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Munster CFM Semifinal: Clare 4-20 Limerick 1-10
A third Munster final in the past four years awaits Clare’s junior footballers after another impressive performance saw them overtake Limerick at the LIT Gaelic Grounds on Wednesday night.
Dermot Coughlan’s charges controlled the game from start to finish with his pace of work and his ability to make a quick transition from defense to attack proving to be a potent combination as they set up another final showdown with Kerry next Tuesday night. .
That rhythm of work in the middle third was a crucial element, while the willingness to rise in support of the attack created several overlaps and scoring opportunities. Clare will have to be even more clinical in front of the positions if they want to reach the provincial summit, but in this performance there will be many positive aspects to take in that tie.
Having won 1-18 since the game last time out, it served as a warning that there was a lot of scoring potential in this young Banner team. That potential was evident in the first minute, when Dylan O’Brien was at the end of a straight build straight from the pitch, and Kilrush Shamrocks’ man produced a deft shot to the net to give Clare the perfect start.
It set the tone for a first quarter that Clare controlled, but just like in her quarter-final outing, misguided shooting and poor choice making caused some notable chances to go astray with four goals in the period. Limerick also posed some threats and was glad to attack from the flanks, but outside of David O’Shaughnessy’s angled effort, Clare’s defense kept their path to goal protected from the start.
Eoin Killeen was about to enter for Clare’s second goal, but his shot was deflected from very close. Clare continued to dominate around the middle third and didn’t have to wait much longer for his second goal when Craig Riordan fired a clinical shot into the bottom corner to send his team 2-2 to 0-1 clear approaching the opening breakwater. Dara Nagle and Riordan added more scores as Clare began to find her range and when the water break came, Clare was up 2-4 to 0-1.
The second quarter was much more even on the scoreboard with Clare holding that nine point gap until halftime. Limerick struggled to push their way past Banner’s dominant defensive midline with Clare’s commitment to supporting the attack by keeping Limerick’s defense under constant pressure. He was comfortable in the main for Dermot Coughlan’s charges, but there were also some good scoring chances they left behind, and Clare’s youngsters were guilty of overdoing it on more than one occasion and as they led 2-7 to 0-4 in the break. , that gap could well have been greater. Points from Eoin Killeen and Cillian McGroary meant that Clare’s entire front line was on the board in the first half.
A quick pair of points through Josh Guyler and Nagle early in the second half was answered by another score from Shaughnessy, but a fatal blow came as McGroary waved the net after a clever pass from Nagle opened the space. He triggered a 2-2 unanswered streak with points from Brendan Rouine and Fahy followed by another goal from McGroary to put the result beyond Limerick’s reach, and by the fourth quarter turn Clare had built a 4-12 lead to 0-8 with the result already decided.
That dominance continued into the fourth quarter with Clare reeling 0-6 with no response before a late Limerick penalty gave them their only green flag of the night. It had no impact on the final result with Clare sealing a well deserved victory to set up another shot at a Munster title.
Clare: Thomas Collins (Lissycasey); Marc O’Loughlin (Corofin), Fergal Guinnane (Kildysart), Dara Rouine (Ennistymon); Odhran Cunningham (Killimer), Fionn Kelleher (Doora Barefield), Josh Guyler (Ennistymon); Brendan Rouine (Ennistymon), Brian McNamara (Cooraclare); Dylan O’Brien (Kilrush Shamrocks), Cillian McGroary (Corofin), Dara Nagle (Doora Barefield); Eoin Killeen (Doonbeg), Craig Riordan (Wolfe Tones), Diarmuid Fahy (Ennistymon).
Subs: Daithi Lohan (Wolfe Tones) for D Rouine, Sean McMahon (Miltown) for McNamara, Michael Nadsh (Doora Barefield) for Cunningham, Joseph Rafferty (Doora Barefield) for Fahy, Darragh Burns (Doonbeg) for Nagle.
Scorers: Cillian McGroary (2-1), Dara Nagle (0-4), Craig Riordan (1-1, 1 “45), Dylan O’Brien (1-1), Michael Nash and Eoin Killeen (0-3 each) , Diarmuid Fahy (0-2, 1f), Brendan Rouine (0-2), Daithi Lohan, Fionn Kelleher and Josh Guyler (0-1 each).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
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