Late goal sees Limerick survive intense Clare test to book All-Ireland final return

The Treaty will take on Galway in the championship decider on July 19

Limerick's Aidan O'Connor celebrates scoring a late goal. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

LIMERICK 1-21 CLARE 1-19 

Limerick is a lady and lady is luck as the Munster champions were blessed to advance to their first All-Ireland final in three seasons.

Clare may only have scored 1-3 in the second half, all but one point from placed balls, but Nickie Quaid was allowed to remain on the field despite appearing to be a black card trip on Peter Duggan for Tony Kelly’s converted 57th minute penalty goal. That Duggan wasn’t in possession of the ball when fouled seemed to be the reason for the Limerick goalkeeper’s lesser charge.

Quaid was booked and Kelly stuck to penalty with aplomb to send Clare six points up but they didn’t score for what was left as Limerick struck them with an unanswered 1-5. Without Quaid, that very well might not have happened and Clare can claim an injustice.

In front of a 56,891 crowd, Gearóid Hegarty was outstanding for a hiccupping Limerick side who accumulated 15 wides but were terrific on second-half puck-outs, which at times were a form of piggery.

In a scrappy but immensely intense game, Aidan O’Connor followed Kelly’s goal with three frees and then came his goal a second into additional time. Adam English sent in a diagonal ball which O’Connor beat Darragh Lohan to and finished low beyond Eibhear Quilligan.

It put Limerick ahead for the first time since the 10th minute and O’Connor sent over a free to double the cushion. Clare searched but all in vain as Limerick secured their July 19 date with Galway.

The Saturday rumour that Cian Lynch would be replaced by English turned out to be true, even though the Patrickswell man led out the team and showed no sign of an injury in the warm-up.

For Clare, John Conlon was a late replacement for Shane Meehan and he operated as a sitting midfielder in front of Diarmuid Ryan who at times appeared like a spare defender.

In suffocating conditions, the opening exchanges were iffy and the teams were level on two occasions before Clare moved away with three points without response. Ryan Taylor, Cathal Malone and Kelly, occupying a free role from the inside line, were the scorers.

Lohan was in the right place to deny English a goal chance in the 17th minute and when Shane O’Donnell finished off a score seconds later the Clare roar was heard in full effect.

O’Connor’s frees provided relief for Limerick in the first half and his third free of the game was followed by Kyle Hayes’s first to narrow the gap to two points.

Hayes was then fouled Lohan having lost the ball and the exchange was indicative of the trouble Limerick’s half-back line was experiencing. Clare’s puck-out was causing them difficult as they found themselves crowded out and the likes of Kelly were picking up the scraps.

Two O’Connor frees were Limerick’s only scores between the 24th and first minute of additional time as Clare piled on the points. Duggan’s 30th minute point was an immense score and Kelly’s fourth was backed up by two Rodgers’ frees to send Clare seven ahead.

English and Cathal O’Neill send over much-needed scores prior to the interval. Five was a considerable difference. It wasn’t enough for a Clare side who have a lot of reasons to be indignant in defeat.

Scorers for Limerick: A. O’Connor (1-9, 0-8 frees); D. Byrnes (0-3, 2 frees); C. O’Neill, P. Casey (0-2 each); S. O’Brien, A. Gillane, K. Hayes, B. Nash, A. English (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: T. Kelly (1-5, 1-0 pen); M. Rodgers (0-7, 6 frees); P. Duggan (0-3); R. Taylor (0-2); C. Malone, S. O’Donnell (0-1 each).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; S. Finn, D. Morrissey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, W. O’Donoghue (c), K. Hayes; A. English, D. O’Donovan; G. Hegarty, C. O’Neill, A. O’Connor; P. Casey, A. Gillane, S. O’Brien.

Subs for Limerick: T. Morrissey for G. Hegarty (temp, 34-36); D. Reidy for D. O’Donovan (48); T. Morrissey for A. Gillane (52); C. Lynch for C. O’Neill (57); M. Casey for D. Morrissey (63); F. Fitzgerald for P. Casey (70+5).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; D. Lohan, D. McInerney, A. Hogan; N. O’Farrell, D. Ryan, C. Cleary; J. Conlon, R. Taylor; C. Malone, P. Duggan, S. Rynne; T. Kelly (c), S. O’Donnell, M. Rodgers.

Subs for Clare: C. Galvin for C. Cleary (46); D. Stritch for J. Conlon (48); I. Galvin for M. Rodgers (62); D. Fitzgerald for S. Rynne (63); D. Reidy for D. Stritch (inj 69).

Referee: T. Walsh (Waterford).