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Munster SFC: Clare edge out Limerick

Eoin Cleary

Eoin Cleary

**Munster SFC Quarter-Final **

**CLARE 1-13 LIMERICK 1-12 **

By Peter O'Connell at Cusack Park

Clare scraped into a second successive Munster semi-final meeting with Kerry when they held on for a one point win over Limerick in Cusack Park.

Clare were four points ahead in the second minute of injury time when Limerick's Seán O'Dea intercepted a Joe Hayes kick out.

O'Dea placed substitute Josh Ryan and his goal reduced the deficit to a single point. Limerick had a chance to fashion an equaliser but Seán McSweeney's shot went high and wide, when a bit more patience might have been the better option.

Twelve minutes from time Clare led by six points, 1-11 to 0-8 and a Limerick comeback looked very unlikely. However that Ryan goal left Clare clinging on in in injury time.

In a game which was played in front of an attendance of 2,968, the home team led 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time. Eoin Cleary put away their goal in the ninth minute. He held off Limerick corner-back Daniel Daly, collected a Jamie Malone long delivery and applied a right footed finish.

Keelan Sexton pointed two quality points for Clare in that half, while Pearse Lillis also pointed, raiding from wing back.

A feature of the first half was the fact that while Limerick gave the ball away sixteen times, Clare were much more efficient in this respect, turning over just five first half possessions.

However Limerick could have goaled twice in that half, with David Ward shooting low and wide in the 22nd minute, while in first half injury time Seamus O'Carroll had a shot saved by Joe Hayes, who diverted it around for a 45.

Eoin Cleary kicked Clare six points ahead immediately after half-time but the home county then dropped the tempo and the following 15 minutes were scoreless, until Danny Neville kicked a Limerick point.

Clare had two goalscoring chances with Jamie Malone and Keelan Sexton not taking full advantage of good opportunities.

Sexton produced a good save from Limerick goalkeeper Donal O'Sullivan, nine minutes from time. A goal at that juncture would have finished Limerick but instead they stayed in the game and Ryan's late goal almost helped them to rescue at least a replay.

Both teams went short with most of their kick outs and the game featured just one mark. In fact both struggled to retain their own kick outs, on the rare occasions that they went long.

Clare will have to improve radically if they are to compete with Kerry on Sunday week, while Limerick will have to wait until the weekend of June 24 before they return to championship action in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

**Scorers for Clare: **Eoin Cleary 1-4 (2f), David Tubridy 0-4 (2f), Keelan Sexton 0-3 (1 '45), Sean Collins 0-1, Pearse Lillis 0-1.

**Scorers for Limerick: **Josh Ryan 1-1, Seamus O'Carroll 0-3 (1 sideline), Danny Neville 0-2, Ger Collins 0-2 (1f), Darragh Treacy 0-1, James Naughton 0-1, Sean O'Dea 0-1, Iain Corbett 0-1.

CLARE: Joe Hayes; Dean Ryan, Kevin Harnett, Martin McMahon; Pearse Lillis, Gordon Kelly, John Hayes; Gary Brennan (C), Cathal O'Connor; Shane Brennan, Seán Collins, Jamie Malone; Eoin Cleary, David Tubridy, Keelan Sexton. Subs: Liam Markham for O'Connor (60), Gearóid O'Brien for Collins (65), Seanie Malone for Tubridy (69).

**LIMERICK: **Donal O' Sullivan, Daniel Daly, Johnny McCarthy, Seán O'Dea, Paul White, Iain Corbett (C), Brian Fanning; Darragh Treacy, David Ward; Peter Nash, James Naughton, Garrett Noonan; Seamus O'Carroll, Danny Neville, Ger Collins. Subs: Josh Ryan for Ward (42), Seán McSweeney for Nash (46), Jamie Lee for Naughton (57),  Tony McCarthy for Daniel Daly (60), Padraig Scanlon for Collins (62), Padraig Quinn for O'Carroll (67).

**Referee: **Cormac Reilly (Meath).