Limerick battle past Waterford challenge despite Hegarty dismissal
PUTTING IT ALL ON THE LINE: William O'Donoghue of Limerick in action against Tom Barron of Waterford during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 1 match. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Limerick overcame a sending-off and a saved penalty to stretch their unbeaten championship run to 16 games in this scrappy Munster SHC opener.
Having been written off and backed by few supporters in the 20,267 crowd in Thurles, Waterford will take plenty from this performance going to Cork on Saturday.
However, it was the composure of Limerick who won out after losing Geároid Hegarty to a 47th minute red card. Hegarty was dismissed for a second yellow card offence on Darragh Lyons as the ball was going out of play. A Waterford backroom member was shown a red card for reacting to Hegarty following the collision.
Limerick scored the next three points after losing Hegarty. Aaron Gillane also had a penalty shot saved by Billy Nolan in the 44th minute having won it against Conor Prunty.
Inspired by Calum Lyons and Stephen Bennett, Waterford, who will rue their eight second-half wides, were within two points going into additional time. Substitute Austin Gleeson teed up fellow replacement Patrick Fitzgerald for a shot at goal in the sixth of the seven added minutes signalled but his volleyed effort flew wide.
Usually slow starters, it was Limerick who led 0-5 to 0-1 after 10 minutes. It wasn’t so much that they were quickest out of the blocks as Waterford seemed to be stuck in theirs as their puck-outs cost them.
There was a laboriousness to Waterford’s play early on and the loss of Declan Hannon to injury didn’t seem to upset Limerick as they advanced into an 0-8 to 0-2 lead by the 19th minute.
Waterford were then hit by a perfect storm. Seconds before Seamus Flanagan was raising a green flag to put Limerick eight ahead, the game’s other starting centre-back Tadhg de Búrca went down clutching his knee and had to be replaced.
After two cruciate operations, Waterford will be praying he doesn’t have to undergo another.
An atmosphere that was already subdued because of the lack of Waterford support became flatter after those 21st minute incidents, Flanagan scooping the ball over Billy Nolan and finding the net with his second opportunity.
However, Waterford scored four of the next five points, all of them Stephen Bennett frees as Limerick’s tackling discipline escaped them for a period.
A couple of Limerick frees stretched the gap to seven but Bennett fired back with a brace of frees and Jamie Barron posted only his side’s third point from play to make it a four-point game.
S. Bennett (0-12, 10 frees); D. Hutchinson (0-3); J. Barron, Patrick Fitzgerald, C. Gleeson, A. Gleeson (0-1 each).
A. Gillane (0-7, 5 frees); S. Flanagan (1-1); D. Byrnes (0-3, 2 frees); P. Casey, G. Hegarty, T. Morrissey (0-2 each); B. Nash (0-1).
B. Nolan, C. Gleeson, C. Prunty, M. Fitzgerald; C. Lyons, T. de Búrca, J. Fagan; J. Barron (j-c), N. Montgomery; C. Dunford, S. Bennett (j-c), D. Lyons; D. Hutchinson, M. Kiely, J. Prendergast.
T. Barron for T. de Búrca (inj 23); A. Gleeson for C. Dunford (51); Paudie Fitzgerald for N. Montgomery, Patrick Fitzgerald for J. Prendergast (both 61).
N. Quaid; S. Finn, D. Morrissey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), K. Hayes; D. O’Donovan, W. O’Donoghue; G. Hegarty, C. Lynch, T. Morrissey; S. Flanagan, A. Gillane, P. Casey.
M. Casey for D. Hannon (inj 15); C. O’Neill for S. Flanagan (60); D. Reidy for W. O’Donoghue (69); C. Boylan fr P. Casey (70+4).
L. Gordon (Galway).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
