Limerick advance to the semis

Clare 1-16 Limerick 1-23

Limerick gained revenge on Clare for last year’s 17-point defeat in the qualifiers as they booked their place in the All-Ireland SHC semi-finals.

Andrew O’Shaughnessy was Limerick’s scoring hero with 0-11 as Richie Bennis’ side dominated long stretches of today’s Croke Park clash.

Clare were 0-11 to 0-7 behind at half-time and conceded a 38th-minute goal to Donie Ryan. A Diarmuid McMahon goal helped Clare cut the gap to three points but Limerick finished the better by scoring four of the game’s final five points.

CLARE: P Brennan; G O’Grady, F Lohan (capt), K Dilleen; G Quinn, B Bugler (0-2), A Markham; B O’Connell, C Lynch (0-2); D O’Rourke (0-3), D McMahon (1-1), J Clancy (0-3); N Gilligan (0-5, 0-5f), B Nugent, B Gaffney.

Subs used: D O’Connell for Gaffney (half-time), F Lynch for Nugent (43)

LIMERICK: B Murray; D Reale (capt), S Lucey, S Hickey; M O’Riordan, B Geary, M Foley; D O’Grady (0-1), M O'Brien; M Fitzgerald (0-4), O Moran (0-1), N Moran; A O'Shaughnessy (0-11, 0-6f), B Begley, K Tobin (0-2).

Subs used: D Ryan (1-2) for N Moran (27 mins), G O’Mahony for O’Brien (35-35+1, blood sub), J O’Brien (0-1) for Tobin (49), B Foley (0-1) for Fitzgerald (56), P Lawlor for O’Brien (67)

Referee: Michael Wadding (Waterford)