GAA talking points: Brian Lohan's Clare reign showing early promise
Tuesday 4 February 2020 16:08, UK
Following the weekend's GAA matches in the National Leagues, we look at the major talking points from the action.
Early indications positive for Lohan's Clare
The build-up to Wexford vs Clare was dominated by the tensions between managers Davy Fitzgerald and Brian Lohan, but the main takeaway from the 70 minutes in the south east was undoubtedly the performance of the Munster side.
Former full-back Lohan is hoping to raise the Banner, taking charge of a group who are capable of adding to their All-Ireland haul.
Early indications are largely positive. 2013 Hurler of the Year Tony Kelly was at his brilliant best on Sunday afternoon, chipping in with two magical points from play as part of a 0-12 contribution, while David Fitzgerald is clear benefiting from his switch to the forwards. The Inagh Kilnamona club man bagged 0-3 in a lively display at centre-forward, in a performance that will come as a boost to Lohan who looks to compensate for the loss of 2018 All-Star Peter Duggan.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect from a Clare point of view will have been the manner in which they kept the Yellowbellies at bay, despite playing the majority of the match with 14 men after John Conlon's first-half red card.
Sunday's raid of the Model County followed a routine victory over Carlow in the opening round.
We'll learn much more about this Clare team in the coming weeks, particularly when they travel to Nowlan Park on February 23 to face a Kilkenny team against whom they boast an impressive record of late. Clare have won the last four clashes between the sides, and will be hopeful of laying down an early-season marker by continuing that run.
Limerick building nicely
Although the Treaty started slowly against Tipperary last weekend, they have gathered pace and now sit joint-top of Division 1 Group A with two wins from two.
John Kiely's charges ruthlessly turned the screw to see off Galway on Sunday afternoon, and the Treaty are clearly building squad depth.
David Reidy and David Dempsey impressed in the forwards with 0-7 and 1-1 respectively, while further out the field Barry Nash continues to make a case for sustained inclusion. Kiely is resting some frontline stars, but it's not affecting the results in this early stage of the year.
The Shannonsiders will feel they weren't far away from defending their All-Ireland title in 2019, and are motoring nicely as the new season dawns.
After a turbulent winter, the Treaty are back doing what they do best.
Division 2 remains football's free-for-all
Often hailed as a bear-pit, Division 2 is once again living up to its moniker as the most tightly contested division. No side has either won two games nor lost both.
Indeed, Roscommon find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table in these early stages, despite starting the campaign as one of the favourites for promotion.
The swing in fortunes for both Armagh and Cavan is a testament to the nature of this league, given how the Orchard County ran out 13-point winners when the sides met in round one. Kieran McGeeney's side suffered a six-point defeat to Laois on Saturday, while the Breffni County returned to winning ways against Westmeath.
With so much at stake given the poisoned chalice of a tier-two championship berth that accompanies relegation this season, expect a scrap in the coming weeks.
Cork footballers taking care of business
Coming into the league campaign, there was a great deal of focus on the Rebels given their lowly status in the third tier. To add to that, the Munster Championship draw pitting them against Kerry in the semi-final means that promotion is a non-negotiable for the first half of their season, as they look to secure their Sam Maguire Cup status for the summer.
So far, so good.
Comfortable wins over Offaly and Leitrim have seen them ascend to the summit of the Division 3 table, becoming the only team to pick up two wins from two.
The returning Ciarán Sheehan appears to be having the desired impact, with the former Aussie Rules scoring 1-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Bigger tests lie ahead for Ronan McCarthy's side, but the first two results suggest the momentum around the big ball on Lee-side from 2019 has continued into the new year.
Dublin keep foot on Mayo's throat
Mayo's win-less run against Dublin now stretches to 16 games, as they fell to the Sky Blues by six points at MacHale Park on Saturday evening.
15,148 attended the Castlebar venue on Saturday, the majority of whom were hoping for the westerners to mark the end of the Jim Gavin era by registering their first win over Dublin since Pat Gilroy held the reins in the capital.
Despite a positive start, they fell away with the red card to Jordan Flynn handing the initiative to the visitors.
A remarkable goal from Dean Rock set the Dubs on the way to a 1-11 to 0-8 victory.
Given the tough opening two fixtures, Dessie Farrell would gladly taken three points from a possible four before a ball was kicked. The All-Ireland champions will look to gather momentum when Monaghan come to Croke Park on Saturday night.
