Shannonsiders cut short Banner’s winning run

Limerick 3-18   Clare 1-20

CLARE’S involvement in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship title race ended at Semple Stadium on Saturday evening when arch rivals, Limerick, avenged the Division 1B League final result and dumped their neighbours out of the race for the Liam McCarthy Cup.

The concession of three goals proved very costly for Clare, who were seeking their fourth win of the season over Limerick. Clare failed to reproduce the same level of hunger they had shown when overcoming Dublin a week earlier and a fresher Limerick emerged with four points to spare and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Limerick’s goals came at vital times and Clare will certainly be wondering about what might have been had they managed to prevent these scores.
The first came after just four minutes when wing-back Wayne McNamara raced through to shoot low to the corner of the net. McNamara has strong Clare connections as his mother is the former Vera Killoughery from Ballyea. Ironically, the Adare clubman was marking Ballyea’s Tony Kelly on Saturday evening.
Limerick’s second goal was, arguably, the game’s crucial score and it came a minute before the end of normal time in the first half. Clare had just had a spell of dominance, which yielded seven unanswered points ended with a Shane Dowling pointed free.
Limerick were awarded a free deep in their own half but the match official moved the ball forward for dissent. Gavin O’Mahoney’s effort landed in the Clare goalmouth and corner-forward Sean Tobin rose highest to divert the ball to the net.
Two Shane Dowling frees, both awarded against Clare for picking the ball off the ground, followed and in the space of four minutes, Clare had seen a four-point lead turned into a two-point deficit. It was a blow from which they never recovered.
A point separated the teams at half-time with Limerick ahead on a 2-9 to 0-14 scoreline. Nicky O’Connell found the target with a 70m free in the first minute of the second to tie up the scores for the fourth and final time in the game.
In the next nine minutes, Limerick hit 1-4 without reply and from here on, Clare were chasing the game. They succeeded in getting within three points of the winners with two minutes to play after Tony Kelly drilled a 20m low to the net but time wasn’t on their side and efforts to get an equalising goal failed.
The Banner men went into the tie with two changes in personnel from the side, which lined out against Dublin. Corner-back Conor Cooney was omitted from the starting team and Seadna Morey switched from midfield to this position with Colm Galvin called into the team at midfield.
Up front, Aaron Cunningham was in the team in place of Jonathon Clancy and he lined out at corner-forward with John Conlon on the 40.
Clare were first to score when Tony Kelly pointed in the opening minute but this was quickly cancelled by man of the match, Limerick full-forward, Niall Moran.
Wayne McNamara raced through unchallenged in the fourth minute for a goal, which rocked Clare. When Niall Moran added another point, it was clear Limerick would not be pushed aside easily. At the end of the first quarter, it was 1-6 to 0-6 in Limerick’s favour when a free for all developed in the Clare goalmouth. When the dust settled, referee, Gavin, issued yellow cards to Cian Dillon and Niall Moran both of whom were fortunate to escape red.
The melee sparked off a stunning response from Clare and they produced their best hurling of the evening and hit seven unanswered points in as many minutes to turn a three-point deficit into a four-point lead with three minutes remaining in the half.
In the last three minutes of the half, Clare conceded a few soft frees, which Limerick punished to the full. Tobin’s goal was a real killer blow and helped the eventual winners to lead at the break on a score of 2-9 to 0-14.
The teams exchanged points in the opening minutes of the second half before Limerick dealt Clare another major blow. Despite Nicky O’Connell’s efforts to cut out a David Breen delivery, the ball broke to Declan Hannon and his first-time effort beat Patrick Kelly for the winner’s third goal.
Two great Niall Moran points and one from Graeme Mulcahy followed and Clare were seven points in arrears with just 10 minutes of the new half played.
Midway through this half, Clare had a couple of chances of goals but Nicky Quaid saved well from Darach Honan and from Tony Kelly to deny them.
Entering the final five minutes, the margin was still seven but, to their credit, Clare didn’t give up and a John Conlon point followed by a Tony Kelly goal from a 20m free reduced the deficit to a goal with two minutes plus injury time still to play.
Try as they did, Clare didn’t manage to get any closer and they have reason to be  disappointed with a couple of Brian Gavin’s decisions in the closing stages, particularly one against Brendan Bugler, which resulted in Limerick’s final score.
In the end, the concession of those goals and the fact that Limerick had greater experience proved decisive. The winners’ half-back line of Wayne McNamara, Donal O’Grady and Gavin O’Mahoney held the upperhand on their opponents, while Nicky Quaid was soundness personified between the posts.
Up front, Niall Moran caused all sorts of problems for Clare, while his flankers, Graeme Mulcahy and Seanie Tobin also troubled Clare.
Patrick Kelly made a couple of important stops between the Clare posts, while Brendan Bugler and Pat Donnellan excelled in the half-back line. Colm Galvin got through some good work but the Clare attack struggled.

Limerick: Nicky Quaid; Stephen Walsh, Ritchie McCarthy, Tom Condon; Wayne McNamara, Donal O’Gready, Gavin O’Mahoney; James Ryan, Paudie O’Brien; Shane Dowling, Brian Geary, David Breen; Graeme Mulcahy, Niall Moran, Sean Tobin.
Subs: Declan Hannon for Geary (29 minutes); Kevin Downes for Tobin (59 minutes), Shane O’Neill for Condon (59 minutes); Seamus Hickey for J Ryan (60 minutes); Tom Ryan for Mulcahy (70 minutes).
Scorers: Shane Dowling (0-8, all frees); Niall Moran (0-5), Graeme Mulcahy (0-3), Wayne McNamara, Sean Tobin, Declan Hannon (1-0), each; Gavin O’Mahoney, Kevin Downes (0-1 each).
Frees for: 17; wides: 6.
Bookings: Niall Moran (22 minutes); Ritchie McCarthy (37 minutes).

Clare: Patrick Kelly; Domhnaill O’Donovan, Cian Dillon, Seadna Moray; Brendan Bugler, Pat Donnellan (captain), Nicky O’Connell; Colm Galvin, Sean Collins; Fergal Lynch, John Conlon, Tony Kelly; Aaron Cunningham, Darach Honan, Conor McGrath.
Subs: Liam Markham for Collins (49 minutes), Colin Ryan for Cunningham (63 minutes); Jonathon Clancy for Honan (68 minutes).
Scorers: Conor McGrath (0-6, 4f); Tony Kelly (1-2, 1-1f); Nicky O’Connell (0-4, 3f, 1 65’); Colm Galvin (0-3), John Conlon (0-2), Aaron Cunningham, Brendan Bugler, Pat Donnellan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 16; wides: 8; 65s: 1.
Bookings: Seadna Moray (20 minutes); Cian Dillon (22 minutes).

Referee: Brian Gavin, Offaly.