This article is from page 66 of the 2011-10-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 66 JPG
Limerick 4 – Clare 0 at Jackman Park, Limerick
WHERE there’s football there’s hope but Clare’s hopes of mounting any sort of campaign in this year’s blue riband of inter-league fare is already hanging by a thread after they were comprehensively taken apart by an impressive Treaty side on Wednesday evening.
They were in this game for most of the first half but the hammer blow of the concession of a second goal just before the interval was the hammer blow from which their challenge never recovered.
And it was a tough call on Clare that paved the way for that Alan Barry’s goal that effectively killed the game as a contest.
Up to that Clare were in this game, after opening brightly when they should have taken the lead after six minutes when Daryl Eade but the speedy Eoin Hayes through on goal, only for his shot to go the wrong side of the post.
Indeed, there was no beating Limerick keeper Gary Neville on the night – Hayes shot straight at him on 24 minutes, while he then made brilliant save to thwart Dave McCarthy on 37 minutes, before Ian Barnes scrambled the ball away to safety.
By this stage Clare a goal adrift when they were hit by a breakaway goal from the home side on 17 minutes. Moving at pace from defence they opened up Clare’s rearguard with John Tierney applying the final strike from just inside the area.
They could have been two adrift on 30 minutes, with Darren Cullinan making a crucial interception to save what looked to be a certain goal, while John Healy was alert to danger in the 33rd minute when opportunity again knocked for the home side.
However, it was a case of what might have been before the break for Clare – on 42 minutes Eoin Hayes had another chance, but again Neville stood firm, while Colm Ryan’s charges had that sinking feeling right on the stroke of half-time when Alan Barry’s header from a controversially awarded free kick on the edge of the area put
They needed an early strike in the second half to have any chance, but instead it came down the other end when Shane Clarke was composure personified in the box when finding himself in space, coolly slotting past Healy on 56 minutes.
It was damage limitation from there until the finish – to that end they succeeded until being hit for a fourth in the 92nd minute when Conor Kavanagh completed Limerick’s impressive campaign opener.
Clare now entertain Galway at the County Ground on October 22 next, with victory now a must if they are to entertain any hopes of advancing in the competition.
Clare
John Healy (Avenue Utd), Matty Nugent (Avenue Utd), Darren Cullinan (Newmarket Celtic), Darren Murphy (Bridge Utd), David Russell (Avenue Utd) (Capt), Packie Darcy (Lifford), Darryl Eade (EnnisTown Rock), David McCarthy (Avenue Utd), Colin Ryan (Newmarket Celtic), Eoin Hayes (Newmarket Celtic), Jay Regan (Shannon Olympic)