Clare get some Croker joy with win over Sligo

Clare 1-11 Sligo 0-11

Before yesterday’s final against Sligo, the Banners hadn’t set foot on the Croke Park pitch since a league engagement back in 1993.

A year earlier was the occasion a Clare team had won a title of any description and their reward for breaking that 12-year drought is a trip to America in October. Not bad considering they only had to win two games to book their flights.

“To get to Croke Park for the first time in a dozen years is great exposure for this Clare team,” said manager John Kennedy afterwards. “We were disappointed with some of our league performances although we picked it up a bit in the championship.”

Both sides struggled for shape and pattern early on, though Clare had the majority of the first half’s bright moments, despite the delay in the opening exchanges after their corner back Dara Blake was stretchered off.

Midfielder Ger Quinlan opened the scoring for Clare before veteran Dennis Russell slotted over a superb point after eight minutes.

Sligo’s response centred in the main on the free-taking skills of Paul Taylor who finished the half with three dead balls to his name. In fact, his partner in the full-forward line John McPartland was the only Sligo man to score from play in the opening 35 minutes.

Contrast that with Clare who managed a tally of 1-7 in that period, all of it from open play in unfavourable conditions. Quinlan and corner forward Rory Donnelly notched up a pair of points apiece in that time, with Odhran O’Dwyer bagging the goal.

That came on 26 minutes, gift-wrapped by Sligo keeper James Curran. David Russell lobbed a speculative point attempt towards goal, which Curran gathered with ease, but his attempted fist pass to Nigel Clancy was intercepted on the edge of the small square by O’Dwyer. It’s importance was underlined less than a minute later when Sligo’s Adrian Marren smacked the ball off the Clare crossbar from the tightest of angles.

That left it 1-6 to 0-3 before the sides scored a point apiece from play.

Unfortunately, the game took a turn for the worse after the interval with both teams making errors although Michael O’Shea hit Clare’s first point from a free after 39 minutes.

The next ten minutes was utterly forgettable stuff but then Sligo stepped on the gas. Sloyan, promoted to free-taking duty after Taylor’s substitution on 47 minutes, knocked over three in a row before substitute David Colleary arrowed a point to narrow the margin to a very manageable two.

It was nip and tuck for a while after that and Clare can thank their lucky stars for O’Shea who knocked over three points in the second half to keep their noses in front. Sloyan reduced the arrears to two again with four minutes to play before, fittingly, Denis Russell wrapped up the scoring with a beauty of a point from the 45 line.

“We knew Sligo would come back at us in the second half and they did,” said Kennedy. “Everyone wants to win a final when they get there and there were some hard tackles in there, some great scores. It was a real 20-man effort out there today.

“We beat them in Cusack Park in the qualifiers but I think we might have caught them on the hop that day. They hit the crossbar at one stage there as well so we maybe got the rub of the green but we’ll take it. Clare don’t win too many trophies.”

CLARE: D O’Brien; P Gallagher, C Whelan, D Blake; A Clohessy, N Griffin, R Slattery; David Russell, G Quinlan (0-2); Denis Russell (0-2), S Hickey, M O’Shea (0-4, 2f); E Coughlan, O O’Dwyer (1-1), R Donnelly (0-2).

Subs: D Kelly for Blake 4 mins, S O’Meara for Hickey 44, David Russell (Clarecastle) for David Russell (St Senan’s, Kilkee) 57, D O’Sullivan for Coughlan 60, E Talty for Griffin 60.

SLIGO: J Curran; C Neary, N Clancy, N Carew; R Kean, N McGuire, K O’Neill; G Maye, S Davey; B Curran, P Taylor (0-3f), K Quinn; J McPartland (0-2), D Sloyan (0-5f), A Marren.

Subs: K Gallagher for O’Neill 35+4, T Taylor for Carew 43, D Colleary (0-1) for P Taylor 47, M Munds for Marren 61, B McDonagh for Curran 68.

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).