Banner raise game to get Munster bid off to flying start
COLM Collins’s Clare secured a fourth Championship win over Limerick in as many years to qualify for a Munster football semi-final with Kerry in a fortnight’s time.
The brilliant Kieran Malone goaled in the first half and inflicted the most damage on the home side at the Gaelic Grounds, as the Division 2 outfit led by five points at the interval and eventually kicked on to a 12-point win.
Considering 19 National League positions separated these two at the end of spring, Clare were entitled to expect victory, but after a shaky period either side of half-time, the ease of this victory bodes well for the rest of their Championship campaign.
With three Munster titles between them neither team has history in their favour, but Clare had the cut of a team intent on improving themselves early on.
After five minutes they led three points to nil, with Eoin Cleary and Jamie Malone to the fore from the off, while a couple of early marks from Cathal O’Connor underlined Clare’s dominance at midfield.
There certainly was a notable composure to Clare’s play. On several occasions they showed excellent control as they worked the ball across the Limerick’s defensive line, but as soon as they worked their shooters into position around the D, they were successful more often than not. With 10 scores and four wides before the interval, it was a good return.
At the other end Limerick rarely showed that confidence, although as well as Eamonn Tubridy’s great save five minutes from the break, Clare needed a great intervention from Aaron Fitzgerald to keep Neville out in added-time.
By the 16th minute that Clare lead was 0-6 to 0-1, with one of those points coming from Jamie Malone via the fingertips of Limerick goalkeeper and captain Donal O’Sullivan. The Limerick keeper was doing his best to keep his side in the game, but after he denied Kieran Malone after 18 minutes, he was helpless as the wing-forward finished off the rebound.
The goal put Clare eight points clear, but after all their early dominance they were guilty of a slack 10 minutes. Much of Limerick’s success in that period emanated from the positing of Jamie Lee around midfield where he launched a few good attacks, while debutant Patrick Begley at full-forward proved a dangerous target man.
Lee and Danny Neville pointed to get Limerick back in the game, but after the duo added another point each, a point-blank save from Eamonn Tubridy kept a Lee shot at bay, which would have put just a point between the sides. Instead Kieran Malone and Tubridy kicked the last two points of the half to give Clare a 1-9 to 0-7 interval lead.
Limerick continued to impress after the restart and a couple of pointed frees from Lee and McSweeney meant a goal just separated the sides after 40 minutes. A black card for Peter Nash was a blow for Limerick, although four early wides from Clare slowed their progress.
But after 13 scoreless minutes to start the half Eimhin Courtney gave Clare something to cheer with a good score on the turn. That score revitalised Clare as Kieran Malone, O’Connor and Cleary combined to see them to a convincing win.
This was far from perfect from Clare, but after a strong Division 2 season, a big win is a great way to launch their claim for a first Munster title since 1992.
Clare: E Tubridy; G Kelly (C Ó nAinifein 42), C Brennan, E Collins (E O’Connor 69); C O’Dea, A Fitzgerald, P Lillis; G Brennan, C O’Connor; K Malone (C Finucane 66), E Cleary, J Malone; E Courtney (M O’Leary 67), K Sexton (G O’Brien 58), D Tubridy (G Cooney 64).
SCORERS: K Malone 1-3, E Cleary 0-5, D Tubridy 0-3 (2f), E Courtney, C Finucane 0-2, K Sexton, P Lillis, C Ó nAinifein, G Cooney, M O’Leary, J Malone, G O’Brien, C O’Connor 0-1.
LIMERICK: D O’Sullivan; D Connolly, S O’Dea, P Maher; P White, C Fahy, G Browne (D Daly 61); D Treacy, M Fitzgibbon (D Lyons 61); D Neville (P Scanlon 64), S McSweeney, G Noonan; J Lee (K Ryan 54), P Begley (J Ryan 49), P Nash (I Corbett 44, BC).
SCORERS: S McSweeney 0-5 (5f), J Lee 0-3 (1f), J Ryan 0-3 (2f), D Neville 0-2, P White 0-1.
REFEREE: N Mooney (Cavan).