Munster and All-Ireland U-21 hurling champions, Clare, got over the first hurdle in the 2014 title race when they proved too strong for Limerick, in a tie played in front of 6,063 patrons at sun-splashed Limerick on Wednesday.
A powerful second half display proved too much for Limerick and the defending champions secured their place in the semi-final against Tipperary in mid-July early in the final quarter.
There were fears for Clare in some quarters at the half-way stage when their lead was just two points, after playing with the aid of the fresh breeze. However, they dominated the second half and goals from
Aaron Cunningham and Peter Duggan put paid to Limerick’s hopes of an upset.
The Shannonsider’s goal came in the third minute of injury time, too late to cause problems for Clare.
Of huge concern, however, is another injury to forward Aaron Cunningham, who had to be stretchered from the pitch five minutes from the end. Not long back from a serious shoulder injury, the Shannon man appeared to suffer a knee injury on this occasion.
Clare made a somewhat shaky start and were fortunate not to concede a goal in the opening minute when goalie Keith Duggan fumbled a delivery from midfield but the Limerick full-forward missed the target with his effort.
Limerick captain Shane Dowling, one of the heroes of the Limerick’s Munster senior semi-final win on Sunday, opened the scoring in the second minute but, straight from the puck-out, Jamie Shanahan fired over the equaliser.
Shane Gleeson and Dowling swapped points to level the tie by the fifth minute and they were level again after 10 minutes at 0-4 each. Clare were two ahead at the end of the first quarter and with five minutes to go to the break, the margin was five, 0-11 to 0-6.
Limerick, despite playing against the wind, finished strongly, outscoring Clare by 0-4 to 0-1, in the last five minutes, to leave just two between the sides at half-time, 0-12 to 0-10, with half of Clare’s total having come from Bobby Duggan.
Limerick were back for the second half well in advance of Clare and referee Johnnie Ryan had to send to the Clare dressing room to get the champions back onto the pitch.The titleholders made the better start and they quickly stretched their lead with points from the impressive Jamie Shanahan and team captain, Tony Kelly.
By the mid-point of the half, the score was 0-17 to 0-12 in Clare’s favour as they began to pull away. Their first goal came 10 minutes from time when Cunningham finished after receiving a pass from Bobby Duggan.
Two minutes before that, Limerick had a Shane Dowling goal from a quickly taken free disallowed.
Duggan’s goal sealed the win for the Clare men on a night when Seadna Morey, Jamie Shanahan, Conor Cleary, Colm Galvin, Tony Kelly and Bobby Gleeson were prominent.
Limerick played the last 10 minutes with 14 men after centre-back Diarmuid Byrnes picked up a second yellow card.
Clare will have home advantage for their Munster semi-final clash with Tipperary on July 16.
Clare: Keith Hogan (Clooney-Quin); Jarlath Colleran (St Joseph’s), Jack Browne (Ballyea), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge); Gearóid O’Connell (Ballyea), Conor Cleary (Miltown St Joseph’s), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge); Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Eoin Enright (Kilmaley); Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin); Tony Kelly (Ballyea, captain), Shane Gleeson (Cratloe); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), David Reidy (Éire Óg), Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle).
Subs: Shane McGrath (Feakle) for Gleeson (54 minutes); Shane Taylor (Broadford) for Cunningham (inj, 57 minutes) Shane O’Brien (Clonlara) for Colleran (57 minutes); Niall O’Connor (Newmarket) for O’Connell (60 minutes); Stephen Ward (Clarecastle) for Kelly (61 minutes).
Scorers: Bobby Duggan (0-8), Peter Duggan (1-1), Aaron Cunningham (1-1), Tony Kelly (0-3), Shane Gleeson, Colm Galvin and Jamie Shanahan (0-2) each, Seadna Morey (0-1).
Limerick: Darragh Stapleton; Mark Callaghan, Ritchie English, Shane Irwin; Mark Carmody, Diarmuid Byrnes, Dan Morrissey; William O’Donoghue, Cian Lynch; Shane Dowling, David Dempsey, Mike Fitzgibbon; Liam O’Sullivan, Kevin O’Brien, Pat Ryan.
Subs: Darragh O’Donovan for O’Donoghue (37 minutes); Dean Coleman for L O’Sullivan (41 minutes).
Scorers: Shane Dowling (0-8), Kevin O’Brien (1-0), Mark Carmody, Dan Morrissey, Mike Fitzgibbon, Pat Ryan, Cian Lynch, Darragh O’Donovan (0-1) each.
Referee: Johnnie Ryan, Tipperary.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.