Allianz HL D1B: Clare cruise to victory

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

Clare 3-35 Down 0-15

By Eoin Brennan at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg

Clare emphatically powered past Down by 29 points in front of 4,960 in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg.

Despite only having seven starters from the 2024 All-Ireland winning team, a new-look Clare were still a significant leap ahead of the Joe McDonagh Cup hopefuls who are still seeking their first points in their long-awaited return to the second tier.

Home manager Brian Lohan handed starting Allianz League debuts to four players - Ross Hayes, Niall O’Farrell, Diarmuid Stritch and Senan Dunford - with the latter three combining for an impressive 10 point haul. Current Under 20’s Ronan Kilroy and Jamie Moylan were also sprung off the bench as Clare could boast 12 different scorers in a comfortable 70 minutes.

A first meeting between the counties in 15 years initially seemed a worthy match-up as Down twice led early on through points for talisman Pearse Óg McCrickard (2), Daithi Sands and Shea Pucci at 0-4 to 0-4 by the ninth minute.

However, reality bit hard on the Ulster side as Clare fired the next nine points through Mark Rodgers (3), Jack Kirwan (2), Senan Dunford, David Reidy, Darragh Lohan and Diarmuid Stritch to soar 0-13 to 0-04 clear by the 24th minute.

With Down’s early confidence being sapped, the Banner doubled the dose with a further nine points, highlighted by braces for Cathal Malone, Shane Meehan and Rodgers to bounce into the break 15 points in front at 0-22 to 0-7.

With the result beyond doubt, Clare’s accuracy did diminish on the resumption as having only hit three first half wides, they tripled that total in the third quarter for Down to match them at 0-27 to 0-10.

By that stage, Down manager Ronan Sheehan would have been relatively satisfied with his side’s response, but despite scoring impacts from the bench from Paul Sheehan and Cathal Coleman, fatigue would set in as Clare upped the ante in emphatic fashion in the final quarter.

In the 54th minute, a Senan Dunford delivery wasn’t cleared and substitute Peter Duggan flicked inside for chief marksman Mark Rodgers to pull to the net. Four minutes later Duggan teed up David Fitzgerald to unleash a bullet to the top right corner of Pearse Smyth’s net while two-time All-Ireland winner Duggan would turn finisher himself for Clare’s third goal entering the final 10 minutes to swell the final scoreline.

With three consecutive wins under their belts, Clare have a fortnight’s break before a testing away tie against Kildare whereas Down have three weeks before they take on the Lilywhites in search of their first points.

Scorers for Clare: Mark Rodgers 1-9 (6fs); Senan Dunford 0-5; Peter Duggan 1-1; Diarmuid Stritch, Jack Kirwan, Shane Meehan, Cathal Malone 0-3 each; David Fitzgerald 1-0; David Reidy, Darragh Lohan, Niall O’Farrell, Colm O’Meara 0-2 each

Scorers for Down: Pearse Óg McCrickard 0-7 (3fs); Daithi Sands 0-3; Shea Pucci, Eoghan Sands, Paul Sheehan, Cathal Coleman, Finn Turpin 0-1 each.

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Ross Hayes, Conor Cleary, Dylan McMahon; Cathal Malone, John Conlon, Niall O’Farrell; Darragh Lohan, Diarmuid Stritch; Jack Kirwan, David Reidy, Senan Dunford; David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers, Shane Meehan.

Subs: Conor Leen for Conlon (HT), Colm O’Meara for Lohan (HT), Peter Duggan for Reidy (45), Ronan Kilroy for Cleary (49), Jamie Moylan for Stritch (59).

Down: Pearce Smyth; Ben Teggart, Ruairi McCrickard, Tom Murray; Barry Trainor, Caolan Taggart, Niall McFarland; Donal Hughes, Matthew Conlon; Eoghan Sands, Pearse Óg McCrickard, Daithi Sands; Liam Savage, Ronan Beatty, Shea Pucci.

Subs: Paul Sheehan for Savage (HT), Finn Turpin for Pucci (43), Ronan Smyth for Murray (45), Cathal Coleman for Beatty (49), Donal Óg Rooney for Trainor (61), Ben Christie for R. McCrickard (70, inj).

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).