Impressive Limerick sweep past Clare in Munster Hurling Championship

LIMERICK were impressive 0-36 to 1-23 winners over Clare this Sunday afternoon in Thurles.

The 10-point win moves John Kiely's men into a Sunday November 1 Munster SHC semi final against Tipperary in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

And, it's also a 13th ever Allianz Hurling League win for Limerick.

Limerick had 11 different scorers against a Clare side reliant on Tony Kelly.

The sides were level eight times in the first half and no surprise went into the interval 0-15 each.

It was a half in which Limerick had five forwards scoring from play, but it was five points from Tony Kelly that led the way for Clare.

The Banner were backed by the first half breeze but Limerick made the early running to lead 0-5 to 0-2 after seven minutes.

An Aaron Gillane free opened the scoring in the 2020 Munster SHC and Peter Casey followed him quickly onto the scoresheet but Kelly opened the Clare account in the fourth minute.

Aaron Gillane and Tom Morrissey also had points from play in that opening salvo from Limerick.

But Clare soon found their feet and four successive points - Cathal Malone with their first from play - to lead 0-6 to 0-5 after 12-minutes.

The sides had been level at 0-5 each with Kelly's first from play putting Brian Lohan's side ahead.

Seven minutes without a Limerick point was ended with a Gillane free but at the first half water break it was Clare ahead 0-9 to 0-7.

On the resumption, Gearoid Hegarty and Kyle Hayes had Limerick back level before Casey regained the lead, 0-10 to 0-9.

They were tied 0-12 each on 29-minutes when Limerick found a run of three points - two Gillane frees and a fine Tom Morrissey score from on the sideline to lead by three.

But Clare hit the final three points of the half - former Ardscoil Ris Harty Cup Star Diarmuid Ryan with the leveller with the final puck of the half.

Limerick made an even faster start to the second half - six points within five minutes.

Cian Lynch and Graeme Mulcahy among the run of scores for a 0-21 to 0-15 lead. All six Limerick forwards were now on the mark.

But the lead was quickly reeled in - thanks to a 11th minute goal for Clare. Ryan Taylor broke onto a breaking ball to find the net and make it a one point game; 0-21 to 1-17.

A response was needed and it came - four of the next five points for Limerick.

When captain Declan Hannon pointed Limerick were 0-25 to 1-18 ahead at the second half water break.

Diarmaid Byrnes and Hegarty extended the lead out to six points on the resumption.

With Tony Kelly hitting his eighth point from play Clare reduced that lead down to four points with 10-minutes to play.

Limerick made four substitutions and found four successive points to stretch 0-32 to 1-21 ahead.

Pat Ryan and two points from Byrnes stretched Limerick out to 10-point winners.

SCORERS: Limerick: Aaron Gillane 0-12 (9frees, 1 '65), Gearoid Hegarty 0-5, Tom Morrissey 0-4, Diarmaid Byrnes, Peter Casey and Kyle Hayes 0-3 each; Graeme Mulcahy 0-2, Cian Lynch, Declan Hannon, Seamus Flanagan and Pat Ryan 0-1 each.

Clare: Tony Kelly 0-17 (9frees), Ryan Taylor 1-1, Diarmuid Ryan 0-2, Cathal Malone and Stephen O'Halloran 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Paddy O'Loughlin; Cian Lynch, William O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Tom Morrissey; Graeme Mulcahy, Aaron Gillane, Peter Casey. Subs: Darragh O'Donovan for Tom Morrissey (57mins), Seamus Flanagan for Peter Casey (59mins), Pat Ryan for Graeme Mulcahy (64mins), David Reidy for William O'Donoghue (64mins), Jerome Boylan for Barry Nash (72mins).

CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Jack Browne, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes; Pat O'Connor, Seadna Morey, Stephen O'Halloran; David McInerney, Cathal Malone; Diarmuid Ryan, David Reidy, David Fitzgerald; Ryan Taylor, Shane O'Donnell, Tony Kelly. Subs: Aron Shanagher for David Fitzgerald (h-t), Aidan McCarthy for David Reidy (55mins), Domhnall McMahon for David McInerney (64mins), Aaron Cunningham for Ryan Taylor (69mins).

REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).