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2025 Allianz Football League Division 3 – Clare 1-17 Fermanagh 1-15

February 16 @ 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Clare defeated Fermanagh by 1-17 to 1-15 in Round 3 of the 2025 Allianz Football League Division 3 on Sunday February 16th at Cusack Park Ennis.

Emmet McMahon-inspired Clare boost promotion hopes against Fermanagh

Report by Eoin Brennan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

AFL Division 3: Clare 1-17 (1-2-13) Fermanagh 1-15 (1-1-13)

It’s not even the midway mark of the league campaign but already this felt like a seismic victory in the race to emerge from the ranks of Division 3 in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon.

With early flawless tabletoppers Kildare and Offaly setting a scorching pace, Clare and Fermanagh both needed to back up their first wins a fortnight earlier just to even remain in the chasing pack. And having led for two-thirds of the tie, Peter Keane’s side just about merited that honour, thanks in the main to a handsome ten point haul from the ever-impressive Emmet McMahon.

‘Just about’ being the most significant phrase as Fermanagh looked to have snatched what would have been a spectacular last gasp equaliser when Declan McCusker unleashed an inspirational attempt for a two-pointer in the 73rd minute.

With a sizeable wind at his back, the captain initially appeared to divide the spoils, only for the ball to canon off both the post and then crossbar before nestling perfectly into the relieved arms of home defender Ikem Uqwueru.

Clare had got out of jail which only made the final whistle even more joyous as it was the first time since last St Patrick’s weekend that the Banner had accomplished back-to-back competitive wins.

It initially appeared a more straight-forward task when racing out of the blocks to raid for 1-2 within the first six minutes of the throw-in. Emmet McMahon setting the tone with a brace of points to sandwich an opportunist goal for wing-back Alan Sweeney, his second in as many home games, to power the home side five clear.

Down the other end, the Banner frustrated Fermanagh’s early efforts, with Cillian Rouine getting a vital hand in to prevent Darragh McGurn from shooting at goal while Declan McCusker’s rebound was deflected for a ’45 that drifted wide.

Indeed, it took Kieran Donnelly’s side a full eleven minutes to open their account albeit that they did quickly make up for lost ground as Josh Largo Elis, Fionan O’Brien and Garvan Jones grabbed three points in just two minutes to slash the arrears to just two.

Persistence also paid off for Fermanagh’s equalising goal at the start of the second quarter as O’Brien’s point attempt looked to be going wide until Ronan McCaffrey kept it in at the back post before offloading to midfielder Joe McDade to fire to the net at 1-3 apiece.

Considering the strength of the wind, Clare looked to be in trouble but would be rescued by the new rules that saw chief marksmen Emmet McMahon and Eoin Cleary convert two point frees from either wing to ensure a 1-9 to 1-6 half-time edge for the Banner.

That cushion would be needed as within seven minutes of the resumption, Fermanagh would arrow over a first two-pointer of their own through Josh Largo Elis to wrestle back the ascendency at 1-11 to 1-10.

It should have been the catalyst for a wind-assisted Fermanagh to push on but instead Emmet McMahon’s defiance ensured that it would be the final time that the Ulster side would lead as Clare excelled with seven of the next ten points, three from the Kildysart star.

His final score from the left corner would put Clare three clear at 1-17 to 1-14 by the 70th minute but it still was sufficient to deter a relentless Fermanagh who lowered the arrears to two through substitute Sean Cassidy before McCusker would be agonisingly denied by two posts at the death.

It really was the quintessential game of inches.

Scorers for Clare: E McMahon 0-10 (1tpf, 2f); E Cleary 0-4 (1tpf, 1f); A Sweeney 1-0; C Downes 0-2; B McNamara 0-1

Scorers for Fermanagh: G Jones 0-4 (2f); J Largo Elis 0-3 (1tp); J McDade 1-0; F O’Brien 0-2 (1f); R McCaffrey, P Breen, R Lyons, D McGurn, C Love, S Cassidy 0-1 each

CLARE: E Tubridy; M Doherty, C Brennan, C Rouine; C McGroary, S McAllister, A Sweeney; I Ugwueru, B McNamara; D Walsh, E Cleary, C Downes; E McMahon, A Griffin, K Sexton
Subs: C Meaney for Walsh (ht), E Cahill for McGroary (49), C Murray for Sexton (65), D Burns for Griffin (71)

FERMANAGH: R Bogue; L Cullen, C Cullen, R McCaffrey; F O’Brien, P Breen, J Cassidy; J McDade, D McGurn; S McGullion, D McCusker, J Largo Elis; R Lyons, G Jones, C Love
Subs: D King for McCaffrey (26-32, BS), S Cassidy for Lyons (57)

Referee: C Ryan (Galway)

Team News

Details

Date:
February 16
Time:
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Venue

Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA