Round-up: Electric Ireland Munster MFC action

Clare defeated Tipperary in the Electric Ireland Munster MFC. Photo by Tipperary GAA
Electric Ireland Munster MFC phase 1 round 3

Clare 2-8 Tipperary 2-6

Waterford 1-13 Limerick 1-12

Thomas Dillon’s 63rd-minute goal lifted Clare from the brink of elimination and into the second phase of the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship alongside table-toppers Waterford.

On a dramatic night of comebacks, the Déise completed a clean sweep of victories with a nine-point turnaround against Limerick, while Clare fended off Tipperary’s 11-point turnaround with Dillon’s late winner.

Waterford and Clare now join Kerry and Cork in phase 2, which begins in a fortnight’s time.

Clare looked in cruise control when leading Tipp by 1-8 to 0-1 after 32 minutes in a match switched from Quilty to Clarecastle due to an unplayable pitch.

Lissycasey full-forward Liam Keane accounted for 1-5 (0-4 frees), claiming Dillon’s high ball for a tremendous top-corner finish in the 14th minute. Dillon added two points with the other from Robbie Kelly.

Ciarán Hennessy sparked the Tipp comeback when he was brought down for a black-card penalty. Tristan O’Loughlin was sent to the sin bin before Conor O’Meara cannoned the ball into the net. Cillian Morrissey added Tipp’s first score from play in the 39th minute.

There was still four in the difference when Clare were restored to a full complement. Hugh Carolan halved that deficit with a 55th-minute two-pointer. Within 40 seconds, Tipp were ahead. Morrissey claimed a turnover outside the arc and exchanged a one-two with his Moyle Rovers teammate Carolan to palm in.

A Clare defeat would’ve seen Limerick progress on score difference, but when Stephen O’Neill’s late shot was saved, Doonbeg forward Dillon was on hand to send them through.

Like Tipperary, Waterford trailed wind-assisted Limerick by eight points at half-time. Their comeback resulted in a 1-13 to 1-12 win in Lemybrien.

Charlie McCarthy launched two huge Treaty two-pointers, while Conor O’Dwyer matched that return with four white flags. With every score from play, Limerick jumped 1-9 to 0-4 clear on the stroke of half-time. Eoghan Hogan turned past his marker and squared for Brooklyn Delahunty to bundle home.

Waterford needed a six-point swing to guarantee their qualification. They did so by the 45th minute. Peter Murray teed up Portlaw midfielder Theo Meagher to fire low to the net before Dara Gough’s two-point free took his tally to 0-6.

They were level when Liam O’Grady popped over a two-point effort. Points from Charlie Smyth, Aidan McMaugh, and Charlie Kelly were enough for a narrow win, although they still needed James Skehan to take a McCarthy strike off the line.