Houlihan strike earns Clare a draw

Donegal 1-1 Clare

Clare got a well deserved draw against Donegal in the Oscar Traynor Cup at Killygordon on Saturday. Jimmy Houlihan came off the bench to score the goal that gives Clare a great chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals of this year's competition.

Clare enjoyed a lot of good possession early on but a mistake at the back gave Donegal's Paul Colhoun a great chance to score on 10 minutes but his shot went over the bar from six yards out. On 15 minutes Peter Ballough sent Evan Glynn through on goal but just as he was about to pull the trigger the flag went up for offside. Clare were now playing really well and Scott Hennessy had a shot from outside the box hit the crossbar on 20 minutes. Minutes later Clare won a corner and Denis Sheridan in the Donegal goal came for the cross but made a mess of it. The ball fell to David Russell and his well struck effort was scrambled off the Donegal line by Ciaran McFadden. As the first half came to a close Donegal had two great chances to take the lead. First Colhoun shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box and moments later Paddy Peoples rattled the crossbar after intercepting a pass from Eoin Fitzgerald. The second half started with Clare on top and Shane O'Connor should have opened the scoring on 50 minutes when one on one with the keeper but Sheridan got down well to make the save. Donegal took the lead on 60 minutes in controversial circumstances. Russell and goalkeeper Pierce DeLoughery were both fouled when attempting to clear a cross from the left but referee Liam Porter never blew the whistle and with both players on the ground Peoples scrambled the ball into the net. Clare threw on Houlihan on 65 minutes and he looked sharp from the outset. Disaster struck for Clare on 70 minutes when inspirational captain David Russell got a nasty blow to the head and was forced to leave the field. He was replaced by Allister McMillian. On 80 minutes Clare got the equalised they deserved when Houlihan picked up a through ball from Evan Glynn 40 yards from the Donegal goal and raced through to score with a well placed finish to the bottom right corner. From here to the finish it was all Clare. On 85 minutes Clare replaced Hennessy with Lunga Ballman and with his first touch he brought a great save off Sheridan in the Donegal goal. Two minutes later Ballman was chopped down in the box for a blatant penalty but referee Porter waved play on to the dismay of the Clare side. Moments later Ballman got free on the right wing but delayed the cross a fraction too long with Houlihan poised in the middle to score only for Donegal to scramble the ball clear before he could pounce. In the last minute Clare again had another great chance to claim all three points when a cross from the right by Ballough was met in the air by Ballman only for his header to narrowly go over the crossbar. Clare now play Roscommon at home on 5th December knowing that victory will secure a place in the quarter-finals of this year's competition.

CLARE
1. Pierce DeLoughrey (Rineanna Rovers)
2. Derek Byrne (Bunratty)
3. Liam Murphy (Newmarket Celtic)
4. David Russell (Avenue Utd)
5. Eoin Fitzgerald (Kilrush Rangers)
6. Con Collins (Bunratty)
7. Peter Ballough (Bunratty)
8. Mike O'Malley (Newmarket Celtic)
9. Scott Hennessy (Lifford)
10. Shane O'Connor (Bunratty)
11. Evan Glynn ( Bunratty)
12. Jimmy Houlihan (Newmarket Celtic) for O'Connor
13. Ally McMillan (Rineanna Rovers) for Russell (inj)
14. Lunga Ballman (Lifford) for Hennessy
15. John Keane (Corofin Harps)
16. Trevor Clancy (Kilrush Rangers)
17. Davy Ryan (Newmarket Celtic)
18. John Healy (Avenue Utd)

DONEGAL
1. Denis Sheridan
2. Paudie Curley
3. Eugene Maguire
4. Dermot Shiels
5. Ciaran McFadden
6. Paddy Peoples
7. James O'Donnell
8. Kevin Mulhern
9. Paul Colhoun
10. Chrid Bradley
11. Aidan Friel
12. Darren Doran for McFadden
13. John O'Kane for Friel
14. Mickey McLoughlin for Bradley

Referee: Liam Porter
Asst. Referees: Laurence Duggan & William Curran

More Pictures from Donegal.

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