Limerick hold out furious challenge from across the border for four in a row

Clare 0-29 Limerick 1-29 AET

When referee John Keenan blew the final blast on his whistle, Clare players slumped to the ground, as their Limerick opponents celebrated an unprecedented four Munster titles in a row.

Driven by an outstanding display from full forward Séamus Flanagan, who ended the 90 minutes with 0-8 from play — having got off to an unpromising start when kicking a goal chance wide in the fourth minute — the champions had held out in the face of yet another furious challenge from across the border.

Their defence again gave them a foundation that proved hard to shake and manager John Kiely paid tribute to the tireless covering of his backs under at times intense pressure. Up front, Aaron Gillane found scores at vital times.

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Expectations for the contest had grown to such a point that some were already anticipating disappointment by Sunday morning. Limerick had been held to a draw twice by their neighbours, during both the league and the provincial round robin. Could Clare compete as well as that again?

We needn’t have worried. In front of as atmospheric a crowd as we’ve seen since the travails of Covid, the top two teams in the championship to date gave a heavyweight demonstration of what they’ve brought to the table so far. Coincidentally, the teams ended up after 70 minutes on exactly the same score as their recent match in Ennis, 1-21 to 0-24.

[ As It Happened: Munster hurling final - Clare 0-29 Limerick 1-29 AET ]

Limerick’s wrecking ball physicality gave them a slight edge but Clare weren’t backing down and took the hits while continuing to play fast and varied patterns.

The champions’ experience and practised championship play eventually won out in extra time but they’d been pushed all the way. Captain, Declan Hannon is having a fine season for the champions and when the final edged into injury-time at the end of the 70 minutes, he looked to have won it.

With play hurtling one way and the other, he took possession in the maelstrom and giving the appearance of having all the time in the world, pointed from his own 65 to push Limerick 1-21 to 0-23 ahead.

The final curtain was descending in the last moments of injury-time when Clare got a line ball just over 20 metres out. Their captain, Tony Kelly stepped up and chipped it over to bring extra time. It hadn’t been the easiest of afternoons for him from placed balls but in keeping with his supernal standards of performance in recent years, he delivered in the team’s time of need.

They had hurled up a storm in the first half and must have been disappointed to go in on just level terms, having shot seven wides. Tony Kelly had experienced a bit of turbulence on the frees but was otherwise sublime, conjuring scores from play such as in the 16th minute just after one of the dead-ball misses.

Channelling his unhappiness, he furiously dispossessed Gearóid Hegarty, flicked up the ball, disappeared down the left wing and struck a point off the stick. He had accomplices. Ryan Taylor shot three wonderful scores from distance before half-time and David Fitzgerald had five for the afternoon.

Limerick kept the match in sight thanks to a well-taken goal by Hegarty. Tom Morrissey flicked a ball through and Hegarty popped it over the head of Diarmuid Ryan before crashing it into the net in the 29th minute and that was the key score in a 1-11 to 0-14 half-time deadlock.

Fitzgerald put Clare back in front and it went tit-for-tat through the second half. Limerick looked as if they were going to pull away but backed by their fervent support, the challengers wouldn’t let go. They were frustrated to go behind to an Cathal O’Neill point in the 44th minute because David McInerney had been clearly fouled by Hegarty in the lead-up.

Shane O’Donnell had a goal chance minutes later but instead of laying it off, went for the shot and Mike Casey blocked.

But Limerick will also feel that they left scores behind with 11 second-half wides. They would also hope to get more from Kyle Hayes, who was well marked by the excellent Paul Flanagan.

The teams were level 15 times before wrestling the match into extra time. Ironically, once Limerick hit the front in the additional 20 minutes, they never surrendered that lead, which stood at two after the first half and had stretched to three, 1-29 to 0-29 by the end.

Their familiarity with each other and their well-rehearsed structure held as Clare flailed a bit as fatigue took hold. Limerick had good impact of the bench as well.

Most of all they had the assurance of champions. Their opponents came at them hard on Sunday and any cracks in the champions’ resolve would have been exposed. There just weren’t any.

LIMERICK: 1. N Quaid; 2. S Finn, 4. B Nash, 3. M Casey; 5. D Byrnes (0-1, free), 6. D Hannon (0-1), 7. D Morrissey; 8. D O’Donovan (0-1), 9. W O’Donoghue (0-1); 10. G Hegarty (1-0), 11. C O’Neill (0-2), 12. T Morrissey (0-3); 13. A Gillane (0-10, seven frees), 14. S Flanagan (0-8), 15. K Hayes.

Subs: 22. R English for Casey (57 mins), 26. D Reidy (0-1) for O’Neill (58 mins), 24. G Mulcahy for O’Donovan (64 mins), 18. C Boylan (0-1) for T Morrissey (65 mins), 24. O O’Reilly for Hegarty (87 mins).

CLARE: 1. E Quilligan; 2. R Hayes, 3. C Cleary, 4. P Flanagan; 5. D Ryan, 6. J Conlon, 7. D McInerney; 10. C Malone, 15. R Taylor (0-3); 8. D Fitzgerald (0-5), 14. P Duggan (0-4, three frees, one sideline), 12. S O’Donnell; 9. D Reidy, 13. I Galvin (0-1), 11. T Kelly (capt; 0-13, five frees, one sideline).

Subs: 19. S Meehan (0-1) for Galvin (55 mins), 23. R Mounsey for Reidy (63 mins), 18. C Nolan for Flanagan (69 mins), 26. M Rogers (0-2, 1f) for Ryan (extra time), 9. D Reidy for O’Donnell (83 mins), 25. P Crotty for Duggan (86 mins).

Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)