Peter Casey stars on debut as Limerick cut loose
Limerick will have to wait on results this week before learning if they’ve made the final but following a 21-point defeat to Cork a week previously, it was an encouraging seven days for manager John Kiely and his players.
Limerick regrouped to beat Clare during the week before seeing off Kerry with plenty to spare.
Casey, an All-Ireland U21 medallist with Limerick in 2015, and a senior club winner with Na Piarsaigh, has been touted as a star of the future for some time.
And he showed real flashes of class as Limerick, who also handed senior debuts to Lorcan Lyons and goalkeeper David McCarthy, did pretty much as they pleased.
Kiely revealed: “It was great to see Peter Casey getting back into it again – he’s been off with a concussion for the last three weeks or a month.
“We had to give him time to get himself right and it was lovely for him to get a good run-out today. He needs all the game time he can get now.”
Barry Nash, All-Ireland U21 final man of the match in 2015, also shone with a 2-3 haul as Ronan Lynch came off the bench to score five of his points from frees.
Kerry were stunned when Limerick struck for three goals approaching half-time – Casey, Tom Morrissey and Nash raising green flags.
At the break, Limerick were 3-15 to 0-7 clear and while Kerry were better in the second half, Nash would add another goal to add gloss to the final scoreline.
A disappointing afternoon for Fintan O’Connor’s visitors ended with them reduced to 14 men, James O’Connor dismissed late on for a second bookable offence.
O’Connor said: “They came out in the second half and battled a bit harder – got a lot more tackles, hooks and blocks in, what we’re trying to base our whole effort around. Very disappointed with the result but happy with how they stuck at it.”
P Casey (1-9, 6 frees); B Nash (2-3); T Morrissey (1-2); R Lynch (0-6, 5 frees); C Lynch (0-3); K O’Brien (0-2); S Cahill, J Ryan, G Mulcahy (0-1 each).
S Nolan (0-6, 5 frees); D Collins (0-4); M Boyle (0-2); J Griffin, P Boyle, J Goulding (sl) & S Murphy (0-1 each).
B Hennessy; S Cahill, R McCarthy, R English; L Lyons, D Hannon, S Hickey; D O’Donovan, P Browne; K Hayes, T Morrissey, J Ryan; B Nash, C Lynch, P Casey.
D Morrissey for R McCarthy (33), D McCarthy for Hennessy (h.t.), R Lynch for Ryan (h.t.), D Dempsey for Morrissey (54), K O’Brien for Nash (54), G Mulcahy for Hayes (blood, 62).
A McCabe; B Lyons, P Costello, S Weir; J Griffin, J Godley, J O’Connor; T O’Connor, T Casey; K Carmody, D Collins, M Boyle; J Goulding, P Boyle, S Nolan.
S Nolan for Lyons (h.t.), P O’Connor for T O’Connor (h.t.), P Lucid for P Boyle (47), S Murphy for Griffin (50), J Brick for Nolan (61).
J McCormack (Tipperary)
