Allianz Hurling League Division 1A

CLARE 0-18 LIMERICK 0-18

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

Neighbours Clare and Limerick couldn’t be separated amidst an anxious finale in front of 10,016 in Cusack Park Ennis this afternoon. In a typical Shannonside derby tie that was exceedingly high on intensity, it wasn’t always matched on the scoreboard as essentially the points could have gone either way.

In truth, both sides also did their best to lose it as the last 17 minutes only produced a score apiece but accumulated 11 wides between them in the same period.

Overall, it was the fairest outcome as the Munster rivals both had their periods of dominance, with Limerick leading the way for the first 45 minutes before their hosts managed to hold the upper hand for the bulk of the remainder.

Seeking their first points of the campaign, Limerick lined out with 11 of the team that started August’s All-Ireland Final and duly hit the ground running with the first three points through chief marksmen Aaron Gillane, Diarmaid Byrnes and Tom Morrissey inside four minutes of the throw-in.

Tony Kelly (2) and a rousing Cathal Malone solo point slashed the gap to the minimum by the tenth minute but the Banner could never fully reel in the back-to-back All-Ireland champions in the opening period.

A second three point blitz through Gearoid Hegarty, Cathal O’Neill and Gillane opened up a four point cushion by the end of the first quarter but thanks to an impressive display from Jason McCarthy allied to Kelly’s frees, Clare would remain within striking distance by the break at 0-11 to 0-09.

The home side also had a first half goal chalked off as David Fitzgerald was adjudged to have been in the square to flick a Shane Meehan delivery to the net while on the restart, Robin Mounsey was unlucky not to find the net when put through by Fitzgerald.

Still, a further quartet of Kelly points helped the hosts to finally pull level by the 49th minute before Fitzgerald actually nudged the Banner in front for the first time in the next passage of play at 0-15 to 0-14.

Limerick’s experience meant that they never panicked as first the influential Diarmaid Byrnes wiped out that deficit before also helping Aaron Gillane bridge a subsequent two point gap made through Inagh-Kilnamona team-mates Jason McCarthy and David Fitzgerald by the 59th minute at 0-17 to 0-17.

That would be the end of the scoring glut though as the tensions levels were heightened on and off the pitch. Aaron Gillane received a second yellow in the 66th minute but the the numbers would be evened up before the finish as Jack Browne suffered a similar fate in injury-time.

Finally after 12 barren minutes, Tony Kelly converted a monster free from his own half to inch Clare in front in the 71st minute but Limerick simply couldn’t afford to slump to a fourth successive reverse and duly rescued a deserved share of the spoils with a late free from substitute David Reidy.

With the sides set to renew derby acquaintances at the same venue in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship in mid-May, the appetites have certainly been whetted.

Scorers for Clare: Tony Kelly 0-11 (8f), David Fitzgerald 0-2, Cathal Malone 0-1, Shane Meehan 0-1, Ryan Taylor 0-1, Robin Mounsey 0-1 (sl), Jason McCarthy 0-1

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 0-7 (6f), Diarmaid Byrnes 0-5 (3f), Tom Morrissey 0-2; Gearoid Hegarty 0-1, Cathal O’Neill 0-1, Adam English 0-1, David Reidy 0-1 (f)

CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Paul Flanagan, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes; Jack Browne, John Conlon, David McInerney; Shane Golden, Jason McCarthy; Cathal Malone, David Fitzgerald, Ryan Taylor; Shane Meehan, Tony Kelly, Robin Mounsey. *_Subs: *_Patrick Crotty for Mounsey (52), Peter Duggan for Golden (54), Gary Cooney for Meehan (59), Paddy Donnellan for McCarthy (63)

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Barry Nash, Dan Morrissey, Richie English; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Colin Coughlan; William O’Donoghue, Darragh O’Donovan; Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Cathal O’Neill, Aaron Gillane, Adam English. *_Subs: *_Ronan Connolly for Hannon (29, inj), Brian O’Grady for O’Donovan (53) Graeme Mulcahy for Hegarty (55), Pat Ryan for English (61), David Reidy for T. Morrissey (65)

Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)