Limerick maintained their unbeaten run as they roared past Waterford, winning by 0-21 to 0-14 in Thurles today for a place in the NHL Division One semi-finals.
It was an eighth win in ten for Joe McKenna's outfit – they drew against Tipperary and Kilkenny. South Liberties' forward Mark Keane was in top-scoring form for them with 0-09.
Donal O'Grady opened the scoring for Limerick with a second-minute point. Keane hit three frees to push his side 0-04 to 0-03 in front by the 23rd-minute. Dan Shanahan, John Mullane and Jack Kennedy had got off the mark for the Deise.
Keane added two more points to his tally as the Shannonsiders took the first half by 0-08 to 0-07. Conor Fitzgerald and Donie Ryan were Limerick's other scorers.
Dave Bennett sandwiched in a score on the half-hour for Waterford, who ended the half in good stead with three successive frees from team captain Paul Flynn.
With a wind advantage in the second half, the Deise snapped into a 0-09 to 0-08 lead courtesy of points from Mullane and Shanahan, whose effort was a brilliant over-the-shoulder shot.
The nip-tuck nature of the encounter continued as O'Grady and Shanahan traded points before Limerick hit three on the bounce from Keane, Ryan and Fitzgerald.
Justin McCarthy's side then upped the tempo with three points of their own off the hurls of Mullane and Bennett (2). Ryan calmed things down with a 52nd-minute leveller for 0-13 to 0-13.
It was anyone's game at that point, but Limerick responded the better and showed superior fitness levels to go 0-18 to 0-13 in front. Therein, was the winning of this quarter-final tie.
Ryan, Keane (2), Andrew O'Shaughnessy and Stephen Lucey angled over scores, but Waterford gained an avenue back into it when Shanahan was fouled for a 65th-minute penalty.
2004 All-Star Flynn stepped up to take it but his effort was brilliantly batted away by Brian Murray in the Limerick goal.
Keane and Ryan then tagged on points to push Limerick seven clear and Waterford's chances were killed off when they went down to 14 men. Flynn was dismissed for a silly strike on Denis Moloney. There was still time for Mark Foley and Mullane to exchange points, but Limerick were already home and dry.
