2023 Allianz Football League Division 2 – Clare 2-18 Limerick 0-9

Clare defeated Limerick by 2-18 to 0-9 in the Allianz Football League Division 2 on Sunday March 26th at Cusack Park Ennis.

Clare stop the rot in dropzone tussle with Limerick

Report by Joe Ó Muircheartaigh for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Allianz FL Division 2: Clare 2-18 Limerick 0-9

A nothing game played out between those bound for Division 3, but in the wider scheme of things a much-needed confidence booster for a Clare side that ended a run of five successive defeats with this facile victory before 1,041 spectators.

And, in stopping the rot with a 15-point win at least they’ll be returning to Cusack Park on Easter Sunday to face Cork in the Munster quarter-final having buried some of the nightmare league run that saw them lose Division 2 status after seven years.

That they’d do that was evident from the word go as they cantered past Limerick in a pedestrian affair, with the 0-11 to 0-3 interval lead carved out by Colm Collins’ experimental side more than enough to win this with a half to spare.

Six different scorers, led by full-forward Keelan Sexton with 0-5, showed the way as Clare’s more direct and quicker approach play in attack reaped dividends against a Limerick side that offered little.

Centre-forward James Naughton did raise Limerick spirits somewhat with the first three points of the second half, but after Adrian Enright was red-carded 13 minutes in normal service was resumed for Clare with a neat finish for a goal by Mark McInerney a minute later, while another from Ciaráin Downes two minutes before the end further embellished a workmanlike, yet impressive display.

Scorers for Clare: M McInerney (1-2, 1f, 1m), K Sexton (0-5, 2f), E McMahon (0-5, 1f), A Griffin (0-3), D Walsh (0-1), P Collins (0-1), S Griffin (0-1).

Scorers for Limerick: J Naughton (0-5, 2f), P Nash (0-2, 1m), K Ryan (0-1), C Sheehan (0-1).

CLARE: S Ryan; C Rouine, C Russell, M Garry; I Ugweru, J Malone, D Walsh; E McMahon, D Bohannon; B Rouine, P Collins, C Downes; M McInerney, K Sexton, A Griffin.
Subs: P Lillis for B Rouine (46), S Griffin for Sexton (53), D Keating for Bohannon (61), D Nagle for Russell (61).

LIMERICK: D O’Sullivan; J Liston, S O’Dea, B Fanning; C Sheehan, B Coleman, G Brown; C Fahy, C McSweeney; A Enright, J Naughton, P Maher; K Ryan, D Lyons, P Nash.
Subs: B Donovan for Ryan (Half-Time), A O’Sullivan for O’Sullivan (Half-Time), T McCarthy for Brown (53, D Noonan for Lyons (53), C Woulfe for Fanning (57).

Referee: B Judge (Sligo)

Team News

The Limerick Senior Football management has released their team and match panel to face Clare in this Sunday’s Allianz football league Division 2 Round 7 game. pic.twitter.com/NekotnYVEC

— Limerick Footballers (@LmkFootballers) March 24, 2023

LIMERICK (V Clare): D O’Sullivan (C), J Liston, S O’Dea, B Fanning, C Sheehan, B Coleman, G Brown, C Fahy, C McSweeney, A Enright, J Naughton, P Maher, R Bourke, D Lyons, P Nash
Subs: A O’Sullivan, B Donovan, D Connolly, F Cotter, T McCarthy, D Noonan, R O’Connor, L O’Sullivan, J Ryan, K Ryan, C Woulfe

The Clare senior football side and bench that will take on Limerick in Sunday’s final round of the Allianz Football League. Best of luck to the boys 🟡🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/NX5h3tTpFJ

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) March 24, 2023