National Hurling League Division 1A Relegation Play-Off

CLARE 3-18 DUBLIN 0-19

By Eoin Brennan in Cusack Park, Ennis

Holders Clare will remain in the top tier of the National Hurling League for 2018 after a strong second half display saw them overturn Dublin on home soil this afternoon.

Fortunate to be only trailing by two points at half-time, the Banner County, backed by a crowd of 7,276, raced out of the blocks on the restart, with goals from John Conlon and Tony Kelly essentially getting them over the line.

Dublin held the whip hand in the opening period but didn’t make the most of their early superiority as along with seven wides, home goalkeeper Andrew Fahey made two superb saves to keep them at bay.

Those misses would be magnified when Aron Shanagher raided for a 20th minute goal to put Clare ahead for the first time at 1-4 to 0-5. However, thanks in the main to three point hauls from Donal Burke and David Treacy, the Dubs did managed to nudge ahead by the break at 0-13 to 1-08.

It would be short-lived though as a rejuvenated Clare re-emerged with an unanswered 1-4 in the first four minutes of the new half to turn this tie on its head. Tony Kelly, now at midfield, picked off two inspirational points before John Conlon raced through for Clare’s second goal in the 39th minute at 2-12 to 0-13.

To their credit, Dublin did reduce the arrears to three by the turn of the final quarter through Treacy. However, any glimmer of hope was erased when Tony Kelly intercepted a Conor Dooley puck-out to fire a 35 metre effort to the net in the 58th minute.

And with momentum and an audible home support firmly behind them, substitutes Jason McCarthy (2) and Aaron Cunningham along with Aron Shanagher finished with points to send Dublin down to the second tier and maintain Clare’s remarkable home record over their opponents that dates back to 1927.

**Scorers for Clare: **David Reidy 0-6 (5f), Tony Kelly 1-3, Aron Shanagher 1-2, John Conlon 1-1, Colm Galvin 0-2, Jason McCarthy 0-2, David Fitzgerald 0-1, Aaron Cunningham 0-1

**Scorers for Dublin: **David Treacy 0-7 (5f), Donal Burke 0-3, Eamon Dillon 0-3, Chris Crummey 0-3, Caolán Conway 0-2, Niall McMorrow 0-1

**CLARE: **Andrew Fahey; Cian Dillon, David McInerney, Seadna Morey; Brendan Bugler, Conor Cleary, David Fitzgerald; Jamie Shanahan, Colm Galvin; Tony Kelly, Podge Collins, John Conlon; Cathal McInerney, Aron Shanagher, David Reidy. **Subs: **Jason McCarthy for Shanahan (20), Paul Flanagan for Morey (HT), Aaron Cunningham for C. McInerney (49), Cathal Malone for Cleary (59), Gearoid O’Connell for Bugler (67)

DUBLIN: Conor Dooley; Shane Barrett, Eoghan O’Donnell, Oisin Gough; Chris Crummey, Cian O’Callaghan, Liam Rushe; Darragh O’Connell, Ben Quinn; Ryan O’Dwyer, Niall McMorrow, Caolán Conway; David Treacy, Donal Burke, Eamon Dillon. Subs: Jake Malone for Quinn (35), Cian Boland for Conway (47), Rian McBride for O’Dwyer (49), Fergal Whitley for McMorrow (63), Sean Ó Riann for Treacy (67)

**Referee: **Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)