Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Clare 2-21 Limerick 2-15

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

A second consecutive Munster Minor Hurling Final awaits for a buoyant Clare after maintaining their Shannonside derby form against Limerick in front of 1,804 in Cusack Park Ennis.

Having rocked their neighbours in the senior equivalent only three days earlier on away soil, the Banner were equally motivated on Tuesday evening, having been beaten by Limerick at the minor group stages five weeks earlier.

A Marc O’Brien goal either side of half-time would prove decisive in a typically unpredictable derby clash that saw Limerick race into an early four point advantage, only to trail by seven by the break. O’Brien and Michael Collins, who both go to school in Ardscoil Rís in Limerick, combined for 2-9 to power the hosts eleven clear by the two-thirds mark at 2-15 to 0-10.

However, it still wasn’t sufficient to shake off a stubborn Limerick who somehow got themselves back into contention with goals through substitute Patrick Kearney and Dara Ferland at 2-17 to 2-14 by the 57th minute.

It was impossible to take your eyes off this encounter that also saw captain Eoghan Gunning and James Hegarty excel for the home side while Kearney and Robert O’Farrell were best for Limerick.

The visitors actually began on the front foot when four Darren Collopy points powered his side 0-5 to 0-1 in front by the eleventh minute. Amazingly, Clare would regain full parity by the end of the opening quarter as Collins led a full revival to finally settle the Banner at 0-6 to 0-6.

Twice more the sides would be deadlocked before Clare upped the ante with a late surge as points through O’Brien, James Hegarty, Michael Power and Collins were bolstered by a goal on the stroke of half-time.

It stemmed from Eoin Ogie Fanning’s pressure forcing a defensive error that presented a goal chance for Power. Goalkeeper Joe Fitzgerald was equal to the shot before O’Brien was on hand to bundle the ball over the line and give Clare a 1-12 to 0-8 interval cushion.

The new half was less than a minute old when O’Brien struck again, this time cutting in from the left corner before his shot bypassed everyone on the line to extend the gap to ten.

Two further Collins points stretched the lead to eleven but Clare failed to slam the door shut and once half-time substitute Patrick Kearney snatched a 38th minute goal, Limerick continued to chip away at the deficit.

Hugh Flanagan had a glorious goal chance drift just wide in the 55th minute but he would make amends when teeing up Dara Ferland to race through and cleverly lob advancing goalkeeper Mark Sheedy only two minutes later at 2-17 to 2-14.

Clare avoided any grandstand finish though as substitutes Fred Hegarty (3) and Eoin Begley combined for four of the last five points to relievedly confirm Clare’s passage to back-to-back provincial deciders, this time against Cork next Tuesday.

Scorers for Clare: Marc O’Brien 2-3 (1f), Michael Collins 0-6, Fred Hegarty 0-3, James Hegarty 2f and Michael Power 0-2 each, Ronan Kilroy, Jack Mescall, Sean Arthur, Emmet Mulcahy, and Eoin Begley 0-1 each.

Scorers for Limerick: Darren Collopy 0-4, (2fs), Patrick Kearney 1-1, Darragh Gleeson 0-3 (2fs, 1’65), Dara Ferland 1-0, Tadgh Boddy, Hugh Flanagan, and Robert O’Farrell 0-2 each, Sean Duff 0-1.

Clare: Mark Sheedy; Eoghan Gunning, Ronan Keane, Conor Rynne; Jamie Moylan, James Hegarty, Matthew O’Halloran; Jack Mescall, Emmet Mulcahy; Sean Arthur, Michael Collins, Ronan Kilroy; Eoin Ogie Fanning, Marc O’Brien, Michael Power.

Subs: Evan Price for Mulcahy (43, inj), Fred Hegarty for Arthur (45), Harry Doherty for Fanning (48), Eoin Begley for Kilroy (52), Daire Neville for Power (64).

Limerick: Joe Fitzgerald; Sean Morrissey, Conor Bickford, John O’Keeffe; Jack Cosgrove, Sean Casey, Darragh Gleeson; Diarmuid Lyons, Michael Leo; Robert O’Farrell, Dara Ferland, Matthew Fitzgerald; Hugh Flanagan, Tadgh Boddy, Darren Collopy

Subs: Patrick Kearney for Leo (HT), Sean Duff for Collopy (48), Declan Heavey for O’Keeffe (53).

Referee: Nicky Barry (Waterford).