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Limerick hold off Clare to secure Munster five-in-a-row

Updated / Sunday, 11 Jun 2023 21:47

Lightning doesn't strike twice – at least not on Limerick’s watch.

One-point losers to Clare on their own turf six weeks ago, the Green Machine turned the tables and held on by the minimum to claim their first Munster SHC five-in-a-row.

The Banner had led by a Mark Rodgers goal at half-time – 1-11 to 0-11 – in a slow-burning contest but the All-Ireland champions roared into the game after half-time thanks to a green flag from the unmarkable Aaron Gillane, who finished with 1-11 (8fs).

Clare captain Tony Kelly (0-06, 2fs) levelled but Limerick, cheered on by the locals at a colour-split Gaelic Grounds, scored the next five points in a ten-minute period to take control.

The challengers came again though and only trailed by a point in the last of four minutes of injury-time, the crowd pre-empting the final whistle with a hasty pitch invasion before Liam Gordon finally called an end to another epic battle between these two superb teams.

Clare had legitimate claims for a free to equalise at the death but their wait for a provincial crown will extend to 26 years at least.

Limerick become only the second county other than Cork to win five successive Munsters and record the first since 1986.

Limerick's Aaron Gillane is chased by Cian Nolan of Clare

As expected, Clare full-back Conor Cleary didn’t start. More unexpectedly, neither did Limerick’s Cian Lynch, Cathal O’Neill or Peter Casey, David Reidy and Graeme Mulcahy brought in pre-throw-in for the latter duo.

The opening stages were more of a chess match than last year’s furious slugfest.

Limerick inched two ahead two points ahead, through Tom Morrissey and Aaron Gillane’s first free, but Clare responded with the next four, Aidan McCarthy’s first dead balls and Ryan Taylor using his pace to set up Shane O’Donnell and then score himself.

The Treaty were repeatedly testing Cleary’s replacement on Aaron Gillane, Cian Nolan, but the man who hadn’t played a minute of championship this year fared reasonably well in the first period, restricting the four-time All-Star to two points from play – one a lovely over the shoulder effort - and conceding two frees, the second of which he was ominously booked for late in the half.

Tony Kelly, from the sideline, and Diarmuid Ryan, from distance, got on the scoreboard and Clare had edged three clear by the 19th minute – 0-07 to 0-04.

Limerick drew level through a Gillane free and two points from turnovers, Domhnall O’Donovan and Gearóid Hegarty finding acres of space. But Clare responded impressively, Cathal Malone winning the puckout and restoring the lead.

Kelly got his second but Limerick, showing the steel of champions, tied it up again, another Gillane free before Kyle Hayes pointed after a sublime mid-air hand-flick from Tom Morrissey.

On 31 minutes, a stroke of luck that Clare seized: Kelly’s long-range effort came back off the post, Rodgers grabbed the ball, turned Dan Morrissey and fired past Nickie Quaid into the bottom-left corner.

Another brilliant chance three minutes later, Rodgers shooting too close to Quaid from a tight angle when the point was maybe the better option.

Clare finished the half with three poor wides as Gillane’s fifth free made it a three-point game.

David Reidy struck the first of his three fine second-half scores within seconds of the resumption and Nolan fouled Gillane again, drawing a final warning from Gordon.

That was to prove pivotal as the Patrickswell man took a pass from Reidy on 44 minutes and skinned his man, firing past Eibhear Quilligan for the lead – 1-14 to 1-13.

Clare boss Brian Lohan took off free-taker Aidan McCarthy shortly after he had failed to spot an obvious handpass to a better placed man and Kelly levelled but Nolan stayed on the field and Gillane took him for another point before Quilligan denied the Limerick man a second goal from a rising effort.

Seamus Flanagan, held scoreless for the first time this summer, flicked back to Tom Morrissey, who took his tally to three as Limerick built a five-point lead by the 55th minute.

A jittery Clare seemed too focused on goals and the jeers for a missed close-range free from Kelly seemed to confirm that their goose was cooked.

But the Banner rose once more. Séadna Morey had replaced Nolan at this stage – Gillane didn’t score from play again - and set up O’Donnell for his second point. David Fitzgerald started to exert an influence and scored two in six minutes as well as setting up Aron Shanagher.

Adam English scored with his first touch while on as a temporary substitute and Taylor and Fitzgerald hit poor wides but Limerick only led by one – 1-20 to 1-19 – going into four minutes of injury-time.

Substitutes Cathal O’Neill and Ian Galvin fired over two points apiece either side of Reidy’s third.

Kelly hadn't hit the standard he set in last year's final but when he snapped a broken ball over the bar with 20 seconds left we were set for another dramatic finish. Was an extra-time decider on the cards for a second year in a row?

Gordon blew for Quilligan to retake a puckout. Some Limerick fans thought it was all over and ran onto the pitch. After a minute or two delay, Clare worked it forward again.

Casey flattened Kelly and Hogan looked to have been taken down by O’Donoghue. Gordon blew again, but only to signal the end rather than the free Clare demanded. Pitch invasion take two.

Referee Liam Gordon (2nd from L) leaves the pitch at the the end of the game

Once again, Limerick have shown incredible grit to hold off hungry opponents and make history. They now have a month to rest before the All-Ireland semi-final.

Clare will rue a golden opportunity to end that Munster drought and must gather themselves to face Dublin or Carlow in a fortnight’s time.

Clare: Éibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Cian Nolan, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes; Diarmuid Ryan (0-01), John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald (0-02), Cathal Malone (0-01); Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly (capt) (0-06, 2fs), Aidan McCarthy (0-04, 3f); Ryan Taylor (0-01), Shane O'Donnell (0-02), Mark Rodgers (1-02).

Subs: Shane Meehan for McCarthy (45), Séadna Morey for Nolan (50), Aron Shanagher (0-01) for Duggan (58), Ian Galvin (0-02) for Meehan (65), Paul Flanagan for Hayes (68),

Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrisey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon (capt), Kyle Hayes; Darragh O'Donovan (0-01), Will O’Donoghue; Gearóid Hegarty (0-01), David Reidy (0-03), Tom Morrissey (0-03); Aaron Gillane (1-11 8fs), Séamus Flanagan,Graeme Mulcahy.

Subs: Peter Casey for Mulcahy (47), Colin Coughlan for Hannon (55), Adam English (0-01) for O’Donovan (temp) and Flanagan (66), Richie English for Mike Casey (58), Cathal O’Neill (0-02) for Morrissey (58).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)

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