Limerick v Clare preview: John Kiely's team stand on the brink of ...
For the third year, they’re back in the final but by varying routes. Clare didn’t top the table in the province as they had done in the past two years but only lost it to Limerick on the head-to-head having coughed up that big lead in the championship opener.
That more than anything for Clare is the spectre at Sunday’s feast. They outplayed the champions for three-quarters of the match but lost their nine-point lead to three largely self-inflicted goals delivered like a percussive beat in seven minutes.
It was the making of Limerick’s Munster campaign, giving them the points in a fixture they lost the previous year and indemnifying them against the defeat by Cork. Injuries have been more of a curse than usual and both the long-term casualty Peter Casey and shorter-term Séamus Flanagan leave a big hole.
Clare are without Ryan Taylor from last year but otherwise the personnel has strengthened given that full back Conor Cleary was missing last year and Aaron Gillane thrived in his absence. For a second year, they had to rebound from a first-day defeat and did so impressively if not always consistently.
The failure to drown Waterford in the third quarter was very nearly costly and had a precedent because the same thing happened against Limerick at the same time. It didn’t appear significant but they could have been out of sight by the time the defence turned into a benevolent society.
The one thing Clare have always been able to contest better than anyone with Limerick is the middle third. It was where they made maximum headway back in April. The problem is that the champions have picked up the pace in the weeks since and if they have Darragh O’Donovan available, the team configuration takes on an even more menacing appearance.
Like O’Donovan, Tony Kelly has been battling back from injury and has very few match minutes built up – especially with the lack of training matches during such demanding fixture schedules. Clare could really do with a sustained spell of Kelly operating at close to full tilt for whatever time he can manage.
This pairing has a life of its own but certain principles hold. Limerick are most vulnerable in the group stages and have managed to raise their game for the final before kicking on to Croke Park.
Disrupting that is Clare’s challenge.
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Darragh Lohan; Cathal Malone, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy. Subs: Cian Broderick, Conor Leen, Paul Flanagan, Seadna Morey, Ian Galvin, Paddy Donnellan, Tony Kelly, Aron Shanagher, Shane Meehan, Robin Mounsey, Cian Galvin.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; Will O’Donoghue, Cathal O’Neill; Gearóid Hegarty, David Reidy, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien, Cian Lynch. Subs: Jason Gillane, Conor Boylan, Colin Coughlan, Adam English, Richie English, Graeme Mulcahy, Barry Murphy, Aidan O’Connor, Fergal O’Connor, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Darragh O’Donovan
Verdict: Limerick
