14-man Limerick defeated by late rally of Galway scores in Allianz Hurling League

LIMERICK were beaten by Galway in round two of the Allianz Hurling League this Saturday evening.

In the TUS Gaelic Grounds it finished Limerick 1-18 Galway 0-27 in round two of the league.

Limerick had Gearoid Hegarty sent off for a red card offence in the fourth minute of the second half.

The sides were level on 12 occasions and Limerick were 1-18 to 0-20 ahead on the 59th minute but didn't score again.

Henry Sheffin's Galway won out with seven late successive scores.

Limerick were two points ahead at half time; 1-9 to 0-10.

After a below par display against Wexford six days previous, the men in green had the ideal start when Aaron Gillane scored a superb goal in the third minute. Kyle Hayes delivered a diagonal ball into attack and Gillane fetched, dummied and then crashed to the net.

Cathal O'Neill was to end the first half with three points from play and it was his score that tagged onto the Gillane goal to see Limerick 1-1 to no score ahead and not yet five minutes played.

Limerick lost William O'Donoghue to injury at this point and weren't to score again for 13-minutes.

Down the other end, Galway hit five successive scores to take the lead at 0-5 to 1-1 and 15-minutes gone.

A Gillane free ended the Limerick barren spell and O'Neill then regained the lead in a half in which the sides were level on four occasions.

Gearoid Hegarty and Gillane had scores from play as Limerick continued to profit from diagonal deliveries into attack.

A superb Fintan Burke lineball from distance tied up the contest at 1-5 to 0-8 and 10-minutes to half time.

O'Neill and Ronan Connolly edged Limerick back in front and then two Gillane frees ensured John Kiely's side were 1-9 to 0-10 ahead at half time, in an opening half in which Limerick had four wides and Galway just one.

Within five minutes of the restart, came the red card for Hegarty.

Gillane and Diarmaid Byrnes (free) had Limerick scores but then came a run of points for the men in maroon to lead 0-15 to 1-11.

A Barry Nash point levelled for the seventh time as the game swung from end to end.

Seamus Flanagan had two quick-fire trademark points over his shoulder but still there was no daylight for either side.

With 10-minutes to play the game was level for a 12th time; 1-18 to 0-21 - sub Tom Morrissey the eighth scorer for Limerick.

Just like the previous week, Limerick scores dried up in the final minutes.

Galway had five successive scores as the fourth official signalled six minutes of injury time.

SCORERS: Limerick: Aaron Gillane 1-6 (0-4frees), Cathal O'Neill 0-4, Diarmaid Byrnes (2frees) and Seamus Flanagan 0-2 each, Gearoid Hegarty, Ronan Connolly, Barry Nash and Tom Morrissey 0-1 each. Galway: Conor Cooney 0-10 (8frees), Cathal Mannion and Fintan Burke (2lineballs) 0-4 each, Joseph Cooney 0-3, Ronan Glennon 0-2, Jack Hastings, Tom Monaghan, Conor Whelan and Johnny Coen 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Richie English; Diarmaid Byrnes, Barry Nash, Kyle Hayes; Brian O'Grady, William O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Cathal O'Neill, Darragh O'Donovan; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, David Reidy. Subs: Ronan Connolly for William O'Donoghue, inj (5mins), Tom Morrissey for Brian O'Grady (h-t), Declan Hannon for Ronan Connolly (49mins), Graeme Mulcahy for David Reidy (66mins), Adam English for Seamus Flanagan (68mins).

GALWAY: Eanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Daithi Burke, Jack Fitzpatrick; Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Fintan Burke; Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon; Tom Monaghan, Jack Hastings, Conor Cooney; Eanna Burke, Conor Whelan, Cathal Mannion. Subs: Gavin Lee for Eanna Burke (47mins), Darren Morrissey for Jack Fitzpatrick (55mins), David Burke for Jack Grealish (58mins), Cianan Fahy for Jack Hastings (64mins); Johnny Coen for Ronan Glennon (66mins).

REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).