Tubridy keeps his head

McGrath Cup (SF) Final/Clare 1-6 Limerick 0-8: An injury-time goal from a penalty secured Clare a first McGrath Cup title since…

McGrath Cup (SF) Final/Clare 1-6 Limerick 0-8:An injury-time goal from a penalty secured Clare a first McGrath Cup title since 2002.

Clare trailed by 0-7 to 0-5 as this final entered injury-time but then Limerick goalkeeper Seán Kiely was penalised for a foot block and referee Paddy Russell pointed to the spot. Corner forward David Tubridy converted the spot-kick to the left of the Limerick goalkeeper.

Limerick were forced to play the last 22 minutes in Cooraclare with just 14 men after substitute Diarmuid Carroll was dismissed for a second yellow card.

Micky Ned O'Sullivan's Limerick side led by 0-5 to 0-2 at half-time. On the resumption Clare got the only score of the opening 15 minutes from a long-range Frank O'Dea free.

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Over 25 minutes of the second half passed before the first score from play arrived as Limerick's Ger Collins maintained his team's three-point lead.

David Russell kicked his second score of the day to reduce the lead as the game entered the final minute before the decisive penalty sealed Clare's win.

CLARE: Joe Hayes; L Healy, C Whelan, D Conole; J Larkin, G Kelly, E Doyle; D Kelly, F O'Dea (0-2, two frees); John Hayes, M O'Shea, D Russell (0-2); S Hickey, T Ryan, D Tubridy (1-2, 0-2 frees, 1-0 pen). Subs: S Collins for J Hayes (half-time), C Dillon for T Ryan (42 mins), K Whelan for S Collins (60 mins).

LIMERICK: S Kiely; S Walsh, J McCarthy, S Gallagher; P Browne, S Lavin, P Ranahan; J Cooke (0-2), J Galvin; A Lane, D Phelan, S Buckley; I Ryan (0-3, two frees), J Murphy, G Collins (0-1). Sub: M Crowley (0-1, free) for Lane (15 mins), D Carroll for P Browne (25 mins), T Cahill for J Murphy (41 mins), K O'Callaghan (0-1, free) for Crowley (47 mins), G Noonan for J Cooke (57 mins).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).