Lethal Limerick show their class yet again with emphatic dismissal of Clare

Clare 1-18 Limerick 2-30

Limerick are back on track after completely outclassing Clare in Ennis.

With home games to come against Waterford and Tipperary, they are strong favourites now to make their eighth Munster final in a row. If Cork beat either Waterford or Clare in the coming weeks, they'll host them on June 7 in a rematch of last year's provincial showdown.

John Kiely's side knew their backs were to the wall after their narrow loss on Leeside and without two of their talismen but started like a train and never let up.

With Cian Lynch and Aaron Gillane unavailable, Limerick turned to Tom Morrissey and Darragh O’Donovan. It was hardly a refresh, given both started the 2018 All-Ireland final, but they provided stability and experience while younger guns like Cathal O’Neill, Shane O'Brien and Adam English ripped it up.

Then again, the Treaty began the first quarter like they had in the Páirc but sustained it all the way to half-time. It was a superb collective effort. Tight at the back, their midfield swarm ensured the sliotar was pinged into space for Peter Casey, O’Brien and Gearóid Hegarty to rifle some wonderful points.

Barry Nash, following Peter Duggan out the field, fed a turnover to Aidan O’Connor for the opening goal. A drive from Shane O’Brien led to Adam Hogan hauling him down, a black card and a penalty buried by Diarmaid Byrnes.

Clare actually slipped over the first two points and Shane O’Donnell looked lively early before shipping a ferocious hit from Brynes that bizarrely wasn’t even deemed a free. 

They also butchered a great goal chance midway through the first half when a Tony Kelly pass to O’Donnell was cut out and Nickie Quaid made a fine save from Mark Rodgers coming up to the break.

However, they were constantly pulled out of position in attack and were unable to hit their forwards with any meaningful possession. The gap was 13 points at half-time and it was difficult to make any case for a Clare comeback.

The hosts did eventually build up a bit of second-half momentum and Quaid made a flying stop to deny Rodgers again.

Kelly eventually raised a green flag after being fouled for a penalty but with nine minutes of normal time remaining it was too late. Barry Nash could have received a second yellow for that foul but it came soon after Adam English had seen red for a wild challenge on Diarmuid Stritch.

Limerick’s physicality and work-rate was, as always, commendable, though the Banner were left very aggrieved by the refereeing. Still, a haul of just 1-18 won’t win any game in the modern era and even when the hosts rallied, Limerick clipped over a series of scores, down a man, to ease to victory.

Quaid was chosen as the RTE Man of the Match but there was no shortage of options. Byrnes' form has picked up again, O'Neill and Hegarty were impossible to lock down in the half-forward line, switching Aidan O'Connor inside paid off and O'Brien and Casey combined for 0-9 from play.

With Gillane and Lynch to return, the path to the All-Ireland still clearly lies through Limerick but Cork have to take care of their own business this month, especially with defensive pillars Ciarán Joyce and Rob Downey now out.

Clare's loss is a huge boost to Tipp and Waterford, keeping them in the mix for a top-three finish in Munster.

Scorers for  Clare: M Rodgers 0-10 (0-7 f, 0-1 65), T Kelly 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1 65), S O’Donnell, D Reidy, D Ryan, N O’Farrell, J O’Neill, I Galvin 0-1 each.

Limerick: A O’Connor 1-9 (0-6 f), S O’Brien 0-6, D. Byrnes 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1 f), P Casey, C O’Neill 0-3 each, G Hegarty, B Nash 0-2 each, T Morrissey, A English, F Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

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

Subs: D Stritch for T Kelly (temp 6), J O’Neill for S Rynne (h-t), D McInerney for C Cleary, D Stritch for D Reidy (both 42), I Galvin for M Rodgers (64).

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, M Casey, B Nash; D Byrnes, W O’Donoghue (c), K Hayes; A English, D O’Donovan, T Morrissey, C O’Neill, G Hegarty; P Casey, S. O’Brien, A. O’Connor.

Subs: D Reidy for S O’Brien (temp, 24-27), D Reidy for T Morrissey (54), D Morrissey for S Finn (59), E Hurley for D O’Donovan (63), F Fitzgerald for P Casey (70), H Flanagan for C O’Neill (73).

Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).