Limerick end Waterford's summer and book Munster final showdown with Clare

The All-Ireland champions kept the drive for five going with a powerful display against the Déise. 

Jamie Barron of Waterford under pressure from Cathal O'Neill, Will O'Donoghue and Kyle Hayes of Limerick. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

LIMERICK 0-30 WATERFORD 2-14 

Limerick will face off against Clare in a third consecutive Munster SHC final after this convincing if occasionally nervy win over Waterford this afternoon.

John Kiely’s side go into the game in Thurles on June 9 having topped the table for the first time in the five-season history of the round-robin. Cork qualify in third place and face an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Laois or Offaly as a result of the Déise’s defeat.

A second Shane Bennett goal brought Waterford within four points in the 46th minute but they were never able to harness the wind factor in their favour and Limerick improved on their 0-14 to 1-7 half-time lead.

In front of a 31,487 TUS Gaelic Grounds crowd, Limerick struck a hefty 19 wides in total but there were commanding displays from Gearóid Hegarty and Kyle Hayes, while Shane O’Brien scored three points as a first-half substitute.

Electing to face the wind, Waterford were taking a gamble and it was just as well Limerick’s radar was off. For the 14 points that they did send over in the first half, they sent the same amount wide. Diarmaid Byrnes struck four of them, Seamus Flanagan three.

Their shoot-on-sight policy was the right on given the strength of the breeze at their backs but the groans from the crowd grew with each that was sent either side of the posts. Eleven of them came in the first quarter, eight of them between the eighth and 16 minutes.

The final standings in Munster. 

Limerick had raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after seven minutes but Waterford returned fire with three without reply over five minutes and then came their 16th minute goal. Stephen Bennett’s free was dropping in front of Nickie Quaid’s goal and his brother Shane Bennett doubled it to the net.

Limerick slowly began to find their range and O’Brien, a replacement for injured Flanagan, brought them level in the 22nd minute. Tom Morrissey pushed them ahead seconds later.

Waterford were living on the edge – Hegarty had a couple of borderline penalty calls turned down – and living on scraps. Limerick grabbed hold of the initiative with four scores without response between the 25th and 28th minute, two of them delivered by a fizzling Hayes.

Stephen Bennett stopped the bleed but it was a brief cessation as Morrissey and Aaron Gillane (free) finished out the half with points.

Scorers for Limerick: A. Gillane (0-7, frees) T. Morrissey (0-4); K. Hayes, S. O’Brien (0-3 each); D. Reidy, C. O’Neill, D. Byrnes (1 free), G. Hegarty (0-2 each); B. Nash, W. O’Donoghue, C. Boylan, C. Lynch, A. English (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: Shane Bennett (2-0); Stephen Bennett (0-5, 4 frees); C. Lyons, D. Hutchinson (1 free) (0-2 each); P. Leavey, J. Barron, K. Mahony, J. Prendergast, Patrick Fitzgerald (0-1 each).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; M. Casey, D. Morrissey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), K. Hayes; W. O’Donoghue, C. Lynch; C. O’Neill, G. Hegarty, D. Reidy.

Subs for Limerick: Shane O’Brien for S. Flanagan (inj 20); A. English for T. Morrissey (55); F. O’Connor for M. Casey (61); C. Boylan for D. Reidy (62); D. Ó Dalaigh for A. Gillane (70+1).

WATERFORD: Shaun O’Brien; I. Kenny, I. Daly; C. Lyons, T. de Burca, M. Fitzgerald ; P. Leavey, N. Montgomery; J. Barron (v-c), D, Hutchinson, J. Prendergast; K. Mahony, Shane Bennett, Stephen Bennett (v-c).

Subs for Waterford: M. Kiely for Shane Bennett (temp, 24-26); M. Kiely for N. Montgomery (h-t); Patrick Fitzgerald for J. Barron (46); Paudie Fitzgerald for Stephen Bennett (56); Kieran Bennett for Shane Bennett (64); J. Fagan for J. Prendergast (68).

Referee: M. Kennedy (Tipperary).