All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round One/Clare 1-15 Sligo 1-6: A confident Clare performance snuffed out Sligo's championship aspirations in stylish fashion at Cusack Park, Ennis, on Saturday, after which the home side had eight points to spare over their Connacht challengers.
An early second-half goal by Denis Russell put Clare on their way to victory, on a day when Sligo proved to be a huge disappointment for their large travelling support.
Clare opened their account with a Russell-pointed free in the third minute, but were soon trailing after Michael McNamara scored a goal for the visitors in the 12th minute. Dessie Sloyan forced the Clare goalkeeper, Dermot O'Brien, into a fine save with his shot but the rebound fell to McNamara who goaled on his second attempt.
The home side upped their ante after conceding that goal, but found it difficult to find the target, kicking four successive wides in as many minutes midway through the half.
When corner-forward Michael O'Dwyer kicked a good point in the second quarter, however, Clare began to settle into the task of winning.
At the half-time break, the sides were all square, 1-4 to 0-7. The goal aside, Clare's back line had kept the Sligo attack at bay, and with full back Conor Whelan, centre-back Brian Considine and left half Ronan Slattery in tremendous form, there were ominous signs that an upset was on the cards.
Within two minutes of the restart, Clare inflicted their killer blow, when Denis Russell punched to the Sligo net after a strong run by Odran O'Dwyer.
The visitors pulled back a point from substitute Gerry McGowan moments later, but this was as close as Sligo came to reversing the trend.
Numerous forays up the field by the Connacht men were met with stern resistance by the Clare defence, while at the other end, timely scores by the Clare forwards edged the Banner county closer to victory.
Sligo were reduced to 14 men, when Brian Curran struck an opponent off the ball and referee Maurice Deegan showed him a straight red card.
A minute later Clare, too, had a man dismissed, when Conor Whelan received his second yellow card. But by this stage Clare had a 1-11 to 1-6 advantage and their determination was not going to be upset by the sending off.
Denis Russell kicked a further three points, while substitute Seán O'Meara had a fine score with three minutes left to finish off a deserved victory.
CLARE: D O'Brien; P Gallagher, C Whelan, K Dilleen; A Clohessy (0-1), B Considine, R Slattery; David Russell (capt), G Quinlan (0-1); Denis Russell (1-5, four pointed frees), C Mullen (0-1), M O'Shea; E Coughlan (0-1), O O'Dwyer, M O'Dwyer (0-5). Subs: E Talty for Dilleen (12 mins); S Hickey for O'Shea (35 mins), S O'Meara (0-1) for Mullen (43 mins), C Considine for M O'Dwyer (inj, 55 mins), D Blake for Talty (inj, 62 mins).
SLIGO: P Green; J Martyn, N McGuire, N Carew; P Doohan, N Clancy, M Langan; K Quinn (0-1), S Davey; E O'Hara (capt), B Curran, D McGarty; D Sloyan (0-1), P Taylor, M McNamara (1-1). Subs: G McGowan (0-3, two frees) for Taylor (28 mins), M Breheny (0-1) for McGarty (35 mins), J Davey for Carew (35 mins), D Durkin for Clancy (43 mins), P Durcan for S Davey (54 mins).
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
