Clare enjoy solid victory over Wexford

Clare 1-16 Wexford 0-5: Allianz Football League Division 3: Promoted Clare got their Division 3 campaign off to a winning start at Miltown Malbay yesterday, easily dismissing the challenge of Wexford by 14 points.

The visitors played with 14 men for virtually the entire second half, after team captain Ciaran Lyng was shown red for an off-the-ball incident involving Clare defender Dean Ryan.

But Banner boss Colm Collins wasn’t reading too much into the large winning margin.

“Fair is fair. David (Power, Wexford manager) is only after taking over that team, so it’s going to take him a while to get his stamp on them. I suppose if you were ever going to play Wexford, the first game was the game to play them. I believe they will improve with time and by the time the end of the league comes, they will be a formidable force. Wexford are in a complete stage of transition.”

The home side lead 0-8 to 0-3 at the break, playing an attractive brand of football in that opening half. Wexford’s ill-discipline at the back allowed Clare’s ace free-taker David Tubridy score five first-half points, four from placed balls. At the other end, Wexford struggled to score from distance and on at least three occasions kicked short into keeper Joe Hayes’ arms. Hayes also brought off fine saves late in the half from Kevin O’Grady and Ben Brosnan.

But the turning point of the game came in the thirty-ninth minute when Lyng was dismissed and teammates Paddy Byrne and Simon Donohue received black cards.

Clare finished in style when former Dublin footballer Pat Burke found the back of the net from a hand-pass by sub Martin O’Leary.

Scorers for Clare: D Tubridy 0-10 (0-7f), P Burke 1-2, J Malone, S Brennan, S Hickey, G Brennan 0-1 each.

Scores for Wexford:B Brosnan 0-2, K O’Grady 0-2 (0-1f), C Lyng 0-1f.

CLARE: J Hayes, M McMahon, D Ryan, Stephen Collins, C Russell, G Kelly, J Malone, G Brennan (Capt.) C O’Connor, Sean Collins, S Hickey, S McGrath, D Tubridy, S Brennan, P Burke.

Subs: K Sexton for McGrath (52), M O’Leary for Hickey (56), D Nagle for Russell (59), D McDonagh for O’Connor (64), C Dunning for Ryan (64), S Haugh for Malone (69).

WEXFORD: S Roche, P O’Keeffe, J Breen, M Furlong, J Wadding, R Tierney, T Rossiter, P Byrne, C Kehoe, D Murphy, A Flynn, K O’Grady, D Flood, C Lyng (Capt.), B Brosnan.

Subs: S Donohue for Rossiter (26), E Nolan for Murphy, B Malone for Flynn, J Holmes for Flood, (all half-time), G Carty for Byrne (39) B/C, P Kelly for Donohue (39) B/C

Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).