All-Eire Hurling Semi-Remaining: Limerick Triumphs over Galway

When Limerick trailed by six factors after 25 minutes of this All-Eire semi-final, you questioned have been the three-in-a-row All-Eire champions teetering. They’d been out-hustled and out-thought by a Galway staff bristling with vitality, and struggled to muster their normal combination of fluency with the ball and managed aggression with out it.

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Limerick’s Defensive Dominance

However then their defence with William O’Donoghue in an unfamiliar place of centre-back received to grips with the boys they have been marking, they started competing with their normal zeal for ball within the center third, they usually dominated the puck-out battle.

Limerick’s Ahead Domination

That gave them the platform to actually get their forwards into the competition they usually utterly dominated the final 10 minutes of the primary half and all the second to finally run out very snug victors.

Limerick’s Starvation and Galway’s Disappointment

Clearly the starvation of this Limerick staff stays undiminished as they now advance to yet one more All-Eire Remaining, and bid to make it 4 titles in a row and 5 in six years. The style during which their problem petered out after a really encouraging begin shall be vastly disappointing for the Galway gamers.

Galway’s Promising Begin and Limerick’s Response

That they had settled into the competition rapidly, with factors from Evan Niland (free) and Brian Concannon sandwiching an Aaron Gillane free for Limerick. However then, considerably in opposition to the run of play, Limerick landed the primary heavy blow of the sport when Gillane struck for a trademark aim.

Galway’s Wrestle and Limerick’s Capturing Woes

Galway hit again instantly with one other Niland free which testified to the steely psychological resolve they have been bringing to bear on the competition. One other Niland free introduced them stage after which Conor Whelan pushed them again into the lead when he gained a ball forward of Mike Casey, wriggled free from the Limerick defender, and lanced the sliotar over the bar.

One other Niland free rapidly adopted earlier than Limerick leveled the sport once more – 1-3 to 0-6 – by means of factors from Gillane (free) and Peter Casey. Then got here the most effective attacking play of the match to this point when Kevin Cooney performed in Cathal Mannion with a go of actual imaginative and prescient and the midfielder lashed the sliotar to the online from a decent angle.

On the different finish of the pitch Limerick’s taking pictures was uncharacteristically off-color with seven completely different gamers hitting seven wides within the first half.

Limerick’s Revival and Late Surge

A tough scenario for Limerick may have been a lot worse had Mike Casey not made an excellent goal-line save from a Concannon ground-stroke that appeared destined for the online. As if energized by that near-miss, Limerick got here to life within the closing 10 minutes of the primary half.

Darragh O’Donovan deserves loads of credit score for his or her resurgence. He hit an awesome level from broad on the left after which arrange two extra for Aaron Gillane and Seamus Flanagan with fantastically weighted passes. The reigning champions hit the final 4 factors of the half to depart the scores studying 1-13 to 1-12 to Galway on the break, which should not have felt reflective of the large effort the Tribesmen had produced.

Limerick’s Second-Half Dominance and Galway’s Struggles

Limerick have a well-earned status for placing their foot on the gasoline at the beginning of the second-half they usually did it once more on this match. They outscored Galway by 4 factors to 2 within the first ten minutes of the half with the choose of the bunch an inspirational effort from Tom Morrissey.

Then got here their second aim, and it was one Galway may have nightmares about. Cian Lynch put David Reidy by means of with a intelligent go and when the wing-forward squared it to Aaron Gillane, his preliminary batted effort struck the cross-bar. Padraic Mannion tried to flick the rebound clear, however as an alternative he directed it straight into Gillane’s path once more and this time the Patrickswell star completed ruthlessly as he lashed a ground-stroke to the online.

Now trailing by 4 factors, Galway have been in actual bother. They have been struggling to get any form of grip on the sport as a result of Limerick swallowed the ball up virtually each time Éanna Murphy pucked it out. And after they did handle to win possession within the center third, they have been below a lot strain from swarming Limerick tacklers they struggled to get first rate passes into their ravenous inside forwards.

Limerick’s Snug Victory and Galway’s Disappointment

Factors from Kyle Hayes, Gearoid Hegarty, Peter Casey, and David Reidy pushed a now very dominant Limerick staff seven factors clear by the 58th minute, and even by then a Galway comeback appeared impossible. Limerick had the luxurious of working their bench and gained pulling up, with subs Graeme Mulcahy and Cathal O’Neill getting in on the act in injury-time as they scored the ultimate two factors of the sport.

Wanting Forward: Limerick’s Journey Continues

And so, Limerick marches on to a different All-Eire Remaining the place they are going to hope to ink one other historic chapter of their already outstanding story.

Scorers and Lineups

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 2-6 (5f), Diarmaid Byrnes 0-3 (3f), Kyle Hayes, Gearoid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, Peter Casey, Seamus Flanagan all 0-2, Darragh O’Donovan, Graeme Mulcahy, Cathal O’Neill, David Reidy, Cian Lynch all 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-9 (all frees), Cathal Mannion 1-1, Conor Whelan 0-3, Brian Concannon 0-3, Kevin Cooney, Tom Monaghan each 0-1.

Limerick Crew: Nickie Quaid; Michael Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes; Darragh O’Donovan, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, Dv; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Peter Casey. Subs: Cathal O’Neill for Tom Morrissey (56), Graeme Mulcahy for Peter Casey (67), Conor Boylan for Gearoid Hegarty (69), Oisin O’Reilly for Seamus Flanagan, Adam English for Darragh O’Donovan (each 72).

Galway Crew: Éanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Daithí Burke, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Seán Linnane; Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion; Ronan Glennon, Cianan Fahy, Kevin Cooney; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Evan Niland. Subs: Tom Mon