Clare 1-11 Fermanagh 1-9

 

Fermanagh were relegated from Division Two after they suffered a two point defeat to Clare in Ennis today.

Ryan McMenamin's preparations for the resumption of the league were severely hit after the squad had an outbreak of Covid-19 over the last couple of weeks with ten players returning positive tests while a further seven were forced to self isolate having been close contacts.

It led to the Fermanagh officials requesting a postponement request but this was rejected by the GAA who insisted the game went ahead as scheduled.

McMenamin handed out three debuts with goalkeeper Sean McNally and defenders Luke Flanagan and Josh Largo Elis coming into the side for the the must win clash with the Bannermen.

The first half was a tight affair with the sides trading points, Tomás Corrigan and Declan McCusker on target for the visitors to leave it 0-03 to 0-03 after 20 minutes.

Both sides had goal chances during the opening spell but Jamie Malone drilled just wide for Clare while Conall Jones fired past the post for the Ernemen.

Clare did though find the net on the half hour mark as Joe McGann raced along the end line before thumping to the roof of the net and it was his goal that separated the sides at the interval, 1-06 to 0-06.

It was tit for tat in the early stages of the second half as the sides exchanged points, Tomás Corrigan, Ciaran Corrigan and Darragh McGurn registering for Fermanagh while Eoin Cleary, Malone and Cian O'Dea fired over for the home side to maintain their three point advantage.

When Cleary and Malone added further points it stretched the Clare lead out to five, 1-11 to 0-09, but Fermanagh did carve open a couple of good goal chances.

A surging run by Declan McCusker saw him tee up Lorcan McStravick but he was denied by Clare goalkeeper Eamon Tubridy.

Ciaran Corrigan was then found in a good position but although he beat Tubridy, the ball came back off the post and McCusker blazed the follow up wide.

Fermanagh did bag a goal deep in injury time as Eddie Courtney converted a penalty but it was too little to late as Fermanagh were relegated with a game to go.