Limerick are safely through to the 2009 Munster SFC decider after battling to a 1-13 to 1-9 victory over Clare at Ennis. Mickey Ned O'Sullivan's revitalised charges must wait to see who will provide the opposition in the province's biggest football fixture after Cork and Kerry finished level in Killarney, but they will be delighted to be through themselves after the Banner men made them dig deep at Cusack Park. Limerick will play in Division Four next year but this fourth straight championship win over their neighbours comes as a welcome boost as their colourful season unfolds. The winners, fresh from a first-round victory over Tipperary a few weeks ago, got off to a dream start when wing back Stephen Lavin found the net in the fourth minute. In the early stages, they showed the benefit of that extra run-out, while Clare looked rusty. Lavin's three-pointer left the winners very much in the ascendancy at 1-3 to no score but Clare refused to bend a knee and Gary Brennan found the net for the home side in the tenth minute as they got back on terms by the short whistle: 1-7 each at half time. The visitors gradually got on top in a dogged second half and outscored the Banner boys by 0-6 to 0-2 during this period to progress to the Munster senior football final for the first time in six years. Ian Ryan was the hero for the winners, with a fine personal return of eight points. Stephen Lucey had them ahead inside a minute and Jim O'Donovan doubled that lead immediately before Lavin took his goal and Ryan chipped in with his first score. David Turbidy got the hosts off the mark with a pointed free and Brennan hit the net - a fantactic solo goal - in the tenth minute as the match caught fire early on. A brace of Ger Quinlan points had the sides level at the end of the first quarter - 1-3 each. The Banner had their tails up and Turbidy pointed them into the lead. The sides were level four times from there to the short whistle, with Turbidy closing the first-half scoring. Limerick had a lucky escape when Timmy Ryan's 27th-minute goal attempt flew marginally wide. The visitors started the second half purposefully with points from Ian Ryan and Collins and they replied to Turbidy's fourth of the day with further scores from Eoin Hogan and Ian Ryan. As they took control, there was no way back for a Clare side who ran out of ideas. For now, the Treaty County still don't know who will provide the opposition or what the venue will be on provincial final day, but they'll not worry unduly about these matters as they've put their poor league form behind them to make it to one of the key dates on the annual footballing calendar. Limerick - S Kiely; J McCarthy, S Gallagher, M O'Riordan; S Lavin (1-0), S Lucey (0-1), P Ranahan; J O'Donovan (0-1) , J Galvin; P Browne, I Ryan (0-6, 4f), S Buckley (0-1) ; C Joyce-Power, J Stokes, G Collins (0-3, 2f). Subs: E Hogan (0-1) for Joyce-Power, K O'Callaghan for Stokes, T Cahill for O'Donovan. Clare - D O'Brien; L Healy, C Whelan, D Ryan; Gordon Kelly (0-1) , K Dilleen, Graham Kelly; G Quinlan (0-2), G Brennan (1-0); E Coughlan (0-1) , D Russell, P Reidy; M O'Shea (0-1, f) , T Ryan, D Tubridy (0-4, f). Subs : M McMahon for D Ryan, S Collins for Coughlan, C OConnor for Reidy, G Lynch for T Ryan, N Considine for Healy. Ref - P McGovern (Galway). Tweet

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