*Ikem Ugwueru in possession. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLARE’s senior footballers staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Laois by four points and more importantly keep their bid for promotion on track.
Clare 2-22
Laois 1-21
Venue: Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise
Trailing by five points with twenty two minutes to play, Clare produced a stirring final quarter to emerge victorious in Portlaoise.
Kicking five points without reply from the sixty third minute onwards, the Banner marched to victory to ensure it will go down to the final round to determine if they are promoted.
Several players came to the fore in this period, Emmet McMahon chief among them where he stepped with two vital points while Brian McNamara was streets apart in fielding possession, indeed the midfielder was the one to stick Clare in front on sixty seven minutes while substitute Darragh Burns and Eoin Cleary also chipped in during this scoring spree.
After producing a blistering start to the first half, Clare really faded out of the tie and allowed Laois to dominate in all sectors while failing to score for a period of twelve minutes in the opening half.
Just before the sounding of the half time whistle, Laois struck for a killer blow but they were aided by a sleepy Banner defence. Josh Hogan’s effort dropped short but Ronan Coffey was left unmarked and when given the opportunity he duly obliged to flick it beyond Eamon Tubridy and into the back of the net.
Coffey’s major came in response to a well-taken Ciaran Downes score, the Kilmihil man curling an effort off his right book boot to reduce the deficit to three points before Coffey caught a sleepy Clare.
Dermot Coughlan was introduced at half time with Connor Meaney making way while management also worked to lessen Mark Barry’s influence with Manus Doherty assigned to the sharpshooter to relieve Cillian Rouine.
Laois kicked the first two points of the second half but three Emmet McMahon scores on the bounce reduced the arrears to three on forty one minutes.
Cooraclare’s very own Killian Roche was lining out between the posts for Laois, he landed his second two pointer of the evening to make it 1-17 1-12 on forty eight minutes. Mark McInerney and McMahon nailed placed balls to bring it back to three only for Barry to slot a free at the other end.
Wing back Alan Sweeney nailed himself as Clare’s top goal scorer thus far in the league when raising his third green flag on fifty six minutes, palming a well-worked team move to the net. The Doolin man also stepped up before his substitution with an excellent catch to lift the die-hard Banner supporters in Portlaoise.
Aaron Griffin was another to give his best league performance and he was among the shooters to help Clare pack a punch in the final quarter, kicking two from play before McMahon, McNamara, Burns and Cleary added to the Clare tally.
It all comes down to the final round now for Clare when they welcome Mickey Harte’s Offaly to Ennis, they now they have a nice bit to work on but are moving in the right direction and will take huge momentum from the manner of this great escape.
Scorers Clare: E McMahon (0-7 4f), A Griffin (1-4), E Cleary (0-3 2f), M McInerney (0-3 2’45), A Sweeney (1-0), B McNamara (0-1), D Burns (0-1)
Scorers Laois: M Barry (0-8 3f), K Roche (0-4 2TFP), B Byrne (0-3 1TP), R Coffey (1-0), N Corbet (0-2), C Heffernan (0-1), D Larkin (0-1), K Swayne (0-1), J Hogan (0-1)
Clare:
1: Eamon Tubridy (Doonbeg)
2: Cillian Rouine (Ennistymon)
3: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
4: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
5: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
6: Fionn Kelleher (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
7: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
8: Connor Meaney (Lissycasey)
9: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
10: Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil)
11: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
12: Keelan Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
13: Mark McInerney (Éire Óg)
14: Emmet McMahon (Kildysart)
15: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
Subs:
18: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Meaney (HT)
22: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for McMahon (45) (blood)
McMahon for Downes (52)
21: Darragh Burns (Doonbeg) for Sexton (56)
17: Ronan Lanigan (Éire Óg) for Kelleher (66)
23: Shane Griffin (Lissycasey) for Sweeney (69)
Referee: David Murnane (Cork)
