Near-neighbours Clare and Limerick go toe-to-toe this Sunday in Round Six of the Allianz National Football League.
It is also a dress rehearsal ahead of the Munster Quarter-Final between the sides which will take place on May 23rd.
Clare vs Limerick 29/03/15 at 15:00 in Newcastlewest
Fifth place in Division Three is Clare’s current position with two wins and three defeats. The ratio of 2:3 is something that will not please those involved in Clare football. They didn’t aim to just make up the numbers in this Division, straightaway the goal was promotion and the Banner have failed in this regard. It was ambitious for Colm Collins to contemplate a successive promotion but ambition is a constant ingredient in winners and is an essential feature in all dressing-rooms.
While ambition exists in Clare football, too many other aspects are lacking in the side. Consistency is an area that Clare need to improve on, they have failed to reproduce successive strong performances in games to date as two games have yet to be won in a row. Similarly Clare cannot afford to fade out of the game for large spells which has been an undesirable feature of their performance. Last year in Division Four, Clare put four wins back-to-back before losing to Tipperary and then gaining two more consecutive victories. On the back of defeat to Armagh which destroyed any promotion hopes, Clare’s aim now has to be getting consecutive wins over Limerick this week and Fermanagh next weekend in Cusack Park but tied in with getting four points from four must be a strong consistent display.
For this weekend’s bout, Clare continue to be without Doonbeg’s David Tubridy who has yet to shake off a groin problem while Ciarán Russell is also unavailable having went over his ankle in Éire Óg’s Cusack Cup opener. Alan O’Neill is a long-term injury worry with a foot problem while St Josephs Miltown man Eoin Cleary is still recovering from an ankle operation. One of the major strengths of the Clare footballers this year is the standard of players on the panel. Even though Tubridy has proved to be a loss, it is the first time in decades that there are some of the best footballers in the County failing to make the starting fifteen.
Enda Coughlan is back in contention for the Banner having returned to action following a cruciate ligament injury, he got twenty minutes under his belt in action for Kilmurry/Ibrickane last weekend, but management may opt to introduce the experienced Coughlan later on in the game. With Russell ruled out at wing-back, Seán Haugh may get his first start of the NFL. Up front Cratloe’s Cathal McInerney has yet to be handed a starting jersey in Clare’s five games to date and he would certainly add some flair to the Clare attack. Clare Minor, Keelan Sexton is also very close to the Clare fifteen while Martin O’Leary has yet to reach the heights he scaled during the 2014 campaign. It’s a possibility that Clare may make a number of changes to the starting team to experiment with some players and there would be nothing wrong with this.
With only one win under their belt, it has been far from the splendid campaign for Limerick. That win came in the opening round of the NFL on February 1st beating Sligo 0-14 1-09. Four consecutive defeats have followed and just as their rankings in the Division Three table have slumped so too has the confidence in the Limerick camp. However, the Treaty County now find themselves with their backs to the wall needing to win on Sunday in order to stay in Division Three, if they lose Limerick will be relegated but a win could really propel their year and boost confidence in the camp. The position that Limerick now find themselves in puts them under pressure but it’s how they respond to that pressure which will ultimately see which Division they belong in.
Like their opponents on Sunday, one of the big problem areas with Limerick’s performances has been it hasn’t lasted for the full seventy minutes. When John Brudair’s men lose their grasp on the game, they pay the ultimate price as was the case in their Round Four defeat to Wexford when they led by two points with five minutes remaining but failed to close out the game. Also in that encounter, the dismissal of Seanie Buckley to a second yellow card affected the whole cohesion of the Limerick side, the resilience to bounce back immediately has been lacking with this side and if it is lacking at the weekend, it will prove to be very costly.
Dromcollogher/Broadford man John Brudair will welcome back marksman Ian Ryan to the Limerick starting fifteen for Sunday’s clash. Although Ryan’s match-fitness is not on par with the remainder of the panel, he looks set to get a starting berth as it is do or die for the side just two years out of the Division Four ranks. Experienced wing-back Pa Ranahan from Ballysteen is also set to return from injury along with Derry O’Connor. U21 duo Sean O’Dea and Cian Sheehan missed the nine point defeat to Fermanagh and the pair are both viable for selection in Newcastlewest on Sunday. This game is vital for Limerick and they will need on available ‘hands on deck’ to keep their hopes of avoiding the drop alive.
For Sunday’s clash; a number of factors will influence the result, but quiet simply the team that wants to win the most will win. Clare cannot become complacent despite the poor run of form Limerick have endured. Limerick’s discipline needs to be kept in check while they will need to cautious in front of goal. The last day out Clare conceded soft goals from turnovers out the field, what separated Clare and Armagh was goals, two of them to be precise. Both teams need to win, for Clare it secures Division Three status for 2015, for Limerick a defeat secures Division Four status for 2015. Out of the two teams Clare have showed the better form this year and one would expect them to show the better form again on Sunday.
Clare FM will have live updates of Sunday's clash brought to you in association with Westlink Cars Tuam Road, Galway.
