Fidelma Marrinan kicked seven points as Clare were crowned 2023 Munster Ladies Senior B Champions, with a four point win over Limerick in Mallow.

A strong second half push from Clare saw them crowned Senior B Champions, seven second half points in succession seeing them topple Limerick by four points.

Limerick started the second half strong, but Clare battled back and will have learned a lot from their league final defeat and before their intermediate campaign begins in the summer.

An energetic start saw both sides attack with intent from the off, but Clare were first to push on the attack, Sinead Considine fired the first shot of the game wide in the first minute, but Fidelma Marrinan made no mistake a minute later in grabbing the opening score.

Laoise Browne drew Limerick level from their first attack, the referee awarding a free in for the Treaty women, off the right boot she curled over the blackspot in the fifth minute. Marrian responded to put the Banner in front once again, as these two neighbours were not letting off.

Back came Limerick, Browne pointing a second free, before putting Limerick ahead with their first score from play, she had a hand in setting up Cathy Mee for a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 11 minutes, a score we might not have seen coming based on how dominant Clare were in possession.

Marrinan was running the show for Clare in their forward line, a free in the 15th minute brought them a point behind, but consecutive scores in the 26th and 27th minute had the Banner a point ahead, 0-5 to 0-4 as the teams headed to the break.

Limerick had the ideal start to the second half with a goal inside two minutes of the restart, Browne racing on to gather a long ball inside, she passed to Leah Coughlan, with her shot rifled into the roof of the Clare net past Amy Lenihan, Browne followed it up with her fourth point a minute later 1-5 to 0-5 in favour of Limerick just three minutes into the second half.

Clare rallied back however, two Chloe Moloney frees, followed by points from Aisling Reidy, Lizzy Roche and Marrian had Clare in front by two points with 44 minutes elapsed of the contest.

It was six points without reply when Roche added her second since coming off the bench just minutes earlier in the second half, putting three between them after 47 minutes, then Marrinan made it seven with the point of the game, Moloney with a lovely ball inside she was swarmed by Limerick bodies, but produced an acrobatic bicycle kick score to put four between them, 0-12 to 1-05 after 52 minutes.

Caoimhe Cahill had their seventh score without reply in the 56th minute, with Limerick finally on the mark a minute later, their first score since the 33rd minute through Karen O’Leary, four points the margin.

Carol Bateman made a great save to deny Roche a goal on added time, that goal would have sealed the result in favour of the Banner, but Bateman denied her with a solid stop.