Kirwan; G. Murphy, D. Healy, J.P. Nolan; C. O’Brien, K. Quinn, E. Darcy
Subs: C. Baker for Prendergast (ht), B. Nesbitt for O’Brien (49), C. McDonald for Murtagh (49), D. Doyle for Maguire (49), O. McGraynor for Darcy (49)

Referee: J. Hayes (Limerick)

Team News

The Clare side to host Wicklow in Round 4 of the @AllianzIreland Division 3 Football League at Cusack Park this Sunday. Throw in is at 1:00pm

Tickets for this tie are available at. https://t.co/rsOOb4P5YX

Live commentary on @ClareFM

Best of luck lads 💪🟡🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/zuNHWDU3Pc

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) February 24, 2024