'Big names with no games': Clare edging towards the drop after defeat to Wexford
Tony Kelly scored 1-3 for the Banner in the opening 13 minutes against Wexford but the reigning league and All-Ireland champions were unable to sustain that pace. Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
Defending Division 1A champions Clare are starring down the barrel of demotion to the second tier after being deservedly overturned by Wexford in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.
With both sides craving a first victory of 2025, it was Keith Rossiter’s side that clearly demonstrated the superior battling qualities required for a relegation battle to complete an eleven point turnaround in front of 4,641 in Ennis.
“I knew it was in them," admitted Rossiter afterwards. “From the way we trained and everything, I knew it was in them so I was unhappy for them that they just hadn’t put a performance together in the first three games.
“So this was a great win up here in Ennis as any day you come up here and win is massive. It gives us something to build on now so I’m delighted for the boys.”
The return of last summer’s All-Ireland winning protagonists Tony Kelly, John Conlon, David Fitzgerald and Mark Rodgers for their first starts offered renewed hope that Clare could finally kickstart their title defence.
And it seemed to initially impact as Kelly raided for 1-3 inside the first 13 minutes including a goal after only 90 seconds to power the home side into an early five point cushion.
However, the Banner were unable to sustain that level of intensity as Wexford would outscore their hosts by 1-18 to 0-11 for the final 50 minutes of the tie.
“We probably had big names with no games so no matter who you are, if you’re not match fit, you’re probably going to struggle at times," said Clare sector Ken Ralph.
“I thought we started fine and did everything we needed to do against the wind but there was no excuse in the second half as Wexford just outfought us, outworked us, won more breaking ball than us, won more turnovers than us and for a finish they were just running through us so they were just better than us on the day, in the second half especially.
“Maybe our injuries came back to bite us a small bit today. We have a big injury list and have a lot of guys with varying degrees of training done on the field today so I’d have to think that the way it faded out was possibly a big factor today.”
Another pivotal ingredient was the return of Wexford talisman Lee Chin who along with scoring five points were hugely influential over the 70 minutes along with Cian Byrne’s nine point haul from frees.
“You need someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck and the personality he is, his physicality, experience and cool head he provides for the young players around him is invaluable," Rossiter said of Chin.
“I still think it was the workmanlike intensity they brought that was key to this win.”
It certainly was with Byrne (2) and Chin regaining full parity by the 23rd minute before the wind-assisted visitors made a decisive break for the dressing rooms with the last four points of the half through Kevin Foley, Cian Byrne, Seamus Casey and Chin at 0-15 to 1-09.
Aidan McCarthy’s placed balls lessened the damage to the minimum on the resumption but Clare could never get on level terms and instead would be floored by a Seamus Casey goal at the turn of the final quarter.
Rory Hayes had denied Kevin Foley a goal in the 48th minute and would again come to Clare’s rescue three minutes later when blocking Casey’s initial attempt. However, the Oylegate-Glenbrien forward would be no mistake on the rebound which flew past Quilligan at 1-17 to 1-13.
Surprisingly there would be no revolt or even murmurings of one as despite facing only 14 players for the last eight minutes, the Banner appeared decidedly war-weary.
Goalkeeper Quilligan produced a superb point blank save to deny Cian Byrne whose pulled rebound caught Darragh Lohan instead of the ball, resulting in a straight red card for Wexford’s full-forward.
It wouldn’t affect the narrative or the final margin as Wexford secured a third consecutive league victory in Ennis but regardless of Sunday’s result, both sides are still favourites for the drop.
C Byrne 0-9 (6f, 2’65); S Casey 1-3; L Chin 0-5 (2f); R Lawlor, C Dunbar 0-2 each; J Redmond, K Foley 0-1 each
A McCarthy 0-8 (7f, 1’65); T Kelly 1-4; R Taylor, I Macnamara, P Crotty, D Reidy, R Mounsey 0-1 each
M Fanning; C Foley, S Donohue, E Ryan; R Lawlor, D Reck, C McGuckin; C Hearne, C Dunbar; J O’Connor, J Redmond, L Chin; K Foley, C Byrne, S Casey
S Roche for Redmond (51), S Reck for Roche (68), T Kinsella for Casey (74)
E Quilligan; R Hayes, D Lohan, I Macnamara; C Galvin, J Conlon, A Hogan; C Malone, R Taylor; D Fitzgerald, M Rodgers, P Crotty; T Kelly, A McCarthy, D Reidy
R Hayes for Conlon (40), P Donnellan for Malone (45), R Mounsey for Fitzgerald (56), A Shanagher for Rodgers (62), C Leen for Lohan (67, inj)
T Gleeson (Dublin)
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