Allianz Hurling League Quarter-Final

LIMERICK 4-21 CLARE 0-33

Limerick win free taking competition 0-7 to 0-6 after two periods of extra-time

By Declan Rooney at the Gaelic Grounds

It took 100 minutes of hurling and 14 attempts in a free-taking competition to separate Clare and Limerick, but Colin Ryan finally edged this epic Allianz Hurling league Quarter-Final in John Kiely's team favour at the Gaelic Grounds.

Clare’s Peter Duggan hit a staggering 19 points and two more in the free-taking competition, while Aaron Gillane’s 2-11 kept Limerick in touch, and fittingly Gillane stuck the levelling score with the last puck of extra-time.

Limerick had trailed by nine points in the first-half, but Gillane hauled them back into the game with an excellent brace of goals. He kicked a fine first-half goal, and then hit a brilliant second 15 minutes from time – a remarkable backhand volley that he controlled on the hurley, but never caught.

Substitute Pat Ryan also found the net for Limerick, but Duggan hit four in a row to give Clare a late lead, only for Colin Ryan to force extra-time with a brilliant sideline cut.

Tied at 3-16 to 0-25 after normal time, Tony Kelly and John Conlon edged Clare ahead after the first extra period, but Diarmuid Byrnes found the net from a 20-metre free, which forced the tie into a second period of extra-time.

The sides could not be separated by another 10 minutes, but after both teams scored their first six frees, Niall Deasy missed his second effort and Colin Ryan finally decided the game.

The snow that caused Sunday’s game to be postponed had long disappeared and the icy conditions left spectators searching for the sunshine at the Gaelic Grounds, but the start that Clare made to the game certainly warmed the action.

Three points from the Banner men inside the first three minutes included excellent scores form Tony Kelly and Colm Galvin, but at the other end Cian Lynch showed his class with a fine score to get his side on the board after five minutes.

Throughout the league Peter Duggan has been a real threat for Clare, and the powerful full-forward hit his first of seven first-half scores form placed balls to restore Clare’s lead, and despite a good reply from Tom Morrissey, the next seven scores all went to Clare as they took total control by the 23rd minute. Kelly was inspirational throughout for Clare and started that scoring run, while David Reidy and David Fitzgerald also pointed from play in Clare’s period to total dominance.

Such was Clare’s dominance it took a major score to get Limerick going, and it came from Aaron Gillane. Nicky Quaid picked out Richie English with a short puck-out and he delivered long into the Clare ‘D’, where Gillane climbed higher than Conor Cleary to catch the high ball. Gillane had plenty to do after the catch, but he shook off the challenge, raced towards goal and booted high to the roof of the net to make it 0-11 to 1-2.

Another four frees from Gillane and a well worked Gearoid Hegarty point meant Limerick only trailed by 0-14 to 1-8 at half-time, and when the Limerick No 13 fired three of the first four points of the second-half that Clare lead was down to one point.

Kelly hit a splendid point from the left to give Clare a two-point cushion, but when Gillane struck his second goal Limerick took a 2-13 to 0-18 lead – their first of the game. Duggan gave Clare the advantage again with a couple of well struck points, but seven minutes from time substitute Pat Ryan made the most of Pat O’Connor’s slip to strike Limerick’s key third goal.

Duggan scored the next four points for Clare to give his side the lead in added-time – and bring his personal tally to 15 – only for Colin Ryan to slot a cool sideline cut to force extra-time.

Limerick twice took the lead in the first period of extra-time, and Kelly and Conlon found the target, but Byrnes’s goaled free with the last strike meant two more five-minute halves were required.

There was nothing to split the teams after 95 minutes play, and it seemed as if Conlon had hit the winner for Clare, only for Gillane to send the game to a free taking competition.

**Scorers for Limerick: **Aaron Gillane 2-11 (11fs), Diarmuid Byrnes 1-1 (1-1f), Pat Ryan 1-0, Colin Ryan 0-3 (1’ sideline), Gearoid Hegarty 0-2, Paul Browne 0-1, Cian Lynch 0-1, Tom Morrissey 0-1, Seamus Flanagan 0-1.

**Scorers for Clare: **Peter Duggan 0-19 (15fs, 2’65), Tony Kelly 0-6, David Reidy 0-2, John Conlon 0-2, David Fitzgerald 0-1, Colm Galvin 0-1, Conor McGrath 0-1, Shane O’Donnell 0-1.

LIMERICK: Nicky Quaid; Seán Finn, Seamus Hickey, Richie English; Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Dan Morrissey; Paul Browne, Cian Lynch; Gearóid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, David Reidy; Aaron Gillane, Séamus Flanagan, Barry Murphy.

Subs: Colin Ryan for Browne (50 mins), Pat Ryan for Murphy (55), David Reidy for Hayes (63), Richie McCarthy for Hickey (79), Barry O’Connell for Hegarty (86), Óisín O’Reilly for Flanagan (87).

CLARE: Donal Tuohy; Patrick O'Connor (c), Conor Cleary, Jack Browne; Seadna Morey, David McInerney, David Fitzgerald; Colm Galvin, Tony Kelly; Cathal Malone, John Conlon, David Reidy; Conor McGrath, Peter Duggan, Shane O'Donnell.

Subs: Ian Galvin for C Galvin (53 mins), Cathal McInerney for McGrath (58), Jamie Shanahan for Morey (62), Jason McCarthy for Reidy (63), Podge Collins for Malone (69), Mikey O’Neill for C McInerney (70), Ryan Taylor for I Galvin (90), Michael O’Malley for Kelly (95), Niall Deacy for Collins (99).

REFEREE: Alan Kelly (Galway).