2024 Allianz Football League Division 3 – Clare 1-16 Limerick 0-14

Clare defeated Limerick by 1-16 to 0-14 in Round 5 of the Allianz Football League Division 3 on Saturday March 2nd at Mick Neville Park Rathkeale.

Clare continue promotion push with win over basement dwellers Limerick https://t.co/5Xyv5rpDc6

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) March 2, 2024

Clare continue promotion push with win over basement dwellers Limerick

Clare 1-16 Limerick 0-14

Report by Eoghan Cormican for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare continue their promotion push. That promotion push continues to be a “rollercoaster ride”. The Banner road back to Division 2 continues to throw up an unenjoyable amount of twists and turns.

The visitors to Rathkeale on Saturday evening appeared to have the two points on offer safely tucked away in the gearbag at half-time.

Even allowing for the stiffish breeze they’d face in the second period, it was difficult to see Mark Fitzgerald’s charges failing to protect a nine-point interval advantage.

It was equally difficult to see Limerick lifting their efforts to such an extent that they were anywhere near capable of wiping out the 1-11 to 0-5 interval scoreline.

Limerick reemerged a changed outfit. Winless and pointless and staring down the barrel of successive relegations, they launched a defiant stand on their home patch.

James Naughton and Jamie Baynham fired the first shots of their comeback bid with back-to-back points inside 30 seconds of the restart. Two more followed from Naughton (free) and Cathal Downes to cut the gap to five on 40 minutes.

There followed a Manus Doherty point for the visitors. The corner-back’s punched effort was their sole white flag in the 25 minutes after half-time.

They simply could not get their hands on possession, and when they did, they were incapable of holding onto it for any sufficient period of time.

Barry Coleman (0-2), Naughton (free) and Cillian Fahy produced another four-in-a-row Limerick burst to leave the scoreboard reading 1-12 to 0-13 on 60 minutes. Limerick were aggressively chasing down an end to their winless and pointless state.

They did not, however, get any closer.

Cormac Murray’s volleyed white flag on the hour mark was arguably the most important score of this Division 3 derby. If lifted the siege. It allowed Clare to breathe.

They secured possession from the resulting Limerick restart. Ciaran Downes fed Aaron Griffin. Another Clare point.

And when full-forward Griffin brought his tally on this cold evening to four shortly after, pushing Clare back out to five in front in the process (1-15 to 0-13), the Limerick comeback had crashed and was crushed.

It meant Mark Fitzgerald could breath a sigh of relief at another “rollercoaster ride” finishing with another two points secured.

The win moves Clare onto eight points, level with both Down and Westmeath at the top of the Division 3 table. The latter pair are both in action on Sunday.

The turbulence and turnovers Clare endured in the second period were so far removed from an opening half where seven different players – Daniel Walsh, Brian McNamara, Dermot Coughlan, Murray, Downes, Emmet McMahon, and Griffin – pushed them 1-9 to 0-3 clear on 21 minutes.

Midfield McNamara provided the goal, while McMahon swung over three beauties from play with the right boot.

Limerick goalkeeper Aaron O’Sullivan time and again was unable to find a green shirt from his kicking tee. Two short restarts resulted in white flags that could just as easily have been green. He was called ashore on 32 minutes.

Limerick’s evening improved in the second half, but not enough to take them off the bottom of the Division 3 table.

Scorers for Clare: E McMahon (0-1 free), A Griffin (0-4 each); B McNamara (1-0); M Doherty, D Walsh, C Murray (0-2 each); D Coughlan, C Downes (0-1 each).

Scorers for Limerick: J Naughton (0-4, 0-2 frees); B Coleman, J Baynham (0-3 each); C Fahy, R Childs, C Downes, D Daly (0-1 each).

Clare: S Ryan; M Doherty, R Lannigan, M Garry; I Ugwueru, A Sweeney, D Walsh; G Murray, B McNamara; D Coughlan, C Downes, E McMahon; C Murray, A Griffin, J McGann.
Subs: D Nagle for Ugwueru (HT, inj); J Stack for McGann (55); T McDonald for C Murray (68); M McInerney for Coughlan (73).

Limerick: A O’Sullivan; J Liston, S O’Dea, C McSweeney; B Coleman, I Corbett, C Fahy; T Childs, C Downes; R Childs, E Rigter, P Maher; J Baynham, J Naughton, P Nash.
Subs: J English for O’Sullivan (32 mins); E Hurley for Nash (59); T Griffin for Rigter (60); J Sweeney for R Childs, D Daly for Baynham (both 69).

Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan).

Team News

Jimmy Lee has released his Limerick Senior Football team and match panel for their round 5 Allianz Football League game:
Limerick Senior Football team take on Clare this Saturday evening in Mick Neville Park at 6pm pic.twitter.com/0J8wf3sU0i

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) March 1, 2024

Limerick (AFL v Clare): A O’Sullivan; J Liston, S O’Dea, C McSweeney; B Coleman, I Corbett, C Fahy; T Childs, E Rigter; R Childs, C Downes, P Maher; J Baynham, J Naughton, P Nash.

Clare make the short trip to Rathkeale to take on Limerick in Round 5 of the @AllianzIreland Football League tomorrow . Here is the Banner side that will start against their neighbours . Throw in at Mick Neville Park is at 6:00pm .

Tickets for the game can be purchased at… pic.twitter.com/PKoW86AFbz

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) March 1, 2024