In the 58th minute, Aidan McCarthy made an impressive score that extended Clare’s lead by six. One could believe that this action stymied Limerick’s tentative recovery, which was gradually picking up speed.
Despite Limerick’s self-sabotage with failed attempts from all positions on the pitch and the concession of frees, Clare reigned supreme throughout the majority of the game. A brief spark from Aaron Gillane, who had the opportunity to score a goal with an advantage but couldn’t maximize the opportunity, was one of the few highlights for Limerick. Gearóid Hegarty was the singular Limerick player performing near his potential while the others faced challenge across the field. This was compounded by Mike Casey’s premature departure due to injury.
As expected, by the mid-point of the second half, Limerick was trailing by nine and their prospects of turning things around seemed bleak. Notwithstanding a minor resurgence, the likelihood of a scoring run equal to Clare’s appeared slim.
All three goals had an element of luck to them. Either Diarmuid Byrnes was overly eager or it was a clumsy mis-hit free which, thanks to Gillane’s intervention, ended up in the net, reducing the margin to three. Donncha Ó Dálaigh drove in a rather gentle goal and before we knew it, Hegarty and Gillane teamed up for another score.
Comfortably in the lead, Clare suddenly found themselves on the verge of defeat. Limerick’s defence had stepped up their game, making any scoring opportunities for Clare difficult to come by. The seemingly inevitable outcome concluded with merely a three-point difference.
Tony Kelly, a substitute player, managed to score a few points, keeping the possibility of a last-minute goal to reverse the outcome within reach. Unfortunately, the team’s overall attempts to pull off an unexpected comeback were subpar and never posed a credible threat.
Clare’s ultimate performance was unconvincing, and, after a predominantly disappointing match, Limerick came away with one of their biggest victories over Clare in the past two years of fierce competition.
So, while Limerick manager, John Kiely, would have likely accepted gratefully a draw during their poorly-played match, the outcome turned out to be a victory. It served to kick-start their run, and despite it being one of their toughest matches, it also highlighted areas for improvement to focus on going forward.
The ultimate goal for them was to reach Croke Park, so this victory, although not necessary, is a significant advancement towards that objective. The Clare team was devastatingly impacted by the conceding of easy goals. In a time when they were in control, they fumbled a few chances that were saved by Nickie Quaid, which retrospectively played a crucial role in the eventual victory.
Even though their goals didn’t come from a consistent pattern of play, there was a subtle swing in momentum. Cian Lynch gradually took control of the game, securing the ball more, although, many of their players didn’t perform to their potential. Limerick’s lackluster performance, despite their win in Ennis, won’t be pleasing to them. The silver lining of such a dismal display is that it reveals room for improvement, and thus, better performance is anticipated next week.
Clare’s victory in the league precedes a do or die encounter with Cork, who are also under pressure due to their loss in Waterford. At Walsh Park, the host team started positively, with Jamie Barron alongside Neil Montgomery, firmly controlling the midfield despite Darragh Fitzgibbon’s scoring for Cork.
Davy Fitzgerald deserves credit for his stance during the league, stating that assessments of their performance should be held off till the Munster championship when more of their top players would be available for the game. His strategy seemed justified in the end. Waterford displayed a resurgence, with stars like Calum Lyons scoring three points, Tadhg de Búrca providing sturdy defence, and Stephen Bennett regaining form.
Mikey Kiely and Jack Prendergast displayed physicality and effectiveness in securing the ball. Dessie Hutchinson’s unusual role as a free-taker was commendable. Cork, similar to Limerick, squandered many opportunities in the first half and were simply outperformed by Waterford. Encouraging performances were seen from youthful talents Alan Connolly and Shane Barrett despite broader issues, including a black card offense, topped off by Damien Cahalane’s double-yellow card dismissal, which, although slightly severe, is the nature of the sport.
Cork’s performance was underwhelming. They’ve displayed a similar level of mediocrity over the recent past and the need to shake up things was apparent. Despite trailing in the first half, they managed to draw level at the 40-minute mark. The game was up for grabs, but Cork failed to take control.
Instead, it was Waterford who surged ahead every time they felt the heat. Currently, they stand a promising chance of turning their fate around in the ongoing round-robin tournaments.
Prior to the match, I thought they had a decent shot at capitalising on Cork’s shortcomings, but surprisingly, their performance was much better than envisaged. A team that appeared to be past its peak in the preceding years, Waterford is now in the fray to secure a top three position in the province.