Clare are back in the top grouping in the National hurling league following a comfortable win over arch rivals Limerick at Cusac Park this Sunday afternoon.
The Banner side’s victory was much more comfortable that the final scoreline suggests on a day when Limerick were reduced to fourteen men five minutes before half time whenforward Barry Nash picked up a second yellow card.
A view of the newly refurbished stand at Cusack park ahead of Clare’s Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
A fan catches up on his news in the newly refurbished stand at Cusack park ahead of Clare’s Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Even if a match being attended doesn’t live up to expectations fans can take in historic views of Ennis from the newly refurbished stand at Cusack park ahead of Clare’s Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Players, including Shane O Donnell, and management exit their dressing room to the pitch in the newly refurbished stand at Cusack park ahead of Clare’s Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Conlon of Clare in action against Richie Mc Carthy of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Richie English of Limerick in action against Shane O Donnell of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Conlon of Clare in action against Tom Condon of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare coach Donal Og Cusack and manager Davy Fitzgerald react to an incident during their Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Conlon of Clare is held between the legs of Limerick’s Tom Condon during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Conlon of Clare in action against Seamus Hickey of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Conor Mc Grath of Clare in action against Richie English of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
David Reidy of Clare in action against Gavin O Mahoney of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald has named an unchanged team for the clash with Limerick. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Conlon of Clare in action against Richie English and goalie Nickie Quaid of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Barry Nash of Limerick heads for the bench after being sent off during their Div. 1b Round 5 game against Clare in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Tom Condon of Limerick in action against John Conlon of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
David Reidy of Clare in action against Paul Browne and Tom Condon of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cian Dillon was one of the Clare stars in their relegation play off win over Dublin. Photograph by John Kelly.
Tom Morrissey of Limerick in action against Oisin O Brien of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Shane O Donnell of Clare in action against Richie English of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cian Lynch of Limerick in action against Colm Galvin of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Graeme Mulcahy of Limerick in action against Paul Flanagan of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Oisin O Brien of Clare in action against David Reidy of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald and coach Donal Og Cusack on the sideline during their Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Darach Honan scored the opening goal for Clonlara in their win over Clooney-Quin Photograph by John Kelly.
David Mc Inerney of Clare in action against Declan Hannon of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cian Dillon and Oisin O Brien of Clare in action against David Reidy of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare’s John Conlon is shown why he is about to get a yellow card by referee Fergus Horgan during their Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Conor Ryan of Clare in action against James Ryan and Cian Lynch of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Richie Mc Carthy of Limerick in action against Darach Honan of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Shane O Donnell of Clare in action against Seamus Hickey and Cian Lynch of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Oisin O Brien of Clare in action against David Reidy of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Richie Mc Carthy of Limerick in action against Shane O Donnell of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Podge Collins made a match winning impact, from the bench, against Tipperary. Photograph by John Kelly.
Colm Galvin of Clare in action against Seamus Hickey of Limerick during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Richie Mc Carthy of Limerick in action against John Conlon of Clare during their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Conlon of Clare shakes the hand of Limerick’s Tom Condon on the final whistle following their Div. 1b Round 5 game in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare’s Shane O Donnell appears to be in pain following their Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Former Clare corner back Mickey Leahy, aged 90, of Coachford attending Clare’s Div. 1b Round 5 game against Limerick in Cusack park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare led from the outset on a day when they shot no fewer than nineteen wides, a dozen of which came in the second half.
Played before an attendance of 8,847, the home side made their intentions known from the off and struck for the game’s only goal as early as the opening minute when John Conlon brillantly grabbed a high delivery before shooting to the net. The score clearly rocked the visitors who, underatandably, complained tht the Clonlara player took more thatn the required number of steps while in possession before finding the net
Already through to the quarter finals before Sunday’s clash, it was anticipated that the great Munster rivals would produce a contest to remember but this did not prove to be the case. Clare were, simply,much stronger throughout the pitch and emerged as fully merited winners. They now go on to play Tipperary in a league qurter final tie in two weeks time and the venue will be decided by a toss on this Monday. Meanwhile, Limerick must put this disappointment behind them and prepare to face Dublin in a quarter final tie
While being a man short was, clearly, a disadvantage, its fair to say that prior to the dismissal, Clare dominated in almost all sectors and this was the case throughout and they would not have been flattered by a much greater winning margin
After Conlon’s goal, Conor McGrath and David Reidy added Clare points before the visitors opened their account through Graeme Mulcahy in the seventh minute. As the game entered the second quarter it was 1-5 to 0-3 in Clare’s favour. Three Declan Hannon pointed frees brought the visitors to within two points of the winners but Clare finished the half strongly with points from David McInerney and two from Bobby Duggan frees to lead by four at the break when the score was 1-10 to 0-9.
For the second halfLimerick brought in Paudie O’Brien and James Ryan in an effort to improve their lot but Clare took up where they had left off and hit the opening three points to stretch their lead to seven. However, as the half progressed, Clare failed to convert a lot of opportunities—they had twelve wides in this half—and this allowed Limerick to remain in contention.
The Clare defence dominated throughout and coughed up few scoring chances on a day when four of the visitor’s starting forward line failed to get on the scoresheet. Declan Hanon was their scorer in chief with all but one of his tally of 0-9 coming from placed balls.
Clare dominated the exchances with David McInerney, Cian Dillon, David Reidy Colm Galvin, John Conlon and Conor McGrath in sparkling form, causing huge problems for the visitors.
Clare; Patrick Kelly; Oisin O’Brien, Cian Dillon (0-1) Paul Flanagan; Brendan Bugler, David McInerney(0-1), Pat O’Connor; David Reidy (0-1) Conor Ryan; John Conlon (1-1) Bobby Duggan (0-6), all frees, Colm Galvin (0-2); Aaron Cunningham, Shane O’Donnell, Conor McGrath (0-5).
Subs—Darach Honan for Cuningham (50 minutes); Cathal O’Connell (0-2), frees, for Duggan (60 minutes); Podge Collins for McGrath (69 minutes); Conor Cleary for Flanagan (69 minutes);
Limerick; Nickie Quaid; Tom Condon, Ritchie McCarthy, Richie English; Dan Morrissey, Diarmaid Byrnes (0-1), free, Seamus Hickey; John Fitzgibbon, Paul Browne (0-4); Barry Nash, Gavin O’Mahony, Cian Lynch; Graeme Mulcahy (0-1) Declan Hannon (0-9), 8 frees, Tom Morrissey;
Subs-– James Ryan (0-1) for O’Mahoney and Paudie O’Brien for D. Morrissey (both half time). David Reidy (0-1) for T. Morrissey (46 minutes); Darragh O’Donovan (0-1) for Ryan (inj., 56 minutes). Pat Ryan for Fitzgibbon (67 minutes).
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