Classy Limerick earn Munster U20 hurling championship win over Waterford

“FIRST day out, you just want the win but Waterford didn't make it easy for us,” was how manager Diarmuid Mullins expressed his relief cleared the first hurdle of the Munster Under-20 hurling championship Round Robin with a 1-18 to 1-14 victory over Waterford in Dungarvan on Saturday afternoon.

Fielding seven of the lineup that was pipped in last year's All-Ireland final, including senior panellists Adam English and Shane O'Brien, the winners always looked like succeeding even though their opponents missed three clear-cut goal chances at crucial points during the hour.

It wasn't a particularly vintage performance from Mullins's charges as a tally of thirteen wides showed but they showed the greater composure and awareness throughout and belief in their destiny showed when they immediately met two of the Decies goal chances with a point at the other end of the field.

One striking difference between the sides was the score from play where Limerick prevailed by 1-13 to 0-4 as all but three points of Waterford's total came from Patrick Fitzgerald while ten different players on the winning side found themselves on the scoresheet.

The only occasion when the hosts looked like upsetting the odds was just before the interval as the shaved a six point deficit back to two and then added another score right on the restart. But even with the momentum behind them, they lacked the cutting edge to move on as a tight Limerick defensive unit starved them of the space inside the score zone and they were always able to play the sliotar out of trouble.

Although Fitzgerald's free met John Kirby's opener within minutes of the throw-in, both sides failed to convert follow-up chances, most notably Jack Twomey striking the post after pouncing on a ball breaking in the Limerick square, until Fitzgerald sent ove another free to give the Decies the lead. It disappeared immediately, Con Hayes racing in from the right to blast to the net to be followed by Patrick O'Donovan's free and Kirby before another Fitzgerald free brought Waterford's deficit back to three.

Dominating the middle third, Limerick picked it up again as Hayes was followed by O'Donovan's free and Barry Duff before Fitzgerald sent over the hosts' first from play which was met by O'Brien on the turn from a spectacular high catch. However, Waterford began to find some reward from the strengthenin breeze with two Fitzgerald frees met by one from O'Donovan and, after Hayes being denies a second goal by Cormac Cantwell's tackle and Mark Fitzgerald and Adam Fitzgerald swapping point, Tom O'Connell, Charlie Treen and Patrick Fitzgerald's free narrowed the gap to 1-9 to 0-10 at the break.

Another Fitzgerald free began the second half, and after Adam Fitzgerald and Fintan Fitzgerald pointed for the visitors, he converted another but Conor Keane was robbed of an equaliser by Josh O'Reilly's point-blank save after he sprinted onto a ball breaking behind the full-back line. Rubbing salt into the wound, Hayes pointed off the clearance and was followed by Fitzgerald's '65'meeting O'Donovan's free.

The pace dropped as a rash of subs came on, English and O'Donovan from a free and from play stretched the lead to six but then the scores dried up with only Fitzgerald's free for Waterford punctuating five Limerick wides before subs Liam Dennehy and Liam Lynch struck in added time. However, right at the end, the home side finally found the net when Fitzgerald buried a 20 meter free.

SCORERS: LIMERICK: Patrick O'Donovan 0-6 (5 frees), Con Hayes 1-2, John Kirby, Adam Fitzgerald 0-2 each, Barry Duff, Shane O'Brien, Fintan Fitzgerald, Adam English, Liam Dennehy, Liam Lynch 0-1 each; WATERFORD: Patrick Fitzgerald 1-11 (1-9 frees, 0-1 '65'). Mark Fitzgerald, Tom O'Connell, Charlie Treen 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Josh O'Reilly (Ballybrown); Ronan Lyons (Monaleen), John Fitzgerald (Na Piarsaigh), Evan O'Leary (Ahane); David Fitzgerald (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Cian Scully (Dromin-Athlacca), Ethan Hurley (Newcastlewest); Barry Duff (Mungret-Saint Paul's), Adam English (Doon); Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret-Saint Paul's), Patrick O'Donovan (Effin), John Kirby (Patrickswell); Con Hayes (Newcastewest), Adam Fitzgerald (Templeglantine), Shane O'Brien (Kilmallock). SUBS: Joseph Fitzgerald (Monaleen) for Barry Duff (38 minutes), Oisín O'Farrell (Askeaton) for Con Hayes (44 minutes), Liam Lynch for Adam Fitzgerald (44 minutes), Liam Dennehy (Glenroe) for Fintan Fitzgerald (57 minutes), Seán O'Neill (Blackrock) for John Kirby (60 minutes).

WATERFORD: Cian Troy (Ballygunner); Jamie Power (Modeligo), Cormac Cantwell (Ballygunner), Aaron O'Neill (Ballygunner); Joe Booth (Colligan), Mark Fitzgerald (Passage), Michael Mullaney (Stradbally); Josh Fitzgerald (Clashmore-Kinsalebeg), Willie Beresford (Abbeyside); Liam Ó Síothcháin (An Rinn), Conor Keane (De La Salle), Tom O'Connell (Brickey Rangers); Patrick Fitzgerald (Ballygunner), Charlie Treen (Abbeyside), Jack Twomey (De La Salle). SUBS: Francis Roche (Clonea) for Jack Twomey (38 minutes), Evan Foley (Saint Molleran's) for Liam Ó Síothchain (44 minutes), Fionn Hallinan (Fourmilewater) for Willie Beresford (44 minutes), Oisín Walsh (Fourmilewater) for Michael Mullaney (54 minutes).

REFEREE: Conor Doyle (Tipperary).