*Seanie Connellan meets a wall of Limerick players. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
A SECOND successive defeat for Clare’s minor hurlers has them on the brink of an early championship exit.
Limerick 2-12
Clare 0-12
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis.
Clare’s hopes of a fourth Munster Minor Hurling Final in five years are all but extinguished following a disappointing reverse to neighbours Limerick on Saturday.
Having more than played their part in a scorching opening showdown against Tipperary eight days earlier, the same spark wasn’t evident this time around as they slumped to a second successive defeat.
With just a straight final between the top two, any potential path for the Banner would require a flawless finish to their remaining two matches and some assistance from others.
Injuries to joint-captain Ian O’Brien and Fionn Plunkett didn’t help but in a derby tie that was there for the taking, preventable goals either side of half-time proved a hammerblow to the hosts.
Facing into a stiff wind, Ger O’Connell’s side were only trailing by two by the 28th minute when a clearance was intercepted and Eamon O’Sullivan was hauled down for a penalty. Fortunately, the home side weren’t given the double whammy of a black card but they did concede a goal as Limerick captain Shane Waters powered the resulting penalty to the net at 1-5 to 0-3.
Clare’s response was admirable as points from Parish duo Ben Talty and Colm Daly lowered the half-time arrears to just a goal before a further brace of Talty placed balls on the resumption left just the minimum between the sides at 1-5 to 0-7 by the 33rd minute.
A buoyant Banner would be rocked back on their heels only two minutes later though when Gavin O’Brien’s shot for a point held up un the wind and mangled to deceive everyone as it nestled into the top right corner of the home net at 2-6 to 0-7.
Again, Clare answered positively but a brace of Ben Talty points bookended four misses to frustratingly leave them three in arrears by the turn of the final quarter. Those wides would be magnified when Limerick got a second wind with three successive points through Waters, Eamon O’Sullivan and Eoin Hennessy to double their cushion at 2-9 to 0-9.
To their credit, best player James O’Donnell and chief marksman Ben Talty did provide a glimmer of hope entering the final ten minutes, only for a second yellow card for the influential Seanie Connellan to halt any late recovery.
Instead, it was Limerick who finished their first win with aplomb as Ryan Foley and the lively Xavier Neligan fleshed out the final margin to six despite also hitting 15 wides over the hour.
Clare only led once and that in the tenth minute when after a flurry of missed opportunities including a glorious goal sighting for Limerick, Gearoid Madden opened the scoring with a great score from the right wing.
Limerick fired the next three through Shane Waters (2) and Gavin O’Brien, with the same margin remaining nearing the end of the second quarter when James O’Donnell and Donnacha McKenna matched points for Ryan Foley and John O’Riordan at 0-5 to 0-3.
The goals irrevocably altered matters though as good positions for the Banner were twice floored by sucker-punch majors to catapult Limerick back into the Munster Minor race.
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers for Limerick: Shane Waters 1-5 (1-0 Pen, 3f); Gavin O’Brien 1-1; Ryan Foley 0-2; John O’Riordan 0-1, Eamon O’Sullivan 0-1, Eoin Hennessy 0-1, Xavier Neligan 0-1
Scorers for Clare: Ben Talty 0-7 (5f, 1’65); James O’Donnell 0-2; Gearoid Madden 0-1, Donnacha McKenna 0-1, Colm Daly 0-1
Limerick
1: Sam Collins (Crecora/Manister)
2: Rowan Collins (Adare)
3: William Ryan (Murroe/Boher)
4: Donagh Horgan (Murroe/Boher)
5: Eoin Hennessy (Patrickswell)
6: Conor Ryan (Monaleen)
7: John O’Riordan (Bruff)
8: Xavier Neligan (Kilmallock)
9: Jack Roche (Blackrock)
10: Diarmuid Crowe (Doon)
11: Ryan Foley (Patrickwell)
12: Shane Waters (Na Piarsaigh)
13: Gavin O’Brien (Kilmallock)
14: Eamon O’Sullivan (Adare)
15: John Ross O’Reilly (Ballybrown)
Subs
21: Paul Collins (Tournalulla) for Waters (3-4, BS)
22: Danann Glynn (Ahane) for O’Reilly (52)
18: Sam Mitchell (Knockainey) for Collins (56)
17: Callum Butler (Patrickswell) for Roche (58)
20: Colin Burke (Dromcollogher/Broadford) for O’Sullivan (59)
24: Daire Long (Pallasgreen) for O’Brien (61)
Clare
1: Conor Keogh (Sixmilebridge)
2: Odhran Perill (Crusheen)
3: Cian Maxted (Clooney-Quin)
4: Marcus Fitzpatrick (Clooney-Quin)
5: Oran Duignan (Banner)
6: Colm Daly (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) (Joint-Captain)
7: Podge Murphy (Corofin)
8: Isaac Hassett (Clooney-Quin)
9: Seanie Connellan (Kilmaley)
10: Gearoid Madden (Scariff)
11: Donnacha McKenna (Scariff)
12: James O’Donnell (Broadford)
13: Ben Talty (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
14: Max Sheehan (Ruan)
15: Ryan Mahony (Éire Óg)
Subs
23: Kris O’Callaghan (Ballyea) for Mahony (44)
22: Nikki Belenko (Tulla) for Madden (51)
24: Conor Coffey (Banner) for McKenna (51)
21: Cathal Ryan (Sixmilebridge) for Hassett (55)
Referee: Seaghan Walsh (Waterford)
