Electric Ireland MHC quarter-final: Limerick too strong for Clare

Electric Ireland All-Ireland MHC quarter-final

Limerick 2-16 Clare 0-13

By Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium

Late goals from a Shane Waters penalty and Rian Horgan fired Limerick to their first Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor semi-final since 2020 with a nine-point win over Clare.

Captain Waters contributed 1-9 in total (1-8 from placed balls) as the Munster runners-up advance to meet Galway in the last four.

His 54th-minute penalty, after a black-card foul on Gavin O’Brien, put distance between the sides before supplying Horgan for the clincher in the 59th minute.

It was a similar story to their round-robin meeting when a Waters penalty and O’Brien accounted for the goals to separate the sides.

This was a streaky Shannonside derby, with both teams going through multiple scoring droughts, while there was no score from play between the 31st and 59th minutes.

The Treaty were well marshalled in defence by Conor Ryan, holding Clare to five points from play, while Sam Collins made three quality first-half saves.

A late Limerick change saw Colin Burke replace injured centre-forward Ryan Foley.
Clare were dialled in with their intensity from the very first play, with their forwards flocking together to force an overcarrying free, which Ben Talty slotted. Max Sheehan soon doubled their lead.

They wouldn’t score again for the next 10 minutes, as Limerick took over for six in a row. Waters accounted for four of those, including three frees. Eamon O’Sullivan and Eoin Hennessy were also quick off the mark.

Clare then held Limerick scoreless for the following 13 minutes. With a few missed frees, they couldn’t make it count to the same extent. Collins saved a close-range Talty free, although Darragh Moran recycled for a point. Talty’s second placed ball and Oran Duignan cut the deficit to one.

Limerick got back on the road with fine points from Zach Bennis and Burke. Collins protected that lead by saving James O’Donnell’s bouncing effort. Again, Cian Mullins compensated with a point.

A Waters dead-ball brace and Bennis moved Limerick five clear before Collins’ best save yet, to divert Sheehan’s strike away from the top corner. Play was called back for a foul on O’Donnell. Talty tapped over for a 0-11 to 0-7 half-time deficit.

Diarmuid Crowe opened with a wonderful off-the-hurley point, but Limerick would ship the next five in succession, all from Talty frees, across a 15-minute dry spell to level at 0-12 apiece.

Clare wouldn’t register over 23 minutes as two Waters frees edged Limerick back ahead. O’Brien got in for a goal chance soon after his introduction, but was fouled while shooting by Cian Maxted. The sliotar trickled over the line, but Adam Kinahan had already blown his whistle for a penalty.

The full-back was sin-binned, although he was permitted to be replaced under a rule passed at GAA Congress this year, which applies to minor hurling and younger grades. Waters sent the keeper the wrong way with the penalty.

The wing-forward then delivered the high ball for O’Sullivan to grab and hammer home entering added time.

Waters’ last free completed the 2-3 streak before O’Donnell and Paul Collins traded the final points.

Scorers for Limerick: Shane Waters 1-9 (1-0p, 0-7f, 0-1 65); Rian Horgan 1-0; Zach Bennis 0-2; Eoin Hennessy, Diarmuid Crowe, Eamon O’Sullivan, Colin Burke, Paul Collins 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare: Ben Talty 0-8 (8f); Oran Duignan, Darragh Moran, Cian Mullins, James O’Donnell, Max Sheehan 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Sam Collins; Rowan Collins, William Ryan, Sam Mitchell; John O’Riordan, Conor Ryan, Eoin Hennessy; Xavier Nelligan, Jack Roche; Shane Waters, Colin Burke, Diarmuid Crowe; Zach Bennis, Rian Horgan, Eamon O’Sullivan. Subs: Donagh Horgan for R Collins (36), Gavin O’Brien for Burke (46), Daire Long for Bennis (60), Paul Collins for Roche (60), Colin Butler for O’Riordan (60+1).

CLARE: Patrick Murphy; Odhran Perill, Cian Maxted, Marcas Fitzpatrick; Isaac Hassett, Colm Daly, Seán Connellan; Oran Duignan, Darragh Moran; Cian Mullins, Ben Talty, Gearóid Madden; James O’Donnell, Tom O’Dea, Max Sheehan. Subs: Fionn Daffy for O’Dea (42), Stephen Clancy for Moran (47), Donncha McKenna for Madden (52), Darragh Clancy for Maxted (54, black card), Conor Coffey for Sheehan (60).

Referee: Adam Kinahan (Offaly).