Clare’s Senior Hurling Championship run has ended after reigning Champions Galway beat them by a single point in a tough semi-final replay in Thurles.
In a repeat of the first semi-final last Saturday, Galway raced into a dominant lead in the first half while Clare struggled to match the physicality of the Tribsemen.
Indeed, as the clock approached twenty minutes Galway had registered nine points compared to the Banner’s two – both coming from Peter Duggan frees.
Tony Kelly was the first Clare man to score from play, but Galway capitalised on the puck-out and hit the back of the net on the other end, to give them a 1-9 to 0-3 lead after nineteen minutes.
While a strong start for the reigning Champions, this was to be the last of the Galway scores for the first half, although Clare struggled to reduce the deficit before the break.
The half-time score saw Galway double the Clare score on 1-9 to 0-6.
Also in a repeat of the first semi-final, Clare came out much stronger in the second half, and it was Shane O’Donnell who scored a crucial goal seven minutes into the half after an excellent slicing of the Galway defence.
Galway attempted to extend the gap once more but Peter Duggan made another excellent run through the Galway back line to register the second Clare goal and reduce the deficit to a single point.
It was a two point game when Aron Shanagher joined the game and immediately struck a point over the bar with his first touch of the ball.
The Shannon man descended on the Tribes goal once more in an attempt to get their third goal, but it was excellently deflected by a diving James Skehill and then caught by the post in the second attempt.
This left the Banner one point down on the neighbours and after five minutes of injury time, once the full time whistle blew Clare were still a point down, ending their Championship campaign.
Full time score in Thurles was Galway 1-17, Clare 2-13.