Limerick battle past Galway to reach third straight All-Ireland final

REACH FOR THE STARS: Aaron Gillane of Limerick in action against Daithí Burke of Galway during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Limerick and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

LIMERICK 0-27 GALWAY 1-21 

David Reidy came off the bench to fire over three points and send Limerick into a third straight All-Ireland final after this engrossing semi-final.

The substitute scored three of Limerick’s last five points as the champions just about held off a mighty Galway effort.

Level nine times in the second half, the 52,215 attendance were treated to a thriller. Brian Concannon’s sensational finish to the top corner in the 38th minute after collecting a David Burke delivery squared them for the first time after the break.

Limerick went ahead six times to Galway’s three in the remainder but they weren’t caught when Reidy sent over his second point in the 68th minute. 

He followed it with another after Declan Hannon showed great composure in defence to initiate the attack and then Diarmuid Byrnes, almost impeccable from frees, converted his sixth placed ball of the afternoon.

Known for their slow starts, Limerick belied that habit with six points on the bounce after Tom Monaghan had opened the scoring in the first minute. Gillane provided three of them and Seamus Flanagan two as they feasted on the quality ball put into them.

Galway were collecting too many wides and had 12 to their name by half-time but they grew into the game. Tom Monaghan was a nuisance in the middle third and he brought them to within two points in the 25th minute soon after a Limerick puck-out.

The Limerick restart was a source of complaint for John Kiely on the sideline but Limerick were four to the good by the 27th minute when Barry Nash drove over a monster score from halfway under the Cusack Stand.

Three Galway points in succession, the latter two from Cathal Mannion, brought them to within the minimum in the 31st minute but Limerick reeled off the final three scores of the half, Gillane providing two.

Scorers for Limerick: A. Gillane (0-8, 2 frees); D. Byrnes (0-6, frees); K. Hayes, D. Reidy (0-3 each); S. Flanagan (0-2); W. O’Donoghue, G. Hegarty, B. Nash, D. Hannon, T. Morrissey (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway: C. Cooney (0-5, 4 frees); C. Mannion (0-4); T. Monaghan (0-4); B. Concannon (1-0); P. Mannion (1 free), R. Glennon, C. Whelan (0-2 each); J. Cooney, F. Burke (0-1 each).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; S. Finn, B. Nash, M. Casey; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), Dan Morrissey; W. O’Donoghue, D. O’Donovan; T. Morrissey, K. Hayes, G. Hegarty; A. Gillane, S. Flanagan, G. Mulcahy.

Subs for Limerick: P. Casey for G. Mulcahy (55); C. Lynch for T. Morrissey (57); D. Reidy for D. O’Donovan (61); C. O’Neill for G. Hegarty (63); C. Boylan for S. Flanagan (67).

GALWAY: É. Murphy; Darren Morrissey, Daithí Burke (c), J. Grealish; J. Cooney, P. Mannion, F. Burke; R. Glennon, David Burke; T. Monaghan, C. Cooney, J. Flynn; C. Whelan, B. Concannon, C. Mannion.

Subs for Galway: C. Fahy for J. Flynn (53); J. Coen for R. Glennon (64); E. Niland for David Burke (67); K. Cooney for J. Cooney (70+5).

Referee: T. Walsh (Waterford).