Limerick's run of 17 games unbeaten in the championship came to an end after an enthralling game of hurling as Clare ran out one-point winners in the most dramatic of fashion, in front of 30,460 spectators at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
It is the first time Clare have beaten the Shannonsiders in a championship game in a Limerick city venue since 1901.
The Treaty men, who only took the lead for the first time in the 29th minute thanks to a controversial Seamus Flanagan goal, held a one-point advantage at half-time 1-10 to 0-12, before Clare outscored them by 1-12 to 1-10 in the second half.
In what was a repeat of last year’s final where John Kiely’s men needed extra-time to see off the Banner at Thurles, both sides were level five times in the second-half before Brian Lohan’s men secured the narrowest of wins late on.
The result means the Banner have kept alive their hopes of reaching a second consecutive Munster final or at least progress to the All-Ireland knockout stage while Limerick now will have to regroup during a three-week break before a trip to Semple Stadium to take on Tipperary.
As expected, the game got off to a voracious start and Flanagan was denied a certain goal inside just 12 seconds when Eibhear Quilligan superbly saved in front of a packed city end terrace on the Ennis Road and as those in the stand were barely sat in their seats.
Tony Kelly and David Fitzgerald had Clare three points up inside five minutes, however, as Limerick failed to register a shot from play.
After a superb tackle from William O’Donoughe, Tom Morrissey pointed Limerick’s first score after six and half minutes of play, before a well-taken Diarmaid Byrnes score made it a one-point game just shy of the eight-minute mark.
Clare, backed by a strong breeze in the opening half, found plenty of space in front of the Limerick half-back line and were two points to the good midway through the opening half – 0-07 to 0-05.
The point of the opening 35 minutes came just shy of the 17th minute mark when Flanagan finished off a superb move after Limerick calmly worked the ball through the lines with Finn, Nash, Byrnes, O’Donoughe and Morrissey all getting a touch of the ball.
Clare looked like they had got the opening goal of the game, but Nickie Quaid did superbly well in the Limerick goal to block the sliotar off the post after Tony Kelly thought he had raised the green flag.
Kelly bore down on goal after Aidan McCarthy found the Ballyea man in acres of space.
The game’s opening goal came in the 29th minute, albeit amid controversial circumstances, as Clare players were adamant Flanagan’s close-range goal was a square-ball effort.
Flanagan had slotted home after Cathal O'Neill did well to find the Feohanagh-Castlemahon man in space after the Crecora half-forward recovered from an excellent block from Clare full-back Conor Clearly.
The goal lifted the home crowd and momentum quickly swing in favour of John Kiely’s charges who scored the next two points with Gillane and Byrnes slotting over their respective frees.
Two late Clare points from Ryan Taylor and Duggan brought the Banner back to within a point of the hosts in what was a highly intensive opening half of hurling.
After the restart, the sides were level for the first time when Shane O’Donnell slotted over from out wide, and Brian Lohan’s charges quickly roared into a one-point lead when McCarthy slotted over his second free of the evening.
In the 40th minute, Duggan found the net and put Clare four points ahead as his effort went under the hurley of Quaid.
However, four Limerick scores without reply had Limerick level for the second time 10 minutes into the closing 35 minutes.
Both sides were level three more times but after Gillane slotted over a close-range free with five minutes to go, Clare scored four late points as Shane O’Donnell, Tony Kelly, and substitute Aron Shanagher (2) made it a four-point game.
A late Flanagan goal – his third in two games – gave Limerick a fighting chance, but Lohan’s men held out for the historic one-point win.
Limerick failed to keep their unbeaten run going, and with Sean Finn and Cian Lynch taking to the sideline through injury, it may prove a costly day out for the Munster and All-Ireland champions.
Clare on the other hand kept their championship hopes alive ahead of a difficult trip to Thurles in two weeks’ time to face Davy Fitzgerald’s Waterford.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid: Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes (0-05, 0-05f), Declan Hannon (capt.), Kyle Hayes; Darragh O'Donovan, William O’Donoghue; Cathal O’Neill (0-02), Cian Lynch (0-01), Tom Morrissey (0-04, 0-01f); Aaron Gillane (0-07, 0-06f), Seamus Flanagan (2-01), Peter Casey.
Subs: Mike Casey for Finn (half-time, injured), Gearoid Hegarty for Lynch (37 minutes, injured), David Reidy for O’Donovan (44 minutes), Graeme Mulcahy for Peter Casey (63), Conor Boylan for O’Neill (70 minutes)
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney (0-01); David Fitzgerald (0-03), Cathal Malone; Peter Duggan (1-01), Tony Kelly (capt.) (0-04), Aidan McCarthy (0-7, 0-3f, 0-1 ’65,); Ryan Taylor (0-01), Shane O’Donnell (0-02), Mark Rodgers (0-3, 0-1 sideline)
Subs: Aron Shanagher (0-02) for Duggan (60 minutes), Shane Meehan for Rodgers (65 minutes), Paul Flanagan for Hogan (73 minutes)
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
