Goal blitz seals victory for Clare

Limerick 0-12 Clare 3-13: A early goal in either half propelled the minor footballers of Clare into their first Munster MFC final since 1994.

Paudie Kelly struck after four minutes, while 90 seconds into the second half Gavin Cooney found the net for a Clare side managed by 1992 All Star Seamus Clancy.

Limerick led 0-10 to 1-5 at half-time and that was after Clare had a blitz of 1-2 inside five minutes. The fourth minute Kelly goal had Clare in the driving seat but they then went 10 minutes without a score. Six different Limerick players were on the mark as they led 0-6 to 1-2 by the 11th minute with captain Karl Moloney, Barry Coleman and Adam Costelloe scoring points.

Gavin Cooney interrupted the Limerick run but two each for Sean Ryan and Rory O’Brien ensured the interval lead for Limerick. Limerick remarkably scored just twice in the second half and had to wait until injury time for an O’Brien point from play.

Clare wrapped up a first Munster final spot in 23 years with a late Ross O’Doherty goal.

Scorers for Limerick:

R O’Brien 0-6 (2f), S Ryan 0-2, P Power, K Moloney, B Coleman, A Costelloe 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare:

G Cooney 1-5 (0-2f), P Kelly 1-2 (0-1 ‘45), R O’Doherty 1-0, D Ryan 0-3, G Cahill 0-2, D Coughlan 0-1.

LIMERICK:

C Walsh; M Quinlan, E Burke, C Ferris; P Power, J Fitzgerald, J Cummins; K Moloney, L Kennedy; B Coleman, N Callanan, R O’Brien; A Costelloe, C Moran, S Ryan.

Subs:

D Burke for Callanan (46), C Moran for Ryan (50).

CLARE:

M Lillis; J Sheedy, J O’Sullivan, J Miniter; D Ryan, F Donnellan, K White; C McMahon, D Griffith; P Kelly, S Rouine, D Coughlan; G Cooney, C O’Sullivan, G Cahill.

Subs:

C Dillon for McMahon (h-t), R O’Doherty for O’Donoghue (40), R Considine for Cahill (55), A O’Brien for Griffin (58), B Clancy for Coughlan (61).

Referee:

D Murnane (Cork).