Limerick pull away in second half to see off Antrim in Senior Hurling Challenge match

THE LIMERICK senior hurlers continued their National League preperations on Friday evening. John Kiely's side defeated Antrim 1-31 to 0-21 in the University of Limerick North Campus 4G pitch. 

Kiely lined out an experimental team which included players who impressed in the club championship and six players who featured in Limerick's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Cork. 

Patrick O'Donovan and Ethan Hurley were some of the new faces to impress in the Castletroy venue.

Antrim made the long trip down to Limerick on Friday and the Saffrons are now looking to push on under Davy Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is into his first charge of the Antrim senior hurling team. 

Limerick raced 0-3 lead after two minutes when the full forward line of Patrick O'Donovan, Shane O'Brien and Donnacha Ó Dálaigh all registered early scores. 

Antrim battled back through centre half forward James McNaughton and McNaughton pushed them 0-6 to 0-5 ahead on 11 minutes. Newcastle West clubman Con Hayes played a clever pass inside into Shane O'Brien and O'Brien made no mistake from close range to level matters for the second time. 

The sides then traded scores. Adam English and Ó Dálaigh then combined which put Limerick 0-10 to 0-8 in front on 20 minutes. 

Antrim attacker James McNaughton hit back to reduce the gap to the minimium on 21 minutes. Limerick finished the first half strongly. Diarmaid Byrnes, Micheal Houlihan, Patrick O'Donovan, Shane O'Brien and Donnacha Ó Dálaigh were all on target before the break to have their side leading 0-15 to 0-11 at the break. 

Centre half back Ethan Hurley set up Patrick O'Donovan for a point straight away in the second half. Micheal Houlihan followed that up with a point from range to push Limerick 0-17 to 0-11 ahead. Antrim battled back once again and the men from Ulster now trailed by four points. 

Shane O'Brien was causing the Antrim defence difficulties all evening and O'Brien sent over a spectacular effort from a difficult angle at the start of the second half. The Mary Immaculate student then took on Antrim defence once again and the Limerick sharpshooter slotted the sliotar into the back of the net which meant the Shannonsiders now led 1-18 to 0-13. 

The contest ebbed and flowed for the remainder of the second half. Limerick outscored their opponents 0-13 - 0-8. 

Subsitutes Hugh Flanagan, Oisin O'Farrell and Dylan Lynch contributed 0-5 between them in the closing stages as Limerick hung on for a comfortable 13 point victory in the end. 

SCORERS: 

LIMERICK: Shane O'Brien 1-4, Patrick O'Donovan 0-6, Micheal Houlihan 0-5, David Reidy (0-4, 0-2 frees), Adam English 0-3, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Dylan Lynch and Oisin O'Farrell 0-2 each, Ethan Hurley and Hugh Flanagan 0-1 each, Diarmaid Byrnes (0-1 65)

LIMERICK: Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh); Vince Harrington (Na Piarsaigh), Dan Morrissey (Ahane), Evan O'Leary (Ahane); Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Ethan Hurley (Newcastle West), Darragh Langan (Monaleen); Adam English (Doon), William O'Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh); David Reidy (Dromin Athlacca), Con Hayes (Newcastle West), Micheal Houlihan (Kilmallock); Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen), Shane O'Brien (Kilmallock), Patrick O’Donovan (Effin).

SUBS: Sean Casey (Bruff) for Byrnes, Oisin O'Farrell (ABK Desmonds) for Ó Dálaigh, Chris Thomas (Doon) for O'Leary, William Dore (Dromin Athlacca) for Harrington, Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane) for O'Donovan, Dylan Lynch (Na Piarsaigh) for O'Brien, Conor Hanley Clarke (Kilmallock) for Dowling and Cian Scully (Dromin Athlacca) for Morrissey.