Allianz Football League Division Three, round three
Clare v Fermanagh (Sunday, Cusack Park, 1:30pm)
“I’ve never witnessed anything as bad as last Saturday and that’s coming from South Kerry where we generally play our regional championships in November and December.”
Even after a win over Leitrim in round two, a first round defeat in Antrim still wrangled with Peter Keane. The 1-9 to 1-6 reversal was far from pretty given the conditions, the FRC’s new rule amendments failing to make their way to the serenity of the eye of the storm.
Wherever that eye was, it wasn’t in Corrigan Park, and a few missed goal chances would have made Clare’s trip home that little bit longer.
Anything but a win would have raised alarm bells against Leitrim, with Keane emphasising the importance of two points at home. Job done and a Kerry yerra perhaps, but a cliché is only a cliché because it’s true.
And it remains true as Fermanagh venture from the River Shannon’s Pot on the Cavan border down to its mouth on the Clare-Limerick boundary in search of their own flow and early season momentum.
They will hope to reflect on the Kildare performance as an outlier, and while Brian Flanagan’s side will take plaudits in the likely case they get promoted, they shouldn’t have ever stooped so low.
Home wins have been the plat du jour as far as Fermanagh and Clare have been concerned, with Garvan Jones star of the show as The Erne men battled past Antrim on a scoreline of 2-16 3-12.
The Derrygonnelly star has recently transferred to Leitrim Gaels alongside brothers Ryan and Conall, having amassed 22 Fermanagh SFC titles between them.
Though a blow to the club scene, manager Kieran Donnelly will be keen to keep one of his star men firing in a green shirt, and speaking to The Irish News earlier this week, he was impressed with what he saw in Brewster Park:
“When you lose your first game the next game becomes even more important. There was never going to be anything between us, but Garvan really stepped up.
“It was a home game and we needed to win.”
Donnelly namechecked Keelan Sexton, Emmett McMahon and Eoin Cleary as threats to his rearguard, with brothers Lee and Che Cullen remaining crucial assets in the full-back line.
Both Cleary and McMahon returned for The Banner against Leitrim, while goalscorer Ikem Ugwueru has gone from strength to strength at wing-back.
The midfield battle will be key, and it is notable the fit-again Darragh McGurn has been operating in a much deeper role while still contributing to the scoreboard.
Clare don’t look like any great shakes right now. If Fermanagh gain parity or better on breaking ball, this one is there for them.