Kilmallock (Limerick) 1-32 
Cratloe (Clare) 3-18
(After extra-time)

Kilmallock overcame the second half dismissal of county star Gavin O'Mahony to be eventually see off Cratloe after extra-time in an absorbing Munster club hurling final at the Gaelic Grounds.

The Limerick champions bridged a 20-year gap to capture their third provincial title in a game that produced a whopping 54 scores. Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin's charges looked to have won it in normal time before Cratloe midfielder Martin Ogie Murphy scored a brilliant equalising point to leave the sides level on 3-15 to 1-21 after 60 minutes.

Kilmallock will now face Ulster champions Portaferry in next February's All-Ireland semi-final.

With a crowd of 6,365 looking on, Cratloe took an early 1-3 to 0-1 lead thanks to Gearoid Considine's 10th minute goal, but they were outscored by 0-11 to 0-3 in the remainder of the half as Kilmallock fought back to lead by 0-12 to 1-6 at half-time.

Cathal McInerney grabbed a second Cratloe goal midway through the second half before O'Mahony was given his marching orders for an off-the-ball incident a minute later. But the 14-men dug deep and were rewarded with a 56th minute goal from Jake Mulcahy.

Sean Collins and Mulcahy traded points before a Conor McGrath major had the double Clare champions ahead again with two minutes remaining.

In a frenetic finale, quick-fire points from the Mulcahy brothers, Jake and Graeme, edged Kilmallock back in front before Murphy forced extra-time with his last-gasp equaliser.

Restored to 15 players for extra-time, the fresher Limerick kingpins finally took a grip on proceedings to be crowned Munster champions.

Kilmallock - B Hennessy; L Hurley, M O'Loughlin, A Costello; L Walsh, P O'Loughlin (0-1), K O'Donnell (0-1); B O'Sullivan (0-7), P O'Brien (0-4); J Mulcahy (1-6), G O'Mahony (0-1), R Egan; G Mulcahy (0-6), K Kennelly (0-1), E Ryan (0-5, 4f, 1'65). Subs: R Hanley for K Kennelly, P O'Loughlin for G O'Mahony (ET).

Cratloe - G Ryan; S O'Leary, M Hawes, D Ryan; S Chaplin, C Ryan, E Boyce; M Ogie Murphy (0-1), L Markham (0-3, 1f, 1'65); S Gleeson, P Collins (0-1), S Collins (0-3); C McInerney (1-3), G Considine (1-0), C McGrath (1-6, 0-3f). Subs: D Collins (0-1) for S Gleeson, D Browne for G Considine, B Duggan for S O'Leary, G Considine for M Ogie Murphy.

Referee - F Horgan.

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