*Dermot Coughlan is challenged. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s senior footballers will be playing in Division 3 for a third season in succession, their five point win over Offaly was not sufficient to see them promoted to the second tier.
Clare 2-14
Offaly 2-9
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg, Ennis
Kildare and Offaly secure promotion to Division 2, Clare may have beaten both of them in this year’s Allianz National Football League but paid the price for away defeats to Antrim and Sligo which ultimately came back to bite them.
A ten point win was needed by Clare to secure promotion, provided Kildare accounted for Offaly. A wasteful first half display where Clare kicked eleven wides and coughed up two goal chances. There was an attendance of 2,176 in Ennis for the tie, the largest crowd for a home fixture involving Peter Keane’s side in 2025.
Aaron Griffin scored two second half goals for Clare on a day when Cillian Rouine really settled into the role of centre back.
Of concern to Clare will be losing their two most experienced forwards, Keelan Sexton (back) and Eoin Cleary (ribs) to injury.
Starting with great gusto, Clare were two points in front by the tenth minute and were intent on creating chances, regrettably they were not so efficient at taking them and they racked up eleven wides in the opening half, six of which were potential two pointers.
By the eleventh minute, Offaly went in front and they maintained the lead until Griffin’s goal on sixty five minutes. It was a green flag which put the visitors in the ascendancy, Jordan Hayes’ delivery dropped short and full-forward Jack Bryant was on hand to palm to the net, the goal was all too similar to Laois’ first half goal from Ronan Coffey last weekend.
Bryant’s goal put a pin in the balloon of an energetic Clare start and enabled Offaly to take control, they popped over 1-2 without reply and within the space of five minutes when from two points down to three points up.
Before Offaly raided for goal, the hosts had two goal chances of their own, Keelan Sexton’s shot went wide on seven minutes after Dermot Coughlan and Cillian Rouine combined to tee him up while Emmet McMahon had his shot saved by Paddy Dunican on nine minutes.
Wides continued to mount from Clare in the second quarter as they attempted to convert two pointed efforts. There was certainly enough chances to forge their required ten point lead but even the upright got in their way stopping Brian McNamara’s shot on thirty two minutes.
Offaly closed out the half with another unanswered run of 1-2, Cathal Flynn raiding for the goal after he was provided with the pass by Keith O’Neill to give them a five point advantage at the interval.
Word reached the Clare dressing room that Antrim were putting it up to Kildare in Newbridge, the Saffrons led 0-14 0-9, an outcome that suited the Banner if they were to prevail in Ennis.
This can be credited with a lively start to proceedings on the restart where a reinvigorated Clare kicked four points without reply, two from Keelan Sexton with one each from Emmet McMahon and Cillian Rouine, the centre-back tearing off on a fine run before linking up with Brian McNamara and steadying himself in front of the posts.
Bryant and Sexton traded points as did Eoin Cleary and Paddy Dunican but the Offaly net minder’s effort was a two pointed free which made it 2-8 0-12 on forty six minutes.
Cleary and Mark McInerney split the posts and then Griffin pounced for his first goal after Darragh Burns’ garryowen like effort fell in his path. Cormac Murray was denied with a block soon after as Clare continued to produce a strong finish.
Griffin’s second goal was a tidy one and arose following another Rouine run through the spine of the Offaly defence. It secured a five point victory but one that was not enough to seal a return to the second tier for Clare.
Repeated errors were a big frustration for Clare but it was their wastefulness in the first half that was fatal to their promotion aim, that coupled with away losses to Antrim and Sligo. On a brighter note, a championship team is now a clearer picture with Emmet McMahon and Cillian Rouine settling well at midfield and centre-back, they were among Clare’s top performers along with Brian McNamara and Eoin Cleary.
Scorers for Clare: A Griffin (2-0); K Sexton (0-4, 0-1 ‘45), M McInerney (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45), E Cleary (0-4, 0-1 free); C Rouine, E McMahon (0-1 each).
Scorers for Offaly: J Furlong, C Flynn (1-0 each); P Dunican (tpf) J Bryant (0-2 each); K O’Neill, D Hyland, S Tierney, N Dunne (free), M Dalton (0-1 each).
Clare:
1: Eamon Tubridy (Doonbeg)
2: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
3: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
5: Ronan Lanigan (Éire Óg)
6: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
4: Cillian Rouine (Ennistymon)
7: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
8: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
14: Emmet McMahon (Kildysart)
13: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
12: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
9: Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil)
15: Keelan Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
11: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
10: Mark McInerney (Éire Óg)
Subs:
20: Darragh Burns (Doonbeg) for Sexton (54) (inj)
26: Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown) for Cleary (58) (inj)
23: Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Downes (67)
22: Shane Griffin (Lissycasey) for Sweeney (72)
21: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for McInerney (75)
Offaly
1: Paddy Dunican (Shamrocks)
5: Rory Egan (Edenderry)
2: Lee Pearson (Edenderry)
4: Daire McDaid (Tullamore)
7: Cormac Egan (Tullamore)
6: John Furlong (Tullamore)
3: Aidan Bracken (Ballycommon)
8: Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue)
9: Jordan Hayes (Edenderry)
18: Marcus Dalton (Clara)
11: Cathal Flynn (Ferbane)
12: Keith O’Neill (Clonbullogue)
13: Dylan Hyland (Raheen)
14: Jack Bryant (Shamrocks)
15: Shane Tierney (Daingean)
Subs:
24: Aaron Leavy (Tullamore) for Bracken (HT);
17: Ruairí McNamee (Rhode) for Dalton (59);
20: Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks) for C Egan (67).
Referee: David Hickey (Carlow)
