'A great battling victory': Clare maintain proud home league record with last gasp win

A late goal by Keelan Sexton gave Clare victory over Kildare and keeps them in the hunt for promotion to Division 2. 

AFL Division 3: Clare 2-12 (2-1-10) Kildare 0-16 (0-2-12)

Fortress Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg may not be a phrase that immediately rolls off the tongue but its sentiments certainly ring through as Clare spectacularly protected their two year unbeaten home league record with a last gasp winning goal on Sunday afternoon.

On the back of four consecutive victories, Kildare looked set to cement an immediate return to Division 2 when the excellent Alex Beirne converted his second two-pointer to inch his side one clear in the 71st minute.

However, Clare craved the points just as much to remain in the hunt for promotion and demonstrated that determination with a remarkable goal at the death through Keelan Sexton to keep their fate very much in their own hands with three matches remaining.

It secured a seventh consecutive home victory for the Banner dating back to 2023 and more significantly was a third home triumph in a row for Peter Keane’s new-look side.

“It was a great battling victory,” beamed the Kerry native. “The lads showed great spirit and heart today. Home advantage has to count and you need to be very, very strong at home as it means a lot to supporters.” 

The Clare half of the 1,827 attendance certainly left the Park satisfied after being in the ascendency for the majority of the tie including a third quarter in which they failed to register a score at all.

The foundations for victory were laid in an impressive wind-assisted opening half which was ignited by Eoin Cleary’s 16th minute goal after a superb run from Cillian Rouine and accentuated by a brace of two-pointers for Keelan Sexton.

Kildare did match Sexton’s first double with a like 50 metre free for Didier Cordonnier but Clare would be thankful to their own goalkeeper Eamon Turbidy for keeping out a late Alex Beirne shot to cling to a 1-9 to 0-6 interval advantage.

Beirne would lead an inevitable second half revival that eventually edged Kildare ahead for the first time in over 50 minutes in the final quarter.

However, first substitute Dermot Coughlan and then his former Kilmurry Ibrickane club-mate Sexton would provide the rousing resistance to spoil Kildare’s promotion party.

Scorers for Clare: K Sexton 1-4 (2tp); E Cleary 1-1 (1f); E McMahon 0-3 (2f); D Coughlan 0-2; B McNamara, A Griffin 0-1 each 

Scorers for Kildare: A Beirne 0-6 (2tp); C Bolton 0-3; D Cordonnier (1tpf), C Dalton, K Feely (1f) 0-2 each; B McCormack 0-1 

CLARE: E Tubridy; M Doherty, C Brennan, C Rouine; A Sweeney, F Kelleher, I Ugwueru; S McAllister, B McNamara; C Downes, E McMahon, C Meaney; K Sexton, E Cleary, A Griffin 

Subs: C Murray for Griffin (49), E Cahill for McAllister (52), D Walsh for Meaney (55), D Coughlan for Sweeney (62), M McInerney for Downes (71) 

KILDARE: D Cordonnier; R Burke, M O’Grady, B Byrne; J McKevitt, J McGrath, D Hyland; C Hagney, C Bolton; C Dalton, A Beirne, B McCormack; N Kelly, K Feely, D Swords 

Subs: B McLoughlin for Swords (29), H O’Neill for Hagney (HT), J Hyland for Kelly (45), R Sinkey for McCormack (52), D Flynn for Feely (70) 

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry)