Limerick find an extra gear to see off Clare in Munster final thriller

After an almighty battle between the neighbours and rivals, it was Limerick who found another gear in extra time to win their Munster fourth title in a row

5 June 2022; Kyle Hayes of Limerick is tackled by Shane O'Donnell of Clare during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Final match between Limerick and Clare at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Limerick 1-29 Clare 0-29 (after extra time)

The dynamic duo of Seamus Flanagan and Aaron Gillane have guided Limerick to a third straight Munster SHC title and the inaugural Mick Mackey Cup.

In an enthralling encounter that will go down as one of the great provincial finals, the pair contributed 11 points from play between them to steer the All-Ireland champions past an incredible Clare effort.

Just a point separated the sides in the second half of extra-time when scores from Gillane (free), Conor Boylan and David Reidy gave Limerick some much-needed space. Clare managed another couple of points but William O’Donoghue manufactured the insurance score.

Limerick outscored Clare 0-3 to 0-1 in the first period of extra-time to lead 1-24 to 0-25 on the turnaround. Aaron Gillane produced a score from play and from a free he won against Conor Cleary and Seamus Flanagan added his seventh point while Tony Kelly brought his personal tally to 12 points.

A piece of Tony Kelly wizardry had forced extra-time. Up to that juncture, the 2013 hurler of the year exhibited the great and the middling. 

Scoring five points from play in normal time, he also struck five wides, four of them from play, and was relieved of free-taking duties before the end. But there he was able to stand up and execute that sideline cut from an acute angle at the acutest of times.

The teams were level for the 13th time in the 65th minute when Gillane opened his account from play, turning on a pass from Kyle Hayes.

Further scores followed by Flanagan and Gillane but two Peter Duggan frees levelled it. And just when captain Declan Hannon appeared to have delivered a long-range winner, up stepped Kelly to level.

The sides were never more than two points apart throughout the second half. Mike Casey took a blow to deny Shane O’Donnell a goalbound shot in the 45th minute and there were some heroics at the other end from Clare’s corner backs.

Clare’s start to the match had been as sharp as what they produced up to this point in the round-robin stages. They were 0-3 to no score up in the eighth minute before Limerick hit back with four points on the trot.

The intensity was palpable as was the importance of the puck-out as each team seemed to score quickly off so many of them and for a time Clare were profiting on Limerick’s restarts.

Kelly introduced himself to the scoreboard midway through the half and finished the period with seven points, four of them from play. Flanagan was proving a nuisance for the Clare inside line and along with Kelly was top scorer from play in the opening half.

The teams were level for a fourth time in the 18th minute when the stylish Ryan Taylor added his second of three opening half points. His third score in the 24th minute put Clare into a merited three-point lead and that was the margin three minutes later when Gearóid Hegarty showed exquisite control of the ball to solo over and around Diarmuid Ryan to dispatch the ball to the net.

Limerick twice went ahead in the closing stages of the half but Clare came back each time and the sides were squared for a seventh time going into the interval, 1-11 to 0-14.

Scorers for Limerick: A. Gillane (0-10, 7 frees); S. Flanagan (0-8); G. Hegarty (1-0); T. Morrissey (0-3); C. O’Neill (0-2); D. Byrnes (free), D. O’Donovan, D. Hannon, C. Boylan, D. Reidy, W. O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: T. Kelly (0-13, 5 frees, 1 sideline); D. Fitzgerald (0-5); P. Duggan (0-4, 3 frees, 1 sideline); R. Taylor (0-3); M. Rodgers (0-2, 1 free); I. Galvin, S. Meehan (0-1 each).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; B. Nash, M. Casey, S. Finn; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), D. Morrissey; W. O’Donoghue, D. O’Donovan; G. Hegarty, C. O’Neill, T. Morrissey; K. Hayes, S. Flanagan, A. Gillane.

Subs for Limerick: R. English for M. Casey (inj 57); D. Reidy for C. O’Neill (58); G. Mulcahy for D. O’Donovan (64); C. Boylan for T. Morrissey (65); O. O’Reilly for G. Hegarty (87).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; R. Hayes, C. Cleary, P. Flanagan; D. Ryan, J. Conlon, D. McInerney; C. Malone, R. Taylor; D. Fitzgerald, T. Kelly (c), S. O’Donnell; D. Reidy, P. Duggan, I. Galvin.

Subs for Clare: S. Meehan for I. Galvin (55); R. Mounsey for D. Reidy (63); C. Nolan for P. Flanagan (69); M. Rodgers for D. Ryan (70 et); D. Reidy for S. O’Donnell (83); S. Golden for T. Kelly (inj 88).

Referee: J. Keenan (Wicklow).