Limerick’s strong finish wins the day

Limerick 2-15 Clare 0-19

Before a crowd of 1,719 Shannonside neighbours Clare and Limerick played an entertaining game in the Munster senior hurling league at Sixmilebridge this evening

A strong finish by the visitors resulted in a two point win which keeps their hopes of winning the title alive

Clare made the better start and had four points on the scoreboard before Gearoid Hegarty opened Limerick’s accouunt in the seventh minute. Hegarty was replaced before half time after suffering a leg injury.

By the mid point of the half just a point separated the sides with the score at 0-5 to 0-4 but then Clare hit four unanswered scores, three coming from John Conlon who had also got the opening score in the third minute.

When Shane golden had his second point three minutes before the end of the first half the margin in Clare’s favour was out to three points but two minutes later the visitors punished a defensive error by Clare and Graeme Mulcahy first timed the ball to the net to level the tie for the first time.

Clare went back in front a minute later when David Reidy converted his second free of the evening after the Limerick defence failed to clear their lines and this left the score at 0-12 to 1-8 at the interval

In the third quarter each side added three points to their half time tallies and approaching the final ten minutes Clare held a three point lead. Limerick captain Diarmaid Byrnes converted his fourth free to cut Clare’s lead to two and then the home side’s defence failed to clear their lines and Barry Nash nipped in for the visitor’s second goal which put them in front for the first time.

They finished strongly and were three points in front before Ben O’Gorman pointed for Clare but it was too late to prevent Limerick from taking the spoils

Clare; D. Tuohy; S.McNamara, C.Dillon, S.Morey; D. Fitzgerald, (0-1) C. Galvin, J.. Shanahan; D. Reidy (0-5) S. Golden (0-3); J. Conlo (0-4), C. Malone (0-1), P. Duggan; C. O’Connel (0-1), A. Shanagher, A. Cunnngham (0-3)

Subs;J McCarthy 0-1 for Shanagher(half time), B O’Gorman 0-1 for fitzgerald; Hehir for Reidy; B Duggan for P. Duggan/.

Limerick N. Quaid, S. Cahill, R. McCarthy, M. Casey; D. Byrnes(Captain) 0-5, D. Hannon, G. O Mahony; J. Fitzgibbon 0-2, J. Ryan; G. Hegarty, 0-1 C. Lynch 0-2, A. La Touche Cosgrave; G. Mulcahy 1-0 B. Nash, 1-0 S.. Tobin0-3.

Subs; K. Hayes for Hegarty T Morrissey 0-1 for La touche-cosgrove; D Dempsey for tobin; P.Browne 0-1 for Ryan; S Hickey for Fitzgerald

Referee; C.McAllister, Cork

By Seamus Hayes