Limerick minor hurlers make Munster championship exit

Goals proved to be the difference as Waterford defeated Limerick in round four of the Munster minor hurling championship. 

Limerick failed to score a point from play in the opening half and left themsleves with too much to do in the second half. 

This result means Limerick have been knocked out of the Munster minor hurling championship and Waterford will now advance into the All-Ireland series.

The visitors started brightly on two minutes when Waterford full forward Shane Power made a powerful run down the centre of the Limerick defence to set up Jack Power to raise the first green flag of the day. Shane Power quickly added a point on six minutes to have Waterford leading 1-1 to 0-0. 

It looked as if the Deise were in for their second goal of the day but Limerick joint captain Jack Cosgrave pulled off a tremendous block to keep the home side in the game. 

Limerick registered their first score of the day on nine minutes from a Patrick Kearney placed ball to leave three points between the sides. A minute later Limerick suffered a major blow when joint captain Diarmuid Hurley was forced off the field due to injury.

Two more Patrick Kearney frees brought the Shannonsiders back into this contest as they trailed by the minimum.

The Waterford corner forward Mark Hartley was beginning to cause problems out in the right corner forward position and he quickly put Waterford three points ahead. Kearney responded from the dead ball once again to keep Limerick within touching distance to leave the score at 1-03 - 0-4 on 20 minutes. 

Limerick were beginning to get the grips with the game but then they suffered a hammer blow when Jack Power caught a long delivery and smashed the ball into the Limerick net. Limerick responded after good work on the wing from John O'Connor and Kearney pointed the resulting free. The accurate Shane Power responded with a neat point for the victors. 

Kearney and Hartley swapped free's before the break as Waterford led 2-05 to 0-6 at the interval. 

Limerick started the second half brightly after conceding a close-range free, Shane Dowling's side hit two excellent points from tight angles through Patrick Cagney and the lively Patrick Kearney. Waterford then replied courtesy of the accurate Mark Hartley and Tommy Kennedy to push their lead back out to six points. 

On 43 minutes, the decisive moment came when Conor Ryan was dismissed on a second yellow and Limerick were reduced to 14 men. Waterford made the extra man count where they outscored their opponents 1-2 - 0-3 in a nine minute period where Shane Power cleverly batted the sliotar into the net to score their third of the goal of the day to have Waterford 3-10 - 0-11 on 52 minutes. 

Jack Power and Cosgrave traded scores and Limerick were showing huge character to get themselves back into the contest. Then Waterford wing back Conor Power put the game out of sight on 60 minutes as they hung on for a hard-fought ten point victory over Limerick.

Limerick are now out of championship and will play their last group game against Tipperary next Thursday May 9 in the TUS Gaelic Grounds and Shane Dowling will be looking for his side to finish their campaign on a high note.

Scorers: 

LIMERICK: Malachy McKenna 1-0, Patrick Kearney 0-7 (0-6 frees), Jack Cosgrave 0-4 (0-3 frees) Patrick Cagney, Gavin Dorgan, John O'Keefe 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Shane Power 2-3 (0-1 free), Jack Power 1-2, Conor Power (1-0), Mark Hartley 0-5 (0-3 frees), Tommy Kennedy, Cormac Spain 0-1 each. 

LIMERICK: Cathal Dennehy (Glenroe), Conor Ryan (Adare), Daithi Dennehy (Glenroe), Gearoid Enright (Kilmallock), Eoin Brosnan (Na Piarsaigh), Jack Cosgrave (Ahane) (Joint Captain), Paul Murphy (Castletown/Ballyagran), Patrick Cagney (Feohanagh/Castlemahon), Eoghan Maher (Monaleen), Gavin Dorgan (Monagea), Danny Sheehan (Na Piarsaigh), John O’Connor (Ahane), Jack Fitzgerald (Ahane), Diarmuid Hurley (Hospital/Herbertstown) (Joint Captain), Patrick Kearney (Adare). 

SUBS: Malachy McKenna for Hurley (10 minutes) (injury), Denis Blackwell (Ahane) for Fitzgerald (half-time), Conor Ryan (Ahane) for Sheehan (half-time), Eamon Richardson (Doon) for Brosnan (51 minutes), John O'Keefe (Murroe/Boher) for Dorgan (60 minutes)

WATERFORD: Billy Murphy, Alex Furlong, Jack Twomey , Tadhg Corcoran, Conor Power, Joe McDonnell, Ollie Fives, Tommy Kennedy, Rory Jacob, Gearoid O’Shea, Caoillin Reville, Eoin Burke, Mark Hartley, Shane Power, Jack Power.

SUBS: Cormac Spain for Hartley (48 minutes), Aaron Coughlan for Burke (50 minutes),  Jamie Shanahan for Reville (53 minutes), Ben Cummins for Jacob (58 minutes).

REFEREE: Ciaran O'Donovan (Tipperary)