Limerick rewarded with the big breaks

KILLINAN END

Limerick and Clare provided a typical full-blooded encounter between neighbours and old rivals. However, the game was marred by errors and, unfortunately, also by refereeing decisions. Even so, making an argument solely on Clare's behalf is difficult. Any team that can manage just 1-3 in the second half of an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park is already on a slippery slope. Scoring just a single point from play after the interval reflected both the quality of Limerick's defending and the wastefulness of the Clare attack. After 32 minutes Clare led by 0-16 to 0-9. From that point on it was Limerick 1-12 Clare 1-3. Those are damning figures indeed.

All that said, this was a rare occasion when the outcome can almost certainly be attributed, at least in part, to two specific refereeing decisions. Clare undoubtedly created the conditions for their own downfall through their second-half scoring collapse, but the decisive moments of the game were nevertheless shaped by two officiating decisions.

First up is the question of the black card. According to Nicky Quaid, the referee indicated that the distinction between the foul on Peter Duggan and a black card offence was the issue of possession. Duggan was the last player to play the ball when he flicked it over the goalkeeper and, had he not been fouled, was very likely the next player to play it. Surely possession must mean something more than literally having the ball in one's hand. A player who has clearly controlled the ball and is about to play it is, in every meaningful sense, in possession. If possession is to remain central to the interpretation of this rule, then perhaps it is time for the term itself to be properly defined.

The history of the game would certainly suggest a far broader interpretation of what constitutes possession. When John Fenton struck his goal into the Limerick net from forty yards in the 1987 Munster semi-final, was he only deemed to have gained possession after striking the ball? The same question arises in relation to Nicky English's kicked goal at the Killinan End later that summer, and indeed Jason Forde's flicked goal against Kilkenny last year. There is, of course, no certainty about what might have happened had Nicky Quaid been shown a black card. Given the wayward manner of Clare's shooting, there is no guarantee they would have gone on to win. What can reasonably be said, however, is that it would have caused enormous disruption to Limerick at a critical stage of the contest. They would almost certainly have been forced to introduce a substitute goalkeeper, thereby restricting their remaining outfield substitution options.

Unfortunately, this was not the only refereeing error that had a material bearing on the outcome. With Limerick leading 1-20 to 1-19, a free was awarded for an apparent foul by Diarmuid Ryan on David Reidy directly in front of the posts. Television replays suggested not only that there was no foul, but that there was no contact whatsoever between defender and attacker. Much like the incorrect penalty awarded against Tipperary in last year's All-Ireland Final, the Limerick forward appeared to trip himself without any Clare intervention.

That score extended Limerick's lead to two points. Without the free, Clare would at least have had the opportunity to clear their lines rather than concede what became an almost certain score. During the television commentary, the two-point advantage was described as "the most dangerous lead". That old adage may now require some revision because, on this occasion, it proved considerably safer than a one-point lead. Trailing by two, Tony Kelly bypassed a very scoreable free in an effort to conjure a goal. Had Clare been just a single point behind, the decision-making process might have been different. Circumstances alter cases.

The Banner County might be entitled to lament the refereeing decisions, yet they were at least co-authors of their own downfall. Clare may well have thrown the dice for the final time for this outstanding generation of players, and it is disappointing that they are left with some "what ifs". History will be kind to players like Shane O’Donnell and John Conlon if this is the last time they don the Saffron & Blue. They and their colleagues have illuminated the championship in recent years and have no doubt inspired the conveyor belt of talent in the background.

Limerick, for all the self-examination their performance will spark, ultimately hurled Clare off the scoreboard. Despite an unusually spluttering display, they remained defensively solid enough to keep the Clare wolf from the door during the closing stages. Gearóid Hegarty continues to provide what is arguably the greatest out-ball option in the history of hurling. His contribution was extraordinary on a day when many of his colleagues performed below their usual standards. Limerick still toughed it out leaving plenty of work-ons ahead of the final. There are worse ways to win.