Fulfil Munster U20: Clare finish strongly

Fulfil Munster U20 Hurling Championship Round 3

Clare 0-18 Limerick 0-15

By Eoin Brennan at Sixmilebridge

Clare produced another late surge to snatch victory at the death in O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge.

Two weeks earlier at the same venue, Waterford looked to be set for an opening round upset, only for Fred Hegarty’s last gasp goal to turn the tide decisively in the home side’s favour.

Just to prove that their first round heroics wasn’t a fluke, Clare managed to fire the last four points to shade a compelling Shannonside derby and leave Limerick on the brink of a premature Munster U20 exit.

Trailing by the minimum entering the final minutes, Fred Hegarty again stepped up to the mark with a brace of frees before substitute Paul Rodgers and inspirational defender Jamie Moylan completed a remarkable final flourish in front of a healthy attendance of 1,583.

Level 15 times by the 59th minute, with the lead changing hands no fewer than ten times, thesis neighbours seemed destined to be going home with a point apiece. Indeed, a point was the biggest lead in either direction until Rodgers and Moylan’s additional time interventions which only further demonstrated how precious this victory was.

Added to that was the fact that Limerick also had the greater goal chances but Robert O’Farrell and Eoin Brosnan would both be thwarted by home goalkeeper Mark Sheedy either side of half-time.

If one of those had gone in, the narrative of this derby could have been completely flipped, but instead a blow-for blow slugfest ensued right until the final whistle.

Freetakers Fred Hegarty and Hugh Flanagan were central figures throughout while defences were on top for the majority too as Eoghan Gunning, Robert Loftus and Joe Casey excelled for Clare while Sean Duff, Matthew Fitzgerald and Eamon Richardson were Limerick’s marquee defenders.

Locked at 0-9 to 0-9 at the midway mark, Michael Collins’ second half opener was surpassed by a brace of Flanagan free before impact sub Graham Ball and Jamie Moylan inched Clare back in front at 0-13 to 0-12 by the two-thirds mark.

That would be the last time that the home side were in the ascendancy until the final minute as first Diarmaid Hurley and John O’Connor and then Hugh Flanagan’s ninth point of the evening put Limerick into the lead as the final quarter developed.

A 56th minute Ryan Hayes free was caught by substitute Harry Doherty who would be hauled down for Fred Hegarty to level the contest for the 15th time at 0-15 to 0-15.

However, with every possession magnified, a Limerick wide would be offset by three points in as many minutes for Hegarty, Rodgers and señor panelist Moylan to edge Clare ever close to the knock-out stages for a fourth consecutive season

Scorers for Clare: Fred Hegarty 0-10 (7fs); Jamie Moylan 0-2; Darren Moroney, Ronan Kilroy, Michael Collins, Graham Ball, Thomas O’Connor, Paul Rodgers 0-1 each

Scorers for Limerick: Hugh Flanagan 0-9 (6fs, 3’65); Conor Ryan, Eoin Brosnan, Matthew Fitzgerald, Eamon Richardson, Diarmaid Hurley, John O’Connor 0-1 each.

Clare: Mark Sheedy; Eoghan Gunning, Robert Loftus, Joe Casey; Jamie Moylan, Ryan Hayes, Matthew O’Halloran; Daniel Costelloe, Darren Moroney; Fred Hegarty, Michael Collins, Ronan Kilroy; Marco Cleary, Thomas O’Connor, Michael Power.

Subs: Graham Ball for Moroney (HT), Paul Rodgers for Power (47), Harry Doherty for Cleary (49), Jack Mescall for Collins (63).

Limerick: Alex Kearns; Jackie Dwane, Sean Duff, John Murray; Jack Cosgrove, Eamon Richardson, Matthew Fitzgerald; Conor Ryan, Aidan O’Connell; John O’Connor, Michael Leo, Tadgh Boddy; Robert O’Farrell, Hugh Flanagan, Eoin Brosnan.

Subs: Diarmaid Hurley for Boddy (34), Griffin McCaffery for Leo (50), Rory Hanly for O’Connor (53), Darren Collopy for Hurley (59).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Tipperary).