With John Kiely reaching 30 championship games in charge of Limerick hurlers, we reflect on some of the best performances they’ve produced under the Galbally man.
Those 30 games have yielded 22 wins at a 73 per cent strike rate. That has also equated to three All-Ireland titles in four years as well as four successive Munster titles.
Limerick completed the four in a row in the province this year which books Limerick’s place in the All-Ireland semi-finals for a fifth successive season.
The defending champions return to action on 3 July and with a four week break, we look back on some of Limerick’s best days under Kiely.
Already we have looked at some notable omissions.
But today we start with #10, a memorable day from the 2019 championship in the Gaelic Grounds.
#10
Limerick 1-28 : 0-13 Clare
June 9, 2019 | in LIT Gaelic Grounds, Limerick.
Limerick made light work of Clare in avenging the defeat in the previous year’s Munster championship and sealing progression to the All-Ireland series of 2019.
It was a dominant display in all quarters from Limerick as they put the Banner to the sword with an exhibition of point taking. At the other end, they kept Clare to scraps with just four points from play in the 70 minutes.
The opening exchanges belonged to the hosts as Limerick held firm at the back while the forwards went to town.
It was 0-6 to 0-1 inside ten minutes with all of Limerick’s forwards getting on the scoresheet in the first half.
Clare did reduce the margin to three with a quarter of an hour to play in the opening half but that was as close as they got with Peter Casey, the last of the forward unit to get on the mark, pointing to make it 0-15 to 0-7 at the turn of ends.
Five points in as many minutes had Limerick cruising at 0-21 to 0-9 with twenty minutes to play. Aaron Gillane rounded off a brilliant individual performance with a well taken goal that had Limerick 14 clear with an hour on the clock.
Six further points followed as Limerick didn’t relent in laying down a marker following the heavy defeat in Ennis the previous year.
Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane (1-11, 0-7 frees, 0-1 ‘65); Peter Casey (0-4); Tom Morrissey (0-3); Gearoid Hegarty, Graeme Mulcahy (0-2 each); Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes, Shane Dowling (0-1 free), Darragh O’Donovan (0-1 each).
Scorers for Clare: Peter Duggan (0-11, 0-8 frees, 0-1s); Colm Galvin, Tony Kelly (0-1 each)
Limerick : Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Richie English; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Paddy O’Loughlin; Cian Lynch, William O’Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Tom Morrissey; Peter Casey, Aaron Gillane, Graeme Mulcahy.
Subs: Darragh O’Donovan for O’Donoghue (56); Shane Dowling for Hegarty (57); Dan Morrissey for Hannon, Seamus Flanagan for Casey (63); Pat Ryan for Mulcahy (68)
Clare : Donal Tuohy; David McInerney, Pat O’Connor, Jack Browne; Catahl Malone, Conor Cleary, David Fitzgerald; Shane Golden, Colm Galvin; Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly, Podge Collins; Aaron Shanagher, John Conlon, Shane O’Donnell.
Subs: Aidan McCarthy for Golden (HT); Diarmuid Ryan for Shanagher (49 mins); Seadna Morey for D Fitzgerald (52); J McCarthy for Collins (59); Niall Deasy for O’Donnell (66)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford
The post Kiely’s Top 10 | #10 | Limerick put Clare to the sword to avenge the defeat of 2018 appeared first on Sporting Limerick.
