In a game that saw the sides level five times, Limerick came out on top with three of the last four points against a Clare side that had to wait until the second half for their first score from play.

Joe Ó Muircheartaigh Clare SFC final replay

Champions St Joseph’s are 60 minutes away from retaining their title after a semi-final victory over Doonbeg at Cusack Park on Saturday.

A 70th minute Keelan Sexton goal preserved Clare’s Division 2 status and, in the process, condemned both Cork and Tipperary to Division 3 football next spring.

Rory Gallagher isn’t shying away from it. Five games into a division they were favourites to be relegated from, unbeaten Fermanagh took another big step towards a fairytale promotion at Brewster Park yesterday and their manager isn’t blinking at the bright lights ahead.

Colm Collins blamed a frozen pitch in Páirc Esler for the horrific ankle injury sustained by Dermot Coughlan, while Kieran McGeeney was unhappy three key decisions went against Armagh in an action-packed Division Two draw in Newry.

Clare needed every one of their 20 scores to edge out a valiant Offaly side that refused to give in.

CLARE 3-12 LOUTH 1-11: Clare maintained their Allianz Football League Division 2 status, with a merited win over bottom side Louth at Cusack Park Ennis yesterday.

University of Limerick 2-13 Cork Institute of Technology 1-11... UL’s growing reputation as a football stronghold was further enhanced yesterday as the Limerick university sealed a fourth successive Sigerson Cup quarter-final appearance.

A strong closing quarter booked UL their spot in the quarter-finals of the Sigerson Cup.

Clare 1-12 Cavan 2-9: A pointed free by Cavan full-forward Bryan Magee two minutes into extr- time shared the spoils on league opening day. But Clare will feel they left this Division 2 tie behind them.

UCC 0-12 - UL 0-10: UCC narrowly defeated UL in an entertaining HE GAA Senior Football League Division 1 final at the Mardyke yesterday. 

Mayo's up and down summer continues as a determined second-half showing at Ennis progressed Stephen Rochford’s side into the fourth round of qualifiers.

Kerry ... 1-17, Clare ... 2-8: Kerry will play Waterford in the Munster U21 football semi-final next Wednesday after this less than convincing quarter-final win over Clare, reports Eoghan Cormican from Austin Stack Park.

Galway 3-13 Clare 1-11: It’s six years since Galway lost their top flight status and while they are now in the driving seat to make a return, manager Kevin Walsh is not getting too excited just yet.

Tyrone chairperson Roisin Jordan has insisted the county executive is fully behind Mickey Harte and his team, and fully supportive of their efforts to win a first All-Ireland title since 2008.

Allianz FL Division 2

Alan and Donncha O’Connor have committed to the Cork football squad for 2017, selector Eoin O’Neill has confirmed.

Kilmurry Ibrickane 2-13 Cratloe 0-6: A powerful second-half performance saw Kilmurry Ibrickane claim their 11th Clare SFC title in front of a crowd of 3,722 at Cusack Park, Ennis.

Clare made a little bit of history in Salthill this afternoon.

Clare only led once in this qualifier, but they hit the front when it mattered most, landing a winner as the game slipped into stoppage time to crown a great weekend for the Banner County.

Clare 2-17 Kildare 1-19: The joy was evident and there were plenty celebrations but perhaps the most notable aspect of this historic victory for Clare was the absence of delirium.

Clare produced a rousing finish to beat Kildare in a high-scoring Allianz Football League Division 3 final at Croke Park.

Kildare 0-22 Clare 1-14: Despite losing out to Kildare in a high-octane shootout, Clare will still join their conquerors in Division 2 next year.

Clare 1-20 Longford 1-9: Clare’s promotion aspirations are still on track after a merited 11-point win over visitors Longford at Cusack Park, Ennis yesterday.

Offaly 0-15 Clare 1-11: Offaly added their name to the shortlist of Division 3 promotion candidates yesterday when they overcame the concession of a late Eoin Cleary goal to snatch the last score of an entertaining contest against Clare at O’Connor Park.

Limerick 0-11 Clare 1-14: When the sides met in last year’s National Football League, Limerick pulled themselves out of a four-game losing streak to kickstart an unlikely Division Three survival with a double-scores victory. Sadly for them, history did not repeat itself yesterday as they were brushed aside far more comprehensively by Clare than the final margin of six points suggests.

Tipperary 2-7 Clare 1-7: Tipperary emerged from a game their manager Liam Kearns aptly described as a “war of attrition” to claim their first victory of the season in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League.

McGrath Cup - Clare 0-12 Kerry 0-9: Paul Galvin will not be returning to the Kerry football set-up for the season ahead, manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice confirmed yesterday evening.

Clare 1-10 Tipperary 1-9: A late goal by local star Kieran Malone earned Clare victory over Tipperary in the opening round of the McGrath Cup yesterday.

Tipperary 0-16 Clare 2-9: Brendan Martin shattered Clare’s dreams of a first Electric Ireland Munster Minor football final appearance in 21 years at Semple Stadium last night.

Clare 2-11 Limerick 0-5: Clare qualified for a semi-final spot in the Munster MFC against Tipperary on May 13 after ousting Limerick at Cusack Park, Ennis last evening.