Limerick minor hurlers suffer All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Waterford

LIMERICK minor hurlers saw their season ended when losing out by four points, 1-14 to 1-18, against Waterford in their quarter-final clash at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday afternoon. 

Despite never leading, Donal O’Grady’s Limerick side remained right in this contest deep into stoppage time, in a contest that had many fine margins that didn’t fall Limerick’s way.

Overall, it has been a season of frustration at the grade for Limerick, losing three times in Munster and again here to Waterford. That said, wins over Tipperary in Munster and Wexford in their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final eight days ago have shown the quality does exist within the group.

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This contest was barely thirty seconds old when Cormac Spain notched the opening point for the Deise. The Ballygunner man is a huge prospect and has caused Limerick great problems in both clashes this season.

For Limerick early scores from Cathal Dennehy and corner forward Rian Horgan helped them to settle. However, playing against the wind, they struggled to really get the scores to worry Waterford and found themselves 0-8 to 0-4 in arrears by the 19th minute.

Spain was joined on the scoresheet by Bradley Penkert before Alex Kearns got Limerick’s fifth point. Nearing half-time the Shannonisders enjoyed a scoring burst with Shane Carroll pointing before the reliable Shane Waters arrowing over two frees.

However, Spain struck a hammer blow with the final act of the half, netting a goal to leave it 1-10 to 0-8 at the interval.

Credit to Limerick, who, through a Waters free and then a Dennehy goal, cut the gap to just a point. The Glenroe clubman finishing well after a fine turnover from Conor Hough.

There was a lot to like about Limerick in this period but crucially, Spain and sub Gearoid O’Shea kept the scoreboard moving at the other end.

Limerick failed to put any run of scores together between then and the final whistle. Waters’ frees and a point from Killian Begley were the positives while Rian Horgan draw a decent save off James Comerford, while Dennehy was millimetres away from burying a second goal from close range.

Back to two points in stoppage time, Waters hit the post with a touchline free, allowing Waterford to counter attack and seal the game with a point from Shane Power. Spain added the insurance point and end the dreams for Limerick.

SCORERS: Waterford: Cormac  Spain 1-7 (0-4 frees);  Jamie Shanahan 0-3; Shane Power 0-3; Hugo Quann 0-1; Bradley Penkert 0-1; Gearoid O’Shea 0-1; Dylan Murphy 0-1; Jack Power 0-1. Limerick: Shane Waters 0-7 (0-6 frees, 0-1 ’65); Cathal Dennehy 1-1; Rian Horgan 0-3; Alex Kearns 0-1; Shane Carroll 0-1; Killian Begley 0-1.

LIMERICK: Marcus Murphy; Eoin Hennessy, Evan Ryan, Jackie Dwane; Shane Carroll, Michael Hanly, Diarmuid Crowe; Paul Murphy, David O’Keeffe; Alex Kearns, Rory Hanly, Shane Waters; Conor Hough, Cathal Dennehy, Rian Horgan. Subs: Killian Begley for Hough (43 mins); Gavin O’Brien for Kearns (51 mins); Sean Og Cahill Hayes for Murphy (58 mins); Danny Sheehan for O’Keeffe (60 mins).

WATERFORD: James Comerford; Conor Lynch, Darragh Murphy, Darragh Keane; B Penkert, Hugo Quann, Tommy Kennedy; Aaron Walsh, Pierce Quann; Eoin Burke, Jack Power, Shane Power; Dylan Murphy, Cormac Spain, Jamie Shanahan. Subs: Caoillin Reville for Burke, Gearoid O’Shea for Walsh (both half-time); Seán Óg Costin for Murphy (62 mins)

REFEREE: Matthew Farrell (Roscommon)