Clare 0-26
Limerick 0-15
Fintan O’Toole reports from Cusack Park, Ennis
CLARE’S ROUTE BACK to the Munster final was ultimately a comfortable one as they unleashed a closing storm to win at their ease against Limerick this afternoon.
Peter Duggan popped over the final point of the game to take his tally to 0-13 and seal a convincing victory with Clare striking the final seven points of the game to have an 11-point cushion at the end.
An eagerly-awaited contest transpired to be mundane with Clare stamping their authority as the action progressed and clinching a second Munster final meeting in a year against Cork.
The contest was ignited before the midway mark when both sides were cut to 14 men. Tom Condon and David Reidy were both shown red cards for separate off-the-ball incidents, the former looked clearcut with the latter less so.
In front 0-5 to 0-4 after 18 minutes, Clare established a firmer grip on the action thereafter and accelerated clear on the scoreboard. David Fitzgerald, sprung from the bench for the injured Seadna Morey, launched over a pair of fine points from his wing-back berth while John Conlon was a constant threat at full-forward and Peter Duggan didn’t disappoint from frees.
They were 0-12 to 0-7 clear entering injury-time and while Limerick clawed them back courtesy of Patrickswell points by Cian Lynch and Diarmaid Byrnes, Duggan had the final say of the half when he converted a ’65.
0-13 to 0-9 at the break was a fair reflection of how Clare had channelled the momentum generated from last week’s late show against Tipperary.
Limerick cut the gap to three points early in the second half but were struggling to rein Clare in and fell six behind. Tom Morrissey swung over a point for Limerick in the 57th minute yet it would transpire to be their final score of the game as Clare coasted to success.
Scorers for Clare: Peter Duggan 0-13 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65), Tony Kelly 0-5 (0-1 ’65), John Conlon 0-4, David Fitzgerald 0-2, Jamie Shanahan, Colm Galvin 0-1 each.
Scorers for Limerick: Shane Dowling 0-4 (0-4f), Tom Morrissey 0-3, Diarmaid Byrnes, Dan Morrissey, Darragh O’Donovan (0-1 sideline), Cian Lynch, Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Seamus Flanagan, Aaron Gillane 0-1 each.
Clare
1. Donal Tuohy (Crusheen)
3. David McInerney (Tulla)
2. Patrick O’Connor (Tubber – captain)
4. Jack Browne (Ballyea)
5. Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge)
6. Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay)
7. Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge)
8. Colm Galvin (Clonlara)
9. Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
10. Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin)
11. Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
12. David Reidy (Éire Óg)
13. Podge Collins
(Cratloe)
14. John Conlon (Clonlara)
15. Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg)
Subs
19. David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Morey (inj) (15)
18. Jason McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Malone (54)
23. Ian Galvin (Clonlara) for Fitzgerald (62)
25. Conor McGrath (Cratloe) for O’Donnell (65)
26. Darragh Corry (Tulla) for Collins (70)
Limerick
1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)
2. Sean Finn (Bruff)
3. Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh)
4. Richie English (Doon)
5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell)
6. Declan Hannon (Adare – captain)
7. Dan Morrissey (Ahane)
8. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon)
9. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell)
10. Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s)
11. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry)
12. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)
13. Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh)
14. Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh)
15. Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock)
Subs
18. Tom Condon (Knockaderry) for Finn (inj) (13)
22. Richie McCarthy (Blackrock) for Mulcahy (half-time)
20. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell) for Flanagan (48)
19. David Dempsey (Na Piarsaigh) for Hegarty (55)
24. Barry Nash (South Liberties) for English (65)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
