Relentless Déise stun Limerick in Division 1A thriller
Calum Lyons of Waterford races clear of Diarmaid Byrnes and Mike Casey of Limerick, left. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
A Waterford performance was expected here but a result too? After being pulverised by Cork seven days earlier, it would have been beyond most supporters’s wildest dreams.
Their attitude was on point from the start and they deserved this victory. Shane Bennett personified their relentless work ethic, Reuben Halloran missed one placed ball and Charlie Treen helped himself to three points.
Waterford jumped four points ahead in the 44th minute. Colm Lyons issued a black card to Matthew Fitzgerald for denying Reuben Halloran a goal chance. Shane Bennett blasted the sliotar high to the net and Limerick had to contend with a numerical disadvantage.
By the time Fitzgerald returned, the margin was three points. Calum Lyons and Jamie Barron were finding more space but Aidan O’Connor and Shane O’Brien were as prominent.
Back-to-back Gearóid Hegarty points were followed by two great Will O’Donoghue interventions, a climb of a catch in defence and then a free, which O’Connor sent over to put two between the sides.
A monster point by Bennett in the 68th minute was backed up by Halloran’s 10th free won by Seán Mackey having just been introduced.
Hegarty cancelled it out but was then whistled for overcarrying and the three-point gap was restored by Halloran. Goalkeeper Billy Nolan’s second free copperfastened a surprise home win.
Waterford’s intent in the first half was a world away from their insipid showing in the opening period against Cork last weekend. Their whole demeanour was different and they stuck with Limerick throughout the half.
The teams were level on eight occasions before Halloran sent over a long-range free in the fifth minute of additional time to give the home side the interval edge, 0-10 to 0-9.
Those extra minutes were required following a series of Limerick injuries, the most serious of which befell Adam English who had to retire with a shoulder/collarbone setback in the 34th minute.
Waterford were not backing off as they did against Cork although with their wind advantage they could have gone direct earlier than the closing stages when Bennett was either scoring or landing ball at the edge of the square.
In additional time, one of them was caught by Michael Kiely despite serious pressure and he managed to get a strike on the ball but Nickie Quaid was equal to the effort.
Limerick had one goal opening too in the 22nd minute. Hegarty and English combined to set up O’Brien but his one-handed hit went off target.
In trying conditions, Limerick’s inside line’s return of five points was decent and three of them were provided by O’Brien who looked dangerous every time he took possession.
At the other end, Limerick’s full-back line had held their own but it was in the middle in men like Mark Fitzgerald, Shane Bennett and Darragh Lyons where Waterford were the leading lights.
R Halloran (0-11, 10 frees, 1 65); S Bennett (1-2, 1-0 pen); C Treen (0-3); B Nolan (0-2, frees); B Lynch, C Lyons, J Barron (0-1 each).
A O’Connor (0-8, 7 frees); S O’Brien (0-4); D Byrnes (2 frees), G Hegarty (0-3 each); C Lynch, D Ó Dalaigh (0-1 each).
B Nolan; M Power, C Prunty (c), C Keane; S Bennett, M Fitzgerald, I Daly; B Lynch, D Lyons; C Lyons, J Barron, P Curran; C Treen, M Kiely, R Halloran.
C. Daly for C. Prunty (inj 56); J. Power for P. Curran (59); S. Mackey for C. Treen (68).
N. Quaid; B. Nash, S. Finn, M. Fitzgerald; D. Byrnes, W. O’Donoghue, C. Coughlan; A. English, D. O’Donovan; G. Hegarty, C. Lynch (c), T. Morrissey; A. O’Connor, S. O’Brien, D. Ó Dalaigh.
E. Hurley for D. O’Donovan (blood 28-30); E. Hurley for A. English (inj 34); P O’Donovan for T. Morrissey, H. Flanagan for D. Ó Dalaigh (both 57); O. O’Farrell for S. O’Brien, J. Fitzgerald for D. O’Donovan (both 63).
M. Fitzgerald (43-54).
C. Lyons (Cork).
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