Limerick edge past Galway to reach second All-Ireland hurling final in three years

LIMERICK are back into the All-Ireland senior hurling championship final.

John Kiely's side were 0-27 to 0-24 winners over Galway this Sunday afternoon in Croke Park to book an 18th ever All-Ireland SHC final spot.

On December 13 Limerick will face Waterford in the final - the first ever final meeting of the Munster rivals that comes just four weeks after their provincial final clash.

This repeat of the 2018 All-Ireland final was a nervy affair.

Galway led by five points early in the opening half before the men in green found their feet.

Limerick were 0-15 to 0-13 ahead at half time.

Galway, who had Padraic Mannion in a sweeper role, flew from the traps and were 0-7 to 0-2 ahead by the 15th minute.

It was a half that saw Galway hit six points from play and Limerick had 12 points from play across six different players.

Limerick had six wides as the Shane O'Neill managed Galway built the early five point lead

It was the eighth minute before Tom Morrissey opened the Limerick account - Galway with three points by now.

Morrissey added a second point but The Tribesmen were soon 0-7 to 0-2 ahead with Joe Canning enroute to three first half points from lineballs.

Seamus Flanagan and Gearoid Hegarty had Limerick scores before the first half water break and it was 0-7 to 0-4.

Brian Concannon had three first half points for the men in maroon and he restored their four point advantage.

Then Limerick powered into the tie - nine of the next 11 points.

By the 23rd minute the game was level for the first time, 0-8 each.

A Diarmaid Byrnes point then had Limerick ahead.

Galway regained the lead but a run of four unanswered points had the men in green 0-13 to 0-10 clear on 31-minutes.

Hegarty was now up to four points from play.

When captain Declan Hannon pointed Limerick had a nine point turnaround completed, from 0-7 to 0-2 in arrears on 15-minutes to a 0-13 to 0-10 lead on 31-minutes.

Galway did have the last two scores of the half to leave just two points between the teams at the interval after a half when Limerick had eight wides and Galway five.

The scores dried up somewhat on the change of ends but Limerick did find their feet in the run into the second half water break.

It was 0-17 to 0-15 with Aaron Gillane almost teeing up Flanagan for a goal in the 41st minute and the rebound didn't fall kindly for Hayes.

Four of the last five points before the break edged Limerick 0-21 to 0-16 ahead - sub Peter Casey with two quick-fire points as he became the eighth Limerickman on the scoresheet.

David Reidy had a shot for goal saved but Gillane was wide with the '65 - Limerick's 12th wide.

Up the field went Galway and Canning's 11th point from placed ball left it a one score game with 15-minutes to play.

Just before he was forced off injured Canning reduced the lead to two points and after a long stoppage his replacement Evan Niland pointed with his first touch and it was a one point game.

And soon level for a fourth time - 0-22 each in the 69th minute, albeit nine minutes of injury time to come.

In a tense finale, Byrnes put Limerick back in front with a long range free but Niland levelled once more.

Tom Morrissey (3) and sub Adrian Breen then edged Limerick over the wining line.

SCORERS: Limerick: Aaron Gillane (5frees) and Tom Morrissey (1free), 0-6 each, Gearoid Hegarty 0-4, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-3 (1free), Seamus Flanagan, Cian Lynch and Peter Casey 0-2 each, Declan Hannon and Adrian Breen 0-1 each.

Galway: Joe Canning 0-12 (8frees, 4lineballs), Conor Whelan and Brian Concannon 0-3 each, Evan Niland 0-2 (1free), Cathal Mannion, Adrian Tuohey, Joseph Cooney, Fintan Burke (lineball) 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; Darragh O'Donovan, William O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flangan, Graeme Mulcahy. Subs: Peter Casey for Graeme Mulcahy (39mins), David Reidy for Darragh O'Donovan (51mins), Adrian Breen for Seamus Flanagan (62mins), Paddy O'Loughlin for Declan Hannon (74mins), Pat Ryan for Aaron Gillane (76mins).

GALWAY: Eanna Murphy; Aidan Harte, Daithí Burke, Sean Loftus; Shane Cooney, Gearoid McInerney, Joseph Cooney; Padraic Mannion, Johnny Coen; David Burke, Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney; Brian Concannon, Joe Canning, Conor Whelan. Subs: Adrian Tuohey for Cathal Mannion, inj (26mins), Fintan Burke for David Burke (h-t), Jason Flynn for Conor Cooney (44mins), Sean Linnane for Shane Cooney (51mins), Evan Niland for Joe Canning, inj (68mins).

REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford).