Home advantage certainly came to fruition for Clare in a dramatic finale as somehow a combination of post and crossbar prevented Fermanagh from snatching a share of the spoils in Cusack Park, Ennis.
Having led for the entire final quarter against the conditions, Emmet McMahon’s 70th minute point, his tenth in a man-of-the-match display, appeared to have sealed a second successive home victory.
Craving the points just as much to remain in contention for a promotion berth, Fermanagh fittingly unearthed a final rallying call when Sean Cassidy cut the deficit to just two before captain Declan McCusker unleashed a last gasp attempt from just outside the 40 metre arc.
With the wind at his back, it initially looked on target but the ball would remarkably ricochet off two posts before rebounding to safety.
It was a result that Peter Keane’s Clare just about deserved, having also shot out of the blocks with a 1-2 blitz inside the opening six minutes. Alan Sweeney popped up with the goal, sandwiched by a brace of McMahon points.
Although McCusker came close with a goal attempt of his own down the other end, it took the visitors 11 minutes to open their account before finally reeling in their hosts at the start of the second quarter when midfielder Joe McDade squeezed a powerful low shot to the Clare net at 1-3 to 1-3.
With a sizeable wind at their backs, Clare were thankful to Emmet McMahon and Eoin Cleary to convert consecutive two point frees just before the break at 1-9 to 1-6.
A two-pointer of their own through Josh Largo Ellis did alter that narrative only seven minutes into the new half as Fermanagh inched the minimum clear at 1-11 to 1-10.
However, it would be the final time that the Ulster side held the whip hand as the excellent McMahon kept the Banner on track before the posts played their part at the death.
Scorers, Clare: E McMahon 0-10 (2f, 1 2pf); E Cleary 0-4 (1f, 1 2pf); A Sweeney 1-0; C Downes 0-2; B McNamara 0-1
Scorers, Fermanagh: G Jones 0-4 (2f); J Largo Ellis 0-3 (1 2p); J McDade 1-0; F O’Brien 0-2 (1f); R McCaffrey, P Breen, R Lyons, D McGurn, C Love, S Cassidy 0-1 each
Clare: E Tubridy; M Doherty, C Brennan, C Rouine; C McGroary, S McAllister, A Sweeney; I Ugwueru, B McNamara; D Walsh, E Cleary, C Downes; E McMahon, A Griffin, K Sexton.
Subs: C Meaney for Walsh (ht), E Cahill for McGroary (49), C Murray for Sexton (65)
Fermanagh: R Bogue; L Cullen, C Cullen, R McCaffrey; F O’Brien, P Breen, J Cassidy; J McDade, D McGurn; S McGullion, D McCusker, J Largo Ellis; R Lyons, G Jones, C Love.
Subs: D King for McCaffrey (26-32, BS), S Cassidy for Lyons (57)
Referee: Christopher Ryan (Galway)