Second half goal blitz sees Limerick to a Munster win in Ennis.

Limerick began their Munster and All-Ireland defence with a 3-15 to 1-18 win over Clare at Cusack Park in Ennis.

Two second half goals from Aaron Gillane and one from championship debutant Donnacha Ó Dálaigh’s men claw back a five-point half time deficit.

Clare led by nine at one stage in the second half before Limerick finally hit form with three goals in seven minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Aidan McCarthy opened the scoring for Clare after just 16 seconds with an excellent score from play but Limerick were soon up at the other end with Aaron Gillane in on goal but he was denied by a smart Eibhear Quilligan save.

Gillane had advantage and sent the free over the bar and Limerick then went in front courtesy of the first three in the opening half from Gearoid Hegarty.

David Fitzgerald levelled the game for the second time but points from David Reidy and Gillane had Limerick 0-4 to 0-2 ahead after seven minutes. Nickie Quaid also denied Mark Rodgers a goal in that time as both sides created chances for three pointers.

Limerick lost Mike Casey to injury before Gillane’s second of the half to be replaced by Sean Finn. The Treatymen hit four wides on the trot before two McCarthy placed balls squared the game up for a third time.

Hegarty then had Limerick in front once again but McCarthy (2) and Shane O’Donnell saw Clare go int0o a two-point advantage.

A fine Cathal O’Neill score brought Limerick back to one but Clare went four clear with three McCarthy frees. Quaid was in action again with a stop that denied McCarthy as Clare turned the screw.

Kyle Hayes made it a three-point game but Clare got the only goal of the half when a long delivery found O’Donnell. He pinpointed a pass to McCarthy and he fired to the net to put Clare six to the good.

Hegarty nailed his third in response to leave the score at 1-10 to 0-8 at the break in favour of the Banner.

Fitzgerald got his second of the afternoon with the first score of the second half to put Clare six ahead once again.

Limerick continued to struggle in front of goal with wides coming from O’Neill, Lynch and Byrnes with Gillane eventually getting them on the board in the second with his third free. Clare responded with Rodgers, McCarthy and half time sub Seadna Morey put them 1-15 to 0-9 clear.

However, Limerick fought back with Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Gillane (2) and another from O’Neill to cut the gap to six heading into the final 10 minutes.

Gillane then flicked a Byrnes free to the net and then Reidy made it two with a smart move from a sideline cut.

Limerick then hit the front through Ó Dalaigh’s goal after he linked up superbly with Hegarty to see Limerick 2-14 to 1-16 ahead in the 66th minute.

Gillane then hit the net for a second time when Hegarty was released once more. He ducked and dived past John Conlon. His shot hit the post and Gillane was on hand tap into the empty net that saw Limerick to victory by 3-15 to 1-18.

Scorers – Limerick: Aaron Gillane 2-5 (5f), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh 1-1, Gearoid Hegarty 0-3, David Reidy and Cathal O’Neill 0-2 each, Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch 0-1

Scorers – Clare: Aidan McCarthy 1-10 (9f), David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers and Tony Kelly (1f) 0-2 each Shane O’Donnell and Seadna Morey 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; Will O’Donoghue, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, Cathal O’Neill, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, David Reidy.

Subs: Sean Finn for Casey (6 mins, inj), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh for Flanagan (45 mins), Conor Boylan for T Morrissey (49 mins), Adam English for O’Donoghue (59 mins), Aidan O’Connor for Gillane (68 mins).

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: Seadna Morey for Lohan (h-t), Tony Kelly for Reidy (55 mins), Paul Flanagan for Hayes (59 mins), Shane Meehan for Rodgers (62 mins), Aron Shanagher for Fitzgerald (69 mins).

REFEREE: Colm Lyons (Cork).