Limerick SHC final/Ahane 1-11 Garryspillane 0-13: Garryspillane succumbed to a 64th-minute pointed free by Niall Moran at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday as Ahane captured their 19th senior hurling crown.

Former Clare selector Tony Considine, coach to Garryspillane, said it was bad enough to lose with practically the last puck, but worse when the most crucial score of all came from a free. "It might have been so different had Frankie Carroll not missed from three yards coming up to the break."

The sides had been locked together for the ninth time when Moran struck a free from 50 yards between the uprights.

Goalkeeper Darren Hayes will forever remember the Ahane goal on 16 minutes. Ollie Moran floated a 70-yard free into the square, Hayes gathered but as he attempted to clear Brian Healy nicked the ball from his stick and put it in the net. Frankie Carroll managed to keep Garryspillane in touch from frees, and it was level 0-7 to 1-4 at the interval.

When Dave Ryan drilled over a pair of points after the break the pressure was back on Ahane. Niall Moran and John Meskell levelled, and it remained touch and go to the end.

In the 55th minute Meskell gave his side the advantage. Donie Ryan made it all square once more. And David Laing had the Ahane fans on their feet when he drilled past Darren Hayes. However, referee Michael Mann ruled the goal out. Then came Niall Moran's winner.

AHANE: F McCarthy; D O'Sullivan, B Meskell, D Fitzgerald; C Smith, O Moran, C O'Reilly; N Moran (0-6, 5 frees), A O'Doherty; J Moran (0-1), D Laing (0-1), J Meskell (0-2, 1 free); B Healy (1-1), S O'Connor, P Ryan. Sub: M Hayes for O'Doherty.

GARRYSPILLANE: D Hayes; S Bourke, J Sheehan, J Kiely; M O'Brien, David Ryan (0-2, frees), T O'Donnell; J Ryan, M O'Donnell; C Hickey, TJ Ryan (0-2, 1 free), T Harty; Donie Ryan (0-3), F Carroll (0-6, frees), D O'Dea. Subs: P Hyland for D O'Dea; M O'Dea for Harty.

Referee: Michael Mann (Ballybrown).