Generally it’s said that a team learns more from defeat than from victory in all codes, but perhaps it’s fair to say that both teams learned a lot in Ennis last night.

Division 2 for all its scenery and long distance travelling has bid goodbye to Limerick for the 2012 National League. There was a sense after the first round in Ennis that Limerick and Clare would meet again in the final, and so it happened. This - as expected - was a different game, though a long way short of championship intensity.

As the crowd left Cusack Park in Ennis, one Clare supporter kicked a barrier in frustration. Donal O’Grady, on the other hand, was apparently seen paying homage to the clouds, almost indicating that the man above had a role in this victory. But it wasn’t as simple as that.

The reality is that Limerick ground out the result, and Clare failed to close out the game. But it was far from championship intensity. Donal O’Grady (the player) soloed through and was buried by Conor Cooney, and Seamus Hickey took a hit in the first half from Fergal Lynch. Other than that, there was a lot of freedom to go on unobstructed solo runs, and in championship hurling, Kevin Downes, Darach Honan and Conor McGrath will be clobbered before they are left run in to score the goals that they scored. If they aren’t clobbered in the Munster championship, then perhaps Tom Ryan and Darren Stamp are correct in their assertion that it has become a sissies’ game.

A key moment in the game was in the 53rd minute. Darach Honan had scored a point for Clare to send them into a 2-12 to 2-8 lead and into the driving seat, but from the puck out Declan Hannon scored a sucker punch of a goal that would knock the wind out of the sails of any team. The Limerick management then made the switch that helped close the deal - Tom Condon going into full back, Gavin O’Mahoney being released to left half back, and David Moloney coming into the corner. The switches worked for the last 15 minutes, but there’s a difference between switching into a position, and playing a whole game there.

Interesting to note that when Ciaran Carey was Limerick Under 21 manager in 2008, Nicky Quaid was in goal, Tom Condon was full back, Seamus Hickey at centre half back, and Gavin O’Mahoney at left half back. Despite the switches, Clare still led approaching the 66th minute until 1-2 within a minute won the game for Limerick: a point from Paul Browne, a goal from Kevin Downes and another point from Declan Hannon. Clare had over five minutes to respond but seemed to panic a little, seeking out goals when points might have done and they didn’t score for the remainder of the game. Indeed, they scored only one point in the final nineteen minutes including injury time, a worrying statistic for the Sparrow.

Both teams learned that they are on a similar enough level to one another, but didn’t learn how much they compare to those they will face in the Munster championship. Both teams learned a lot about the structure of their teams and perhaps it was no harm to learn these things in Ennis than in the Munster championship at Thurles. What’s important for both of them is that they build from the back when putting their championship team together and ensure that their defence isn’t leaking scores.

For Clare that may well involve a change of goalkeeper and perhaps a return to the defensive structure that held out well against Waterford in last year’s championship. Fergal Lynch did a lot of positive things for them last night at centre forward and moving him certainly contributed to their defeat. John Conlon and Darach Honan showed that they are not to be sneezed at, and Conor McGrath proved that if a chance presents itself that he can put it away. Clare do not know at this juncture if they will face Tipperary or Cork. Limerick are at a greater advantage in that they know they are facing Waterford, but don’t quite know the best Waterford 15. For Limerick the central defensive positions are paramount, as is the man marking arrangement on John Mullane, along with the whole team approach toward starving Mullane and the other forwards of quality ball.

It was interesting to say the least that when the game entered the melting pot, the Limerick management placed their faith upon young shoulders in defence when vast experience was available on the bench. And that decision was justified in the form of getting the result against Clare in Ennis, a venue where far superior Limerick teams have come unstuck.

Waterford are a different proposition entirely. A member of the 1973 team said recently that while supporters are frustrated with the short passing, we have to trust Donal O’Grady this year. It’s a comment that holds merit, although one cannot but have nightmares at the horrific prospect of a short pass between two defenders not sticking when John Mullane is lurking. When games have entered the melting pot in recent years, Limerick have failed to win their own ball in the forward line. There is a lot of work to be done in this area if we are to improve on this in the 2011 championship.

One thing we can be guaranteed is that the likes of Brick Walsh, John Mullane, Stephen Molumphy, Shane Walsh, Tony Browne, Noel Connors and Kevin Moran will ask an awful lot more questions of Limerick than the key Clare players did. Two years ago we would have beaten Waterford had we scored our frees. The game last night didn’t boil down to frees, but given that Richard McCarthy and Seanie Tobin didn’t finish the game last night, and Declan Hannon hadn’t scored his frees earlier, who would have taken the frees late in the game?

There’s a fine line in many ways between defeat and victory. Overall it’s an absolutely vital win for Limerick and probably a win that we needed more than Clare. Part of the problem is that if we had lost in Ennis, the backlash after the previous defeats of ‘72, ‘86, ‘93 and ‘06 might have returned. All hell might have broken loose and we have had enough of trouble in recent years without that happening. However, even allowing for the win in Ennis, I wouldn’t be in any rush down there for a championship game at any stage.

Ennis is history now, and it’s all about Thurles. We are told that everything from here on is a bonus, but we need to heed the lessons from last night and maximise the bonus territory. If you liked this article, tell other people about it...