Hurling: Limerick toast back-to-back win

Limerick 0-17

Wexford 2-10

Limerick celebrated back-to-back titles but they had to withstand a dramatic

Wexford comeback before emerging with a single-point victory over Wexford in

a thrilling All Ireland under 21 hurling final at Thurles.

Limerick seemed to be cruising, leading 0-16 to 1-06 16 minutes into the

second half with corner forward Mark Keane their chief marksman.

But as has been their trend right through the current campaign, they allowed

the initiative to slip in the final quarter.

This helped start an amazing Wexford recovery with Limerick only managing a

single point in the closing 16 minutes, which arrived courtesy of a Mark

Keane free, but it was to turn out a crucial score in the end.

It was Wexford substitute Paul Carley who had turned the game around.

A point from a 21-yard free with his first puck of the game after 50 mins

started the Wexford revival and when he goaled two minutes later, just two

points separated the sides 0-16 to 2-08. A further Carley point reduced the

deficit to the minimum but it was Limerick who bounced back with Mark Keane

pointing a free five minutes from the end.

Wexford continued to battle and a Ger Coleman point left the minimum

separating the sides but Limerick had to live out a tense 90 seconds of

injury time when a Barry Lambert 70-metre free just tailed wide with the

referee blowing for full time immediately on the puck out.

Limerick, who threw three points apiece from Mark Keane and Conor

Fitzgerald, dominated the opening 30 mins leading 0-11 to 1-03 at the

interval, the Wexford goal arriving courtesy of Michael Jacob.