A RIP-ROARING DRAW MEANS IT’S A MUNSTER FINAL D0-OVER

THERE was a little something for everyone in Ennis yesterday with a result that suited both parties. Diarmaid Byrnes’ lastminute free salvaged a draw for the All-Ireland champions, and maintained an unbeaten Championship record that now stretches to 12 games over three seasons.

Remarkably, this was the first draw between these neighbours in Championship hurling for more than 50 years but it felt appropriate. The teams were level on 14 occasions in this thrilling tussle, as momentum flowed from one team to the other.

John Kiely and his management team will probably be happier with the draw, given that they had to play the last 12 minutes without Gearoid Hegarty. The Limerick boss had choice words to say about why referee Colm Lyons chose to send off his half-forward, and the decision did seem harsh. But it’s not the first time in the past week when Limerick’s discipline, both on and off the field, has come under the spotlight.

Given that these teams will do it all over again on the first weekend in June for the Munster final, there will be plenty for both management teams to reflect on. If this was a dress rehearsal in three weeks, we should be in for another treat.

But Clare will have more regrets. In the final 10 minutes, Limerick were not only down to 14 men, but they were without Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Aaron Gillane and Peter Casey. The All-Ireland champions may never be more vulnerable this summer. It was an opportunity for the Banner men to make a mark, but they allowed Limerick to escape across the border with a draw.

Tony Kelly (above) was at his imperious best, especially in the first half when he scored 12 of Clare’s 15 points. Although quieter in the second-half, shutting down the Banner magician in the Munster final will be top on Limerick’s agenda.

The Cusack Park pitch has so often been Kelly’s playground, never more so than in the first-half of this enthralling game when he nailed seven frees and a 65 as well as four points from play. He was treated to the more than 18,000 inside the Ennis ground to an exhibition — one they have seen on many occasions before.

Kiely had mixed things up for Limerick before throw-in, with Robbie Hanley, Conor Boylan and David Reidy all coming in for Darragh O’Donovan, Gillane and Graeme Mulcahy. Kyle Hayes was restored to centre-half forward and his early efforts to win a 65 inside the first minute suggested a Limerick team who wanted to make a statement performance and put all the bad press of the last week behind them.

Hayes bagged a goal in the 15th minute to put Limerick 1-5 to 0-6 ahead but that strike only served to spur the home side on as they went ahead with the next four scores of the game through Kelly, David Fitzgerald and Diarmuid Ryan.

And that is the way the game flowed. Nip and tuck. Kelly and Byrnes both making an impression from the placedballs. The teams were level at the break, 1-12 to 0-15.

And they were also level, 1-19 to 022, when Hegarty controversially got his marching orders. The halfforward had scored four points from play before he picked up a second yellow for a challenge on Paul Flanagan.

But Hegarty’s dismissal only seemed to inspire the champions — with sub O’Donovan edging them ahead going down the final straight.

Clare came back and landed two blows through Shane Meehan and Ryan Taylor before Byrnes levelled things up for the 14th time in the afternoon at the death.

The fall-out from this game will continue for a while with Kiely suggesting that his team is being over-analysed. And it will be interesting to see if Hegarty’s red card is rescinded.

It is all boiling up nicely for the sequel.