Missed chances cost Clare dearly

Clare 2-3 Roscommon

Clare bowed out of the Oscar Traynor Cup against Roscommon on Saturday at Cassidy Park. When the home side look back on this one it will be the missed chances in the first half and poor performance in the second half that led to elimination from this year's competition.

Clare played some very entertaining football in the first half and should have been more that one goal ahead at the half-time break. Roscommon went close to breaking the deadlock on 10 minutes when Liam Lynch headed a cross from Darragh Concannon narrowly wide. David Russell had a header finish in the back of the net from a Peter Ballough cross on 15 minutes but it was ruled out for a push on the Roscommon keeper Michael Killalea. Moments later Russell had a shot from outside the box deflected narrowly wide with Killalea stranded in the Roscommon goals. Clare deservedly took the lead on 20 minutes when Mike O'Malley picked up a through ball from Russell and and gave Killalea no chance with a powerful shot to the top right corner. On 25 minutes Jimmy Houlihan hit the post with a shot after getting on the end of a Ballough cross from the right. Clare had strong claims for a penalty waved away on 28 minutes when Con Collins appeared to be brought down but referee Padriag Sutton adjudged that the Roscommon defender got the ball first. Concannon was booked for a late tackle on 37 minutes and moments later he scored the equaliser with a shot that got deflected past John Healy in the Clare goal. Clare went back in front 2 minutes later. Houlihan picked up a through ball from Shane O'Connor 30 yards from goal and expertly finished to the right corner after making a great run through the Roscommon defence. The turning point in the match came on 45 minutes when Shane O'Connor got three chance to put Clare 2 goals in front but every time was denied by great saves from Killalea in the Roscommon goals and eventually the ball went out for a corner. From the resultant corner another effort from Russell rebounded to safety off a defender. Clare supporters in the crowd were happy with the first half performance and hopes were high of more of the same in the second half.

Unfortunately the second half belonged to Roscommon. They brought on Kevin Kenny and Ronan Curran for the second half and these changes strengthened a team that was outplayed for most of the first half. On 50 minutes a corner from Concannon was met in the air by Lynch and Healy did well to make the save. Moments later disaster struck for the home side when a long ball through the Clare defence was put away by Emmet Kelly with Healy in no mans land on the edge of the box. Clare surprising took off Houlihan on 65 minutes in a double substitution that brought Eoin Hayes and Scott Hennessy into the action. Another major turning point in the match came on 70 minutes when Concannon kicked a ball away after the whistle had gone. He got a severe warning from referee Sutton but many felt he should have walked for this second bookable offence. On 72 minutes Kelly had another good effort from the edge of the box well saved by Healy. On 75 minutes Roscommon's Kevin Flanagan got booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle had gone. On 77 minutes Roscommon got the goal that wrapped up the match and ensured their passage to the quarter-finals. Concannon was left loose on the left wing and he expertly chipped Healy in the Clare goal as he advanced in an attempt to make the save. Evan Glynn had a shot narrowly go over the bar on 80 minute. Healy was called on to make another save from Conor McSharry on 87 minutes. Derek Byrne has an overhead kick narrowly go wide of the right post on 88 minutes. Clare lost their discipline a bit in injury time with Liam Murphy and Collins picking up yellow cards. In the last action of the match Russell had a powerful header from a Byrne free kick again narrowly go over the bar. On their second half performance Roscommon deservedly advanced to the quarter-finals but for Clare they will look back on what might have been had they got the 2 goal advantage that their play deserved in the first half.

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

ROSCOMMON
1. Michael Killalea
2. David Fitzgerald (capt)
3. Gary Furey
4. Kevin Flanagan
5. Gary Egan
6. Robbie Brookes
7. Liam Lynch
8. Darragh Concannon
9. Conor McSharry
10. Emmet Kelly
11. Donal Warde
12. Kevin Kenny for Warde
16. Ronan Curran for Egan

Referee: Padraig Sutton
Asst. Referees: Martin O'Brien & David McCarthy