*Photograph: Martin Connolly
Clare’s senior footballers championship campaign for 2021 has ended after their first outing.
Kerry 3-22
Clare 1-11
Venue: Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney
Played with the resplendent backdrop of Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, this was always going to be a steep mountain to climb to cause one of the biggest sporting shocks of the year. This task was made far more difficult through their high error count in the opening occasion which gifted the hosts 1-05 in the first half.
Of their twelve championship clashes at Fitzgerald Stadium, Kerry have only failed to win once, the exception being the 1950 draw when two goals from PJ Lynch earned Clare a share of the spoils as it finished 2-03 1-06.
Margins were much looser on Saturday evening when Kerry despite not setting the world alight managed to produce a 17 point win.
As they began to move through the gears early, Kerry created a five point advantage in the opening seven minutes, the first four scores coming via the boots of Sean O’Shea.
Injury to Cathal O’Connor saw him limp off the field on fourteen minutes, Kildysart’s Emmet McMahon registered Clare’s opening score of the quarter-final with his first touch. The water break two minutes later saw Cillian Rouine replace Conall Ó hÁiniféin.
Led by captain Eoin Cleary who fired three points, Clare did their bit at cutting the gap. However, overcooked passes and turnovers mounted to allow Kerry to keep their account ticking over, predominantly through the Clifford brothers.
Of the more costly mistakes would be a Conor Jordan pass that went straight to Paudie Clifford, he quickly spotted a free Sean O’Shea and the lively attacker was not going to pass up the opportunity when left one on one with Stephen Ryan.
It was at the other end where the next score came from Podge Collins but Kerry duly replied through the Cliffords to hold a 1-11 0-05 lead at half-time. A hamstring injury would see Collins substituted at half time.
Although the visitors scored one more point than Peter Keane’s charges in the third quarter, substitutes from the Kerry sideline were understandably eager to make an impression and that they did to extend the distance as the tie progressed.
Clare’s cohort of supporters got to put their vocal chords in the second half when David Tubridy goaled on sixty two minutes. Eoin Cleary caught a Stephen Ryan kickout before linking up with Keelan Sexton who found Darragh Bohannon before offloading to Tubridy and he calmly but expertly finished to the net.
In a classic case of ‘anything you can do I can do better’, Kerry would see out the game by firing two more goals, one an absolute belter from David Clifford in what was his last involvement while Micheál Burns sealed the deal with the final score of the evening.
After their shock loss to Cork in last year’s provincial championship, the odds of a premature Kerry elimination two years on the trot were always going to be slim. Undoubtedly the more superior of the two counties, they will require considerable improvement if they are to have a say in how the All-Ireland championship concludes. On a brighter note for the Kingdom as they maintained their 26 year unbeaten championship run at Killarney was the impact of their subs particularly Killian Spillane. Sean O’Shea, Gavin White and Paudie Clifford were best for the winners.
While it was the first time since 1950 that Clare scored a goal against Kerry in Killarney in the championship, the outcome regrettably was not one for the history books. The first half error count and the suckerpunch of O’Shea’s goal really hindered their cause. Sean Collins was the top performer for the Banner County who are hard done by not to have a chance to bounce back in the qualifiers.
Scorers for Kerry: Seán O’Shea 1-7 (0-3f), David Clifford 1-6 (0-2f), Micheál Burns 1-0, Killian Spillane 0-3, Gavin White, Paudie Clifford 0-2 each, David Moran, Paul Geaney 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: Eoin Cleary 0-6 (0-2f), David Tubridy 1-1 (0-1f), Darragh Bohannon 0-2, Podge Collins, Emmet McMahon 0-1 each.
Kerry:
1: Kieran Fitzgibbon (Kenmare Shamrocks)
2: Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht)
3: Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
4: Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5: Mike Breen (Beaufort)
6: Gavin Crowley (Templenoe)
7: Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8: David Moran (Kerins O’Rahillys)
9: Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil)
10: Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare)
11: Sean O’Shea (Kenmare)
12: Paul Geaney (Dingle)
13: David Clifford (Fossa)
14: Dara Moynihan (Spa)
15: Paudie Clifford (Fossa)
Subs:
16: Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
17: Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)
18: Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
19: Paul Murphy (Rathmore)
20: Killian Spillane (Templenoe)
21: Tommy Walsh (Kerins O’Rahillys)
22: Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
23: Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes)
24: Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses)
25: Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes)
26: Jack Sherwood (Firies)
Clare:
1: Stephen Ryan (Kilrush Shamrocks)
5: Cian O’Dea (Kilfenora)
2: Ciaran Russell (Éire Óg)
3: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
21: Conor Jordan (Austin Stacks)
6: Sean Collins (Cratloe)
20: Conall Ó hÁiniféin (Éire
8: Darren O’Neill (Éire Óg)
12: Darragh Bohannon (Shannon Gaels)
10: Pearse Lillis (Cooraclare)
11: Eoin Cleary (St Josephs Miltown)
17: Podge Collins (Cratloe)
13: Gavin Cooney (Éire Óg)
9: Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen)
15: David Tubridy (Doonbeg)
Subs:
23: Emmet McMahon (Kildysart) for O’Connor
24: Cillian Rouine (Ennistymon) for Ó hAiniféin
14: Joe McGann (St Breckans)
7: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
16: Tom O’Brien (St Josephs Doora/Barefield)
18: Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil)
19: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
4: Eoghan Collins (Ballyhaunis)
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo)
