Limerick minors rout Kerry to book Munster hurling quarter-final spot

BOUNCING back from their heavy defeat to Cork, Limerick's minor hurlers did what was needed in Kilmallock on Tuesday night to advance to a Munster quarter-final clash with Waterford after a resounding 5-24 to 0-4 victory over Kerry.

Showing far greater composure in possession, they tapped over the scores with metronomic efficiency to have the outcome decided early before opening up to rattle net five times.

Yet for all that, the game wasn't as one-sided as the scoreboard suggested. Kerry enjoyed as much possession as the winners in the opening half as they fought for every scrap that could be scrounged off a surface rendered into a gluepot by a series of heavy showers.

But they still ended up trailing by thirdteen points at the break as six early wides sapped their conviction and left them exposed once Limerick took full advantage of their superior size and strength.

Pierce Connery's strike on the run straight from the throw-in got Limerick off the mark inside sixteen seconds but the early exchanges belonged to Kerry. Unfortunately, they shot three wides and dropped a free short before Ciarán McMahon and Darren Collopy extended the hosts' lead but the Kingdom lads finally found the target through Killian Boyle's free.

Limerick picked it up after that as Connery, McMahon, Collopy's free and Owen Meany added comfort to their advantage and, as the Kerry wide total continued to increase, Bradley Moran, Collopy's free, Connery and another Collopy free moved the gap into double figures.

When Calum O'Sullivan replied with a strike over his shoulder, Limerick picked up a dose of the shooting jitters but, coming up to half-time, Josh Sheehan pointed and Fintan Fitzgerald's tip over the advancing Tomás Godley and into the net off Mark Field's pass put Limerick ahead 1-12 to 0-2.

They kept the burst alive over the interval as Collopy and Field pointed inside a minute of the resumption before Collopy pulled a scrambled ball to the net. Barely pausing for breath, points followed for Connery, Moran's free, Collopy's free, Connery again, another Collopy free and Moran before the momentum stalled as the subs trooped on.

Boyle, from a free, and Jack Enright took advantage of the lull to strike back but Limerick were on the march again as the lineup found its new shape as Collopy pointed and then goaled off a collecting the handpass and was followed by Fitzgerald and skipper Darragh Langan before Field dug out alone from a swarm of defenders and passed to Tadhg Hourigan to bury goal number four on the run. Nor did it end there as Barry Adams pointed and Field finally got a goal of his own with an injury time pull.

SCORERS: LIMERICK: Darren Collopy 2-8 (0-6 frees), Pierce Connery 0-5, Finian Fitzgerald, Mark Field 1-1 each, Bradley Moran 0-3 (1 free), Tadhg Hourigan 1-0, Ciarán McMahon 0-2, Owen Meany, Josh Sheehan, Darragh Langan, Barry Adams 0-1 each; KERRY: Killian Boyle 0-2 (2 frees), Calum O'Sullivan, Jack Enright 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Fionn O'Brien (Bruree); Billy Earls (Patrickswell), Shane Fitzgibbon (Dromin-Athlacca-Banogue), Patrick Mooney (Staker Wallaces); Diarmuid Lyons (Newcastlewest), Conor Frawley (Bruree), Oven Meany (Bruff); Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret-Saint Paul's), Darragh Langan (Monaleen); Pierce Connery (Kilmallock), Bradley Moran (Na Piarsaigh), Josh Sheehan )Na Piarsaigh); Mark Field (Monaleen), Ciarán McMahon (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Jack Daly (Croom). SUBS: Tadhg Hourigan (Pallasgreen) for Bradley Moran (43 minutes), Shane Ryan (Garryspillane) for Josh Sheehan (45 minutes), Ben Murnane (Monaleen) for Owen Meany (47 minutes), Jack Daly (Croom) for Diarmuid Lyons (50 minutes), Barry Adams (Ballybrown) for Darren Collopy (53 minutes).

KERRY: Tomás Godley (Kilmoyley); Raymond McGrath (Ballyduff), Conor Nolan (Kilmoyley), Dara Nolan (Crotta O'Neills); Gary O'Riordan (Saint Brendan's), Luke Kennelly (Ballyduff), Kian Sheehan (Abbeydorney); Seán McElligot (Crotta O'Neills), Luke Rochford (Ballyduff); Calum O'Sullivan (Abbeydorney), Jack Enright (Ballyduff), Liam Óg O'Connor (Saint Brendan's); Killian Boyle (Ballyduff), Killian Quilter (Causeway), Brian O'Connor (Doctor Crokes). SUBS: Charlie Fitzgerald (Ballyheigue) for Killian Quilter (half-time), Adam McDonagh (Saint Brendan's) for Killian Boyle (47 minutes), Hugh Lenihan (Crotta O'Neills) for Calum O'Sullivan (50 minutes), Rory Reen (Tralee Parnells) for Brian O'Connor (55 minutes), Aaron Whyte (Ballyduff) for Conor Nolan (58 minutes).

REFEREE: John Dooley (Tipperary).