Dublin 1-17 Limerick 1-16
Paul Ryan scored 12 points as Dublin claimed a slender 1-17 to 1-16 win over Limerick in a dramatic All-Ireland Senior Hurling Qualifier at Semple Stadium.
A 62nd-minute goal from David O’Callaghan paved the way for victory in a game which saw a gutsy display by the Metropolitans.
Limerick were superb early on and powered to a 1-08 to 0-02 lead after 26 minutes with David Breen netting their goal.
Dublin cut the gap to four points at the interval, 1-08 to 0-07, with their scorer-in-chief impressive.
Ryan delivered a man-of-the-match performance, including two vital points late on, in a game which saw Dublin finish with 14 men, after Chris Crummey picked up a second yellow card in injury-time.
Dublin will now play the losers of tomorrow's Munster final between Waterford and Tipperary in the quarter-final.
Dublin were comfortable winners over Laois in the last round, while Limerick were handed a stiff test from Westmeath, before emerging victorious at Cusack Park in Mullingar.
A keen encounter was expected at Semple Stadium, but Limerick showed better from the off.
TJ Ryan’s charges were hugely dominant, and quickly moved nine points clear, with the Shannonsiders holding the upper hand throughout the field.
Limerick’s last visit to Semple Stadium ended in defeat to Tipperary, and they were certainly keen to make amends.
They settled quickest, but were guilty of 11 wides before the interval, and this came back to haunt them by the full-time whistle.
Limerick led by 0-05 to 0-02 at the end of the opening quarter, and pushed into the driving seat, following Breen’s well-struck goal nine minutes before the interval.
However, Ger Cunningham’s side hit form and added five unanswered points, with Ryan in tremendous form, and Daire Plunkett also solid in midfield.
Dublin kept up the pressure on the restart, where again Ryan impressed, while Liam Rushe’s return to defence proved justified, with a superb display from the St Pat’s Palmerstown clubman at centre-half-back.
Ryan kept scoring as Dublin’s unanswered streak moved to nine points, to help them take a 0-12 to 1-08 lead after 42 minutes.
Seanie Tobin proved his worth and made an excellent impact from frees for Limerick, after his introduction as a substitute.
Tobin was unerring as Limerick moved 1-12 to 0-12 ahead, but Dublin were not in the mood to fade away.
O’Callaghan pounced for the Metropolitans’ only goal, when a defensive mix-up by Limerick was capitalised on by the former St Marks clubman.
The ball sped past Seamus Hickey and Richie McCarthy before ‘Dotsy’ fired past Nickie Quaid.
Limerick never gave up, with a Tobin free levelling matters at 1-14 apiece, but Dublin responded with scores from Cian Boland and Ryan and they never looked back.
Ryan continued to impress, and although Crummey saw red, it mattered little as Cunningham’s side negotiated a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
DUBLIN: G Maguire; P Schutte, C Crummey, S Barrett; S Durkin, L Rushe, N Corcoran; J McCaffrey, R O’Dwyer (0-01); D Plunkett (0-02), E Dillon, D Sutcliffe; P Ryan (0-12, 0-06f), C Keane, M Schutte (0-01). Subs: D O’Callaghan (1-00) for Dillon (29 mins), J Boland for Corcoran (51), C Boland (0-01) for Keaney (59), D Treacy for M Schutte (65).
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S O’Brien, R McCarthy, S Hickey; P O’Brien (0-01), G O’Mahony, W McNamara; J Ryan, P Browne; G Mulcahy (0-02), D Breen (1-01), C Lynch; S Dowling (0-04, 0-02f, 0-02 65’s), K Downes, D Hannon (0-02). Subs: D Morrissey for McNamara (44), S Tobin (0-06, 0-05f) for Dowling (44), D O’Grady for Breen (55), D Reidy for Hannon (65), C King for Browne (70).
REFEREE: Cathal McAllister (Cork).
