Limerick’s power play earns another tilt at biggest prize
Treaty County’s dominance not reflected on scoreboard despite tour de force display from their half-forward line
LIMERICK are back in a second All-Ireland hurling final in three years but before they look forward, they might compel themselves to reflect and ask how this semi-final was as close as it was at the end.
But for Joe Canning’s wondrous conversion of four sideline balls and Éanna Murphy’s thwarting of at least three clear-cut goal chances, this could have been painful for Galway.
Murphy had his own vulnerability from puck-outs that were the source of so many Limerick scores but his shot-stopping from Séamus Flanagan (twice) and substitute David Reidy prevented it from getting away from them.
Apart from an opening spell when Galway forged 0-7 to 0-2 clear, there wasn’t another sustained period when you felt that they had it in them to push past their more dominant opponents.
Even when Conor Whelan levelled, 0-22 each, in the 70th minute and Evan Niland, Canning’s replacement after he was removed by medics with what appeared to be a serious head injury from an accidental collision with his colleague Joseph Cooney in the 61st-minute, made it 0-23 each in the 75th minute, there was still a sense that Limerick were in control of this.
Delay
And that’s how it played out as the clocked moved towards the 80th minute to facilitate a seven-minute delay required to treat Canning and remove him safely from the pitch.
Tom Morrissey, whose early work had kept Limerick in touch during their most difficult spell, may have missed one glorious chance before that Niland equaliser but he held his nerve to put them clear again and added a further point from play and converted a free in the absence of the replaced Aaron Gillane to shut the door impressively on any further Galway encroachment.
Of course, they’ll have to win Sunday week’s All-Ireland final to assert that position of dominance in the game but there is little doubt that they are now hurling’s front-runners, a team
which mixes power, skills and hugely effective team play to control games and smother opponents.
Galway brought the most credible physical dimensions to lay down a firm challenge in that respect and players like Dáithí Burke and Gearóid McInerney enjoyed some big moments, McInerney crunching Gillane at one stage and Burke standing his ground on Limerick substitute David Reidy.
But they were snapshot moments against a background of supreme aerial dominance from Limerick, whether it was Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Gearóid Hegarty, Cian Lynch or even substitute Peter Casey who plucked one to set up Reidy for that shot and save from Murphy on 54 minutes.
Hayes was again a revelation at halfback and at times it was reminiscent of Jonah Lomu in his pomp as he powered his way through opponents and into space. At least two such runs were the source of Gillane frees.
No player put more pressure on Murphy’s puck-outs than Gearóid Hegarty and after a more subdued return from their much-vaunted half-forward line in the Munster final against Waterford two weeks ago, some normal service was resumed with Hegarty hitting four points, Morrissey delivering six and Lynch stepping it up in the second half from centre-forward for two, 12 points in all including Morrissey’s late free.
Fortunate
So often he stepped in to extend himself and intercept Murphy’s line but he was very fortunate to stay on the field when he cut across Canning’s back in the 34th-minute out near the Cusack Stand sideline in a manner that suggested dangerous use of the hurl. Neither referee James Owens nor his officials saw the incident which, if they had, would have provoked red card discussion.
Morrissey didn’t score from play in the Munster final but by the 10th minute he was on the mark twice and his switching of wings with Hegarty paid big dividends.
It’s Limerick’s third game in four that they have failed to score a goal, a campaign that is closely mirroring Galway’s 2017 All-Ireland success.
But against Waterford, who have now racked up five goals in the two games since they met in Thurles, that may just need to change.
Once again Limerick got significant impact off the bench. Peter Casey looked very lively when he replaced Graeme Mulcahy, Adrian
Breen also added a point while Reidy put himself into good positions without getting a return.
With Lynch and Gillane being suppressed up front, Galway had started better and the use of Pádraic Mannion as a sweeper appeared to be working. Brian Concannon looked sharp up front and Limerick’s game lacked fluency but as the water break approached they had found momentum and were just 0-7 to 0-4 down when they paused.
That momentum continued and despite Canning’s sideline magic and Concannon’s trio of points, the gap was out to 0-15 to 0-13 by half-time with Cathal Mannion retired with a hamstring injury in the 24th-minute. Nothing underlined Limerick’s renowned teamwork and moving possession through the lines more than Declan Hannon’s point, their 15th, which involved a pinpoint Barry Nash clearance, a quick offload from Morrissey and Hannon linking superbly to shoot from halfway.
Joseph Cooney had struggled on Hegarty in the first half but a more prominent second-half showing began with a quick point off the restart.
But Limerick continued to impose themselves. Flanagan had a shot saved by Murphy in the 36th minute and was again denied on 42 minutes when Gillane put him in with Murphy also equal to Hayes’ follow up.
Advantage
They pressed on to lead by 0-21 to 0-16 at the second water break and with a four-point advantage, 0-22 to 0-18, Murphy came to the rescue again to bat out that Reidy shot.
Somehow Galway got back on level terms with no Limerick score between the 53rd and 72nd minutes though that period included the treatment to Canning.
But just as they had done in the opening quarter, Hegarty and Morrissey rolled up the sleeves for a big finish to keep alive the prospect of a ‘clean sweep’ and a sixth major title in seven.
It was an unnerving sight to see Can
ning in trouble at the end, coming so soon after two other serious injuries in 2016 and 2019.
Afterwards, Limerick manager John Kiely (left) admitted satisfaction with the performance, particularly the resilience but not the free count.
“There were occasions when we took the ball into tackles and didn’t get the same response that maybe the opposition did, but it is what it is,” he said. “I’m just really happy with the way the lads responded to the adversity they faced, they just refused to be beaten, and that’s a really fantastic marker for them for the next two weeks. The resilience that they showed, the unity they showed and just a refusal to be beaten on the night.” SCORERS – Limerick: A Gillane (5f), T Morrissey (1f) 0-6 each; G Hegarty 0-4; D Byrnes 0-3 (1f); C Lynch, P Casey, S Flanagan 0-2 each; A Breen, D Hannon 0-1 each. Galway: J Canning 0-12 (8f, 4sl); B Concannon, C Whelan 0-3 each; E Niland 0-2 (1f); C Mannion, J Cooney, A Tuohey, F Burke (sl) 0-1 each. LIMERICK – N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon, K Hayes; D O’Donovan, W O’Donoghue; G Hegarty, C Lynch, T Morrissey; A Gillane, S Flanagan, G Mulcahy. Subs:
P Casey for Mulcahy (40), D Reidy for O’Donovan (51), A Breen for Flanagan (62), P O’Loughlin for Hannon (74), P Ryan for Gillane (76).
GALWAY – E Murphy; S Loftus, Dáithí Burke, A Harte; S Cooney, G McInerney, J Cooney; P Mannion, J Coen; C Cooney, C Mannion, David Burke; C Whelan, J Canning, B Concannon. Subs: A Tuohey for C Mannion (inj 24), F Burke for David Burke (h-t), J Flynn for C Cooney (45), S Linnane for S Cooney (51), E Niland for Canning (inj 68). REF – J Owens (Wexford)