Limerick rewarded for resilience

Clare 2-23 Limerick 3-23

“It’s great to be back in a national final, isn’t it, especially with what’s happened in Limerick for the last few years,” said midfielder Donie Ryan after this NHL semi-final win over Clare. “And with Munster 13-3 up, that’s great news altogether!”

Limerick were short a few thousand of their regular support, gone to Lansdowne Road to see Munster eventually hammer home that half-time advantage over Leinster, but those who did make their way to Thurles witnessed a heroic effort by the boys in green as they clawed back an eight-point Clare lead with just 15 minutes remaining in regular time for a well-deserved extra-time victory.

This was a big win for Limerick. Clare came to Thurles with strong credentials, having topped their group in the regular rounds of the campaign and finished with a good win over Cork in Cork and, like Limerick, Clare were serious about this game, picking their strongest available 15.

After an entertaining opening half, following which they led 1-10 to 2-4, Clare looked primed to get that result. Ten points from the forwards pointed to a team capable of doing damage up front. Their goal was soft, a 40m McMahon sideline cut dropped to the net by the otherwise impeccable Brian Murray, but Clare were looking good.

By contrast, Limerick were struggling for scores, though full-forward Brian Begley had Brian Lohan in trouble, winning the penalty for the first Limerick goal that was duly converted by Mark Keane, who crashed the second major to the roof of the net after a fine catch. However, Limerick struggled for points with nine bad wides in that first 35 minutes.

After the break came Fergal Lynch’s three points, Gilligan’s goal in the 48th minute, and Clare were 2-15 to 2-8 ahead with just 15 minutes to play. Then came that Limerick fight-back.

“We’re on a run of 14 unbeaten games, we weren’t going to lose that easily today,” said Donie Ryan.

“We had the wind in the second half, that seems to be our lucky goal at that end, the scores came for us.”

The scores came in the form of points from the increasingly dangerous Andrew O’Shaughnessy, frees drilled by marksman Keane; the biggest score of the match, a 20m free crashed to the net by the same man, after yet another foul on Begley by the unfortunate Brian Lohan. Were it not for the heroics of Davy Fitzgerald in the final minutes, it would have been game over in normal time. As it was, 2-18 for Clare, 3-15 for Limerick: extra-time.

Within seconds of the throw-in, substitute Niall Moran had Limerick in front; minutes later, Gilligan had tied it again, but from there to the end, much as it was against Waterford last week, it was Limerick finishing the stronger. A one-point lead at the break in extra-time, three points at the death, and no doubt about the better side.

“We are fit, and we’re hungry,” said manager Joe McKenna.

“We have very little hurling done over the last five or six years, we haven’t been involved in any of the latter stages of the big competitions. Our lads are fresh, the legs are strong, very little mileage, we’re in fair shape.

Anthony Daly was understandably disappointed.

“We were cruising, but mentally we didn’t close out the deal, and we’re having that problem. Somewhere between now and five weeks time we have to get our heads around that.”

Those problems at the back?

“We have to try and do something with the backline, I suppose. We have to look at it now, work on it, study the video to see where we went wrong. Loads of work to be done, Cork (Clare’s championship opponents) would be away ahead of either of those two teams out there at the moment, a mile ahead.”

Scorers: Limerick: M. Keane 2-10 (2-5 frees, 0-2 65s); B. Begley 1-0; A. O’Shaughnessy 0-3; D. Moloney 0-2; C. Fitzgerald 0-2; S. Lucey, M. O’Brien, D. Ryan, B. Foley (free), N. Moran, P. O’Grady, 0-1 each. Clare: N. Gilligan 1-4 (0-1 free); D. McMahon 1-3 (1-0 s/l); D. Quinn 0-4 (all frees); F. Lynch 0-3; B. Nugent 0-3; S. McMahon 0-2 (free, 65); T. Griffin 0-2; J. Clancy, D. O’Rourke, 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: B. Murray; D. Reale, TJ Ryan (c), M. Foley; O. Moran, B. Geary, D. O’Grady; P. O’Grady, D. Ryan; M. O’Brien, S. Lucey, C. Fitzgerald; A. O’Shaughnessy, B. Begley, M. Keane. Subs: D. Moloney (P. O’Grady 35); S. Hickey (O’Brien 52); B. Foley (Moran 57); N. Moran (Fitzgerald 62); P. Kirby (Keane inj. 70); P. O’Grady (D. O’Grady 83); M. Fitzgerald (D. Ryan inj. 91).

CLARE: D. Fitzgerald; F. Lohan, B. Lohan, G. O’Grady; A. Markham, S. McMahon, G. Quinn; B. O’Connell, C. Lynch; D. McMahon, N. Gilligan, F. Lynch; B. Nugent, T. Griffin, D. Quinn. Subs: P. Vaughan (Markham 27); J. Clancy (D. Quinn 64); C. Harrison (B. Lohan 70); D. O’Rourke (F. Lynch 78).

Referee: B. Gavin (Offaly).