2025 Allianz Football League Division 3 – Antrim 1-9 Clare 1-6

Antrim defeated Clare by 1-9 to 1-6 in Round 1 of the Allianz Football League Division 3 on Sunday January 26th at Corrigan Park Belfast.

Antrim fend off Clare in brutal Belfast conditions https://t.co/GtvHi6hfvp

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) January 26, 2025

Antrim fend off Clare in brutal Belfast conditions

Report by David Mohan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

AFL Division 3: Antrim 1-9 (1-1-7) Clare 1-6 (1-0-6)

IT was far from pretty, but Antrim managed to fend off Clare in brutal conditions at Corrigan Park to see their Division Three campaign get off to a winning start.

On a day for rolling up the sleeves and making as few errors as possible, Antrim ground it out, but it was a real slog for both sides who were not only dealing with new rules, but driving wind and rain which made the basic skills a real challenge as both sets of players struggled with their handling and footing.

This was not a day for silky or expansive football as the new rules intended, but simply a case of getting through it and it was the hosts that perhaps made fewer errors which was winning this game.

Antrim made a superb start with Conor Hand pointing from their first attack and they had their first two-point chance from a Mick Byrne free which dropped and Fionn Nagle helped it over.

The first two-pointer did come with Hand taking a shot that took a hop up and over and their goal came straight after as Paddy McBride made the break, played the ball inside and Nagle tapped home.

Clare were in danger of getting overrun but got a real break with 10 gone as Ciaran Downes shaped for a shot at a point, but the ball seemed to be taken by a strong gust of wind and dipped into the net.

Emmett McMahon kicked a free for the Banner, but it was their last score of the half as Antrim made the better of grim conditions with Conor Stewart, Ryan Murray and McBride kicking points to put them 1-07 to 1-01 up at the break.

Unsurprisingly, it was the visitors on the front foot into the second half as the conditions seemed to deteriorate further and they did begin to carve out opportunities with Sean McAllister seeing a shot tipped out for a 45, but Clare worked it short and this became a feature as they were reluctant to shoot from too deep.

However, points from Ciaran Downes, Aaron Griffin and Emmett McMahon had them to within three with 20 to play.

Antrim were getting into advanced positions, but were unable to work any scores although they would receive a big break with 10 to go as Clare were penalised for only having two players in the opposite half and a 13-metre free was slotted over by McBride with Conor Stewart then thumping over a beauty straight after.

That put five between them and gave Clare a mountain to climb but after McNamara pulled one back, a dropping free broke to substitute Cormac Murray and he managed to get a shot up and over.

Try as they might, Clare just couldn’t find an equalising goal as a late raid came to nothing as Antrim managed to do enough to get over the line.

Scorers for Antrim: F Nagle 1-1; C Hand 0-3 (1 2p), C Stewart 0-2, P McBride 0-2 (1f), R Murray 0-1.

Scorers for Clare: C Downes 1-1, E McMahon 0-2 (1f), A Griffin 0-1, B McNamara 0-1, C Murray 0-1

ANTRIM: Michael Byrne; John Morgan, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keenan; Ronan Boyle, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese; Conor Stewart, Conor Hand; Patrick Finnegan, Marc Jordan, Patrick McBride; Ryan Murray, Fionn Nagle, Dominic McEnhill.
Subs: Ryan McQuillan for McEnhill (23), Patrick Ferris for Keenan (60), Niall Burns for McQuillan (70)

CLARE: Éamon Tubridy; Manus Doherty, Cillian Brennan, Cillian Rouine; Ikem Ugweru, Fionn Kelliher, Alan Sweeney; Brian McNamara, Séan McAllister; Eoin Cleary, Emmet McMahon, Daniel Walsh; Ciarán Downes, Aaron Griffin, Keelan Sexton.
Subs: Gavin Murray for McAllister (55), Cormac Murray for Griffin (65), Shane Griffin for Rouine (70), Darragh Burns for Cleary (70)

REFEREE: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)

Team News

The Clare side named to face Antrim in Round One of the @AllianzIreland Football League in Corrigan Park on Sunday . Safe travels to our supporters making the trip . Tickets can be bought at https://t.co/gBKXy1CiCn

Up the Banner 🟡🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/7SrxBoSeem

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) January 24, 2025