Allianz HL D1B: Clare win again

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

Clare 0-26 Wexford 1-20

By Eoin Brennan at Zimmer Bioment Páirc Chíosóg

Clare handed Dublin a Division 1B promotion lifeline after completing a flawless group campaign in front of 6,575 in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis.

While both Clare and Wexford were unbeaten heading into this tie, the Leinster side’s previous draw with Dublin meant that nothing, but victory would suffice to keep their fate firmly in their own hands ahead of the final round in a fortnight’s time.

Brian Lohan’s side meanwhile were assured of their league final berth before a ball was pucked but leading for the final hour by as much as eight points in both halves, Clare were clearly not willing to take their foot off the gas either.

Level four times in the first 15 minutes, the wind-assisted hosts finally got into their stride with a six point unanswered rally led by the experience of freetaker Peter Duggan and the electricity of Diarmuid Stritch to soar 0-10 to 0-04 clear by the 25th minute.

Shane Meehan would also chip in with a late brace to stretch the gap to eight before Wexford’s key protagonists Lee Chin and Simon Roche intervened.

Scoring the last two points of the opening period which finished 0-15 to 0-9 before also raided for the first two points of the new half, the pair initially looked to have resuscitated Wexford chances of a fourth successive league victory in Ennis.

However, Peter Duggan (2), Jack O’Neill and Sean Rynne restored an eight point lead by the 50th minute while goalkeeper Mark Fanning prevented home substitute Keith Smyth from firing what would have been a clinching goal at the turn of the final quarter.

Instead, it was Wexford that got the goal when Diarmuid O’Leary offloaded to Simon Roche to unleash a bullet from an acute angle past league debutante Mark Sheedy in the 58th minute at 0-21 to 1-15.

Roche and Chin quickly added points to leave only the minimum between the sides entering the final 10 minutes, but they simply couldn’t find an equaliser as Clare flexed their muscles once more.

Peter Duggan covered a brace of monster frees to quash the revolt before substitute Ian Galvin (2) and Ryan Taylor restored a six point gap by the 66th minute at 0-26 to 1-17.

Wexford did score the last three points, two from Chin who also had an equalising goal denied by goalkeeper Sheedy in injury-time.

However, time inexorably ran out on Wexford’s rousing recovery as they now need to see off Kildare and hope that Carlow can take something off Dublin.

Scorers for Clare: Peter Duggan 0-8 (7fs); Diarmuid Stritch, Jack O’Neill, Sean Rynne 0-3 each; David Reidy, Shane Meehan, Ian Galvin 0-2 each; Ronan Kilroy, Keith Smyth, Ryan Taylor 0-1 each.

Scorers for Wexford: Lee Chin 0-11 (8fs); Simon Roche 1-6; Kevin Foley, Mark Fanning (f), Conor Hearne 0-1 each.

Clare: Mark Sheedy; Ronan Kilroy, Adam Hogan, Conor Leen; Cathal Malone, John Conlon, Niall O’Farrell; Sean Rynne, Ryan Taylor; Jack Kirwan, Diarmuid Stritch, Jack O’Neill; David Reidy, Peter Duggan, Shane Meehan

Subs: Conor Cleary for Malone (19-20, BS), Cleary for Hogan (HT), Keith Smyth for Stritch (HT), I.an Galvin for Meehan (55), John Conneally for Conlon (59), David Fitzgerald for Rynne (63).

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Darragh Carley, Conor Foley, Simon Donohue; Damien Reck, Richie Lawlor, Eamon Wickham; Conor Hearne, Diarmuid O’Leary; Darren Codd, Lee Chin, Ross Banville; Tomás Kinsella, Simon Roche, Kevin Foley.

Subs: Eoin O’Leary for Carley (29-30, BS), James Byrne for Codd (HT), Rory Higgins for Kinsella (HT), Corey Byrne Dunbar for Banville (40), Philip Dempsey for Donohue (45, inj), Sean Rowley for O’Leary (66).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).