Strong finish from Clare seals win over Limerick

There was no denying Clare in a hectic finish as points by Sean Rynne, who was hugely influential in the second half, and two Whelan frees saw them home to a deserved win.

Fri, 05 Apr, 2024 - 20:58

Joe O Muircheartaigh, Sixmilebridge

Munster U20 HC

Clare 2-17

Limerick 2-15

Clare looked to have blown their chance when the half-time whistle sounded in this entertaining provincial opener as they were reeling from a Limerick scoring spurt that had turned the game on its head.

The Shannonsiders had reeled off 2-3 in the space of 12 minutes against the wind to edge into a 2-8 to 1-9 lead and with the wind to come a victory seemed theirs for the taking.

That Clare thought and hurled differently when facing into the elements came with a second-half rejuvenation that began within seconds of the restart when Sean Rynne pointed, but really had lift-off when star forward Micheal Collins' dogged persistence helped him dispossess full-back Darragh Langan before he fired home his second goal.

His first strike had come just five minutes in as a Clare side that included seven starters from last year's All-Ireland minor winning side made a confident start to surge into a 1-6 to 0-3 lead by the 17th minute.

They looked comfortable only for their challenge to collapse from there until half-time as Limerick were sparked to life by a 19th-minute goal from Niall O'Farrell.

After a long delivery from corner-back Mickey Fitzgibbon he won the aerial duel on the edge of the square and dispatched to the empty net to signal the start of a stunning first-half denouement.

Their return of 2-3 to 0-3 from there until the break spoke volumes, with the second goal in the first minute of injury time being a gift as a misplaced pass from Ronan Keane as he came out of defence being intercepted by Robert O'Farrell before he blasted home from the 20-metre line.

It looked bleak for the home side, but when the spirit wasn't lacking on the turnover the hurling soon followed after Collins' goal put them back on terms before they forged two clear by the three-quarter stage thanks to good points by Niall O'Farrell, Ronan Kilroy and Jack O'Neill.

Limerick did lead by a point with five minutes remaining thanks to points by Donal Coughlan, Oisin O'Farrell and Con Hayes, but despite a missed penalty by Conor Whelan there was no denying Clare in a hectic finish as points by Sean Rynne, who was hugely influential in the second half, and two Whelan frees saw them home to a deserved win.

Scorers for Clare: M Collins (2-1), C Whelan (0-7, 6f), S Rynne (0-3), S Woods (0-1), E Gunning (0-1), N O'Farrell (0-2), R Kilroy (0-1), J O'Neill (0-1).

Scorers for Limerick: O O'Farrell (1-7, 6f), R O'Farrell (1-1), C Hayes (0-3), D Ferland (0-1), D Fitzgerald (0-1), F Fitzgerald (0-1), D Coughlan (0-1).

CLARE: M Sheedy, J Cahill, T Leyden, R Keane; S Woods, J Hegarty, J Moylan; R O'Connor, E Gunning; C Whelan, N O'Farrell, R Kilroy; J O'Neill, S Rynne, M Collins.

Subs: J Organ for Gunning (53), E Maxted for O'Connor (58).

LIMERICK: P Connery; M Fitzgibbon, D Langan, J Fitzgerald; D Fitzgerald, M Fitzgerald, C Scully; W Kearns, C Hayes; R O'Farrell, F Fitzgerald, D Ferland; H Flanagan, S O'Brien, O O'Farrell.

Subs: D Coughlan for O'Brien (42), M O'Riordan for Flanagan (53).

Referee: C O'Regan (Cork)