Limerick lose despite hitting four goals

Waterford 1-20 Limerick 4-07

Limerick hit four second-half goals at Walsh Park but still ended up losing out to Waterford, as the consistent scoring of the Waterford forwards told in a 1-20 to 4-07 home win.

With Ken McGrath solidifying the Waterford half back line in the first half, all three of the home side’s full-forward line and their midfield duo of Dave Bennett and Andy Moloney were on target inside the first 25 minutes.

Limerick on the other hand, had to wait until the 21st minute for their first score from play from returning 1996 star Owen O’Neill, as their top scorer in the league so far, Andrew O’Shaughnessy pointed three frees for a poor Limerick half time score of 0-04.

Seamus Prendergast unlocked the Limerick defence for the opening point after 2 minutes, before John Paul Sheehan had his 7th minute goal shot saved well by Waterford stopper Stephen Brenner.

Moloney and John Mullane pointed on 11 and 12 minutes for Waterford in a slick opening. Limerick replied with a first O’Shaughnessy free two minutes later before a run of points from Bennett (0-02), Eoin Kelly and Paul Flynn saw Waterford stand 0-08 to 0-04 in front after 23 minutes.

They managed to tag on a further 1-04 before the interval, with Flynn the goal scorer on 34 minutes, for a 1-12 to 0-04 half-time lead.

A Limerick fight back was predicted and by the tenth minute of the second half they were back within eight points.

On 42 minutes Owen O’Neill found the Waterford net, and with O’Shaughnessy doing the necessary damage with a searing 25-metre free going low past Brenner in the Waterford goal, Limerick were facing into a 2-6 to 1-14 deficit with 20 minutes remaining.

Dan Shanahan hit a quick reply, cancelled out by O’Neill’s second point from play.

But four unanswered points from 57 to 63 minutes told the tale for Waterford. Bennett struck two from play, with Flynn and Kelly also scoring.

Replacement Michael McKenna goaled with his dropping 50-metre free in injury time, whose flight eluded the stricken goalkeeper Brenner.

Andrew O'Shaughnessy scored a second for himself in injury time, after Michael McKenna had scored a fortuitous third on 68 minutes.

But with two away games to play, Waterford grasped an important home win with a final Shanahan point.