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Limerick overcome Gearóid Hegarty dismissal to edge out Waterford

Updated / Sunday, 23 Apr 2023 21:32

Limerick began their defence of the Munster SHC with victory over Waterford, but didn't have it all their own way at Semple Stadium.

Seamus Flanagan’s 21st-minute goal proved decisive, as 14-man Limerick triumphed late on despite the dismissal of Gearóid Hegarty, in what was a case of opportunity missed for Davy Fitzgerald's Déise side.

Unsurprisingly, it was the All-Ireland champions who started the brighter, Aaron Gillane opening the scoring from an angle having been picked out by Kyle Hayes.

Waterford had Mark Fitzgerald to thank that it didn’t soon get worse, the young defender producing an excellent hook on Flanagan as he bore down on the Déise goal.

Limerick soon doubled their advantage on three minutes as Hayes picked out Tom Morrissey in acres, and he made no mistake in splitting the posts.

Colin Dunford, making his first championship start in five years, was the catalyst for Waterford’s first score - the Colligan man catching Billy Nolan’s puckout and drawing the foul, allowing Stephen Bennett to fire over for the first time, but certainly not the last time.

Waterford’s next puckout proved full of error, and former Hurler of the Year Hegarty ensured they were punished with his first score.

Peter Casey then shrugged off the challenge of Tadhg De Burca to slot over his first and Limerick’s fifth, and one got the impression that John Kiely’s side were already beginning to dominate.

Calum Lyons and Conor Prunty fired wide from distance as Waterford struggled to make any immediate impressions, and they were cursing their luck again moments later - a diagonal ball from Dessie Hutchinson picked out Jack Prendergast, but Nicky Quaid rushed out to smother his effort and deny the Déise the first green flag.

De Burca then picked out a roaming Hutchinson on the right hand flank, and the Ballygunner man produced a trademark score to reduce arrears to three points. De Burca then made an excellent block on Morrissey as Waterford gathered momentum - but who better to break that than Limerick.

A monstrous free from Diarmuid Byrnes gave the Treaty further breathing room, before the Na Piarsaigh duo of William O’Donoghue and Peter Casey combined for the latter to score his second point.

Flanagan then produced a fantastic score over his shoulder, and suddenly the Munster champions were six ahead.

Darragh Lyons picked out Michael Kiely who recycled to Bennett for Waterford’s third point on 20 minutes, but it was soon disaster stations for the Déise as the game’s opening goal arrived.

Aaron Gillane threaded through Flanagan, who flicked the sliotar past an onrushing Nolan. Calum Lyons attempted to recover the loose ball but couldn’t do so, and Flanagan flicked it into an empty net to make it Limerick 1-08 Waterford 0-03, and what you would have assumed game over despite it being early days.

Worse again for Waterford, De Burca had gone down during the passage of play having rolled his ankle, and was replaced by Tom Barron - becoming the second half-back to leave the pitch early on after Declan Hannon had made way for Mike Casey minutes beforehand.

Credit to Waterford, they battled back valiantly amid their adversity. Stephen Bennett knocked over two successive frees, before Nolan saved well from Hegarty who was forced to settle for a point.

Bennett was then fouled and pointed once more as Waterford began to click into gear, before doing so again after Dunford was fouled.

Hutchinson was the first of five men to enter the referee’s book late in the first half, and Byrnes was on hand once again to punish the crime from way out.

The Ballysaggart talisman Bennett was then clipped on the head by Barry Nash, who followed Hutchinson and Hegarty into Liam Gordon’s notebook, and Bennett recovered from the knock to bring it back to a six-point game.

Waterford were soon irate as Flanagan escaped further reprimand for an elbow into the face of Bennett, but once again he got up and knocked over his seventh point of the half.

Waterford’s tails were soon up as Bennett made it eight for his personal tally and nine for the Déise, before Barron brothers Tom and Jamie combined for a superb score making it 1-11 to 0-10 at the break - Waterford well in contention.

Early opportunities to further reduce the gap were scuppered by Neil Montgomery and Hutchinson, but Bennett’s ninth point of the game made it a three-point affair, before Hutchinson found the radar to bring it back to just two.

Conor Gleeson drew another foul as the Déise started the second period with wonderful intensity, and having been seemingly at Limerick’s mercy early on, the gap was now the minimum as Bennett brought his tally to 10 points from the dead ball.

Flanagan was dragged down by Mark Fitzgerald as Limerick took time to draw breath, Gillane’s fourth point proving a welcome sight to the sea of green jerseys in Semple Stadium.

The Limerick faithful would have been even happier after a superb catch from Gillane saw him fouled by Conor Prunty, and he was duly awarded a penalty.

The Limerick delight soon turned to demise on 45 minutes as Nolan sprung low to his right to turn away Gillane’s effort from the spot to keep it hanging nicely in the balance with two points the difference.

Tempers began to fray on the sidelines, the cut and thrust nature of the Munster Championship in full flight - Hegarty was shown a second yellow and Limerick were suddenly down to 14 men. Hegarty was punished for crashing into Gleeson, and duly received his marching orders. A Waterford mentor was also sent off having struck Hegarty in the aftermath.

All of a sudden, the ball was now in Waterford’s court and the sight of Austin Gleeson warming up was also bound to buoy their cause.

Jamie Barron fired wide frustratingly for the Déise, before Gleeson came in for Dunford on 50 minutes.

Limerick were still ever efficient despite their numerical disadvantage, Tom Morrissey’s second score coming at the perfect time for the 14 men.

Austin Gleeson had seemingly kicked Waterford back within two points, but Liam Gordon ruled that Barron had fouled Nicky Quaid, and it remained 1-13 to 0-13 in favour of Limerick.

Cian Lynch and Barry Nash then combined upfield as Nash slotted over, before Gillane was out in front of Prunty to turn and point as Limerick showed just why they’ve proved so hard to beat in recent seasons.

Stephen Bennett went for goal instead of opting for an 11th point from a close range free - and despite being a man ahead, Waterford found themselves six points behind by virtue of Gillane’s sixth point.

Bennett’s 11th score did arrive via a long-range free on 62 minutes, but the sense began to grow that the Déise needed a goal if they were to take any points from the All-Ireland champions.

Patrick Fitzgerald then availed of his first opportunity to bring Waterford back within four, and Hutchinson then notched from a seemingly impossible angle to make Flanagan’s goal all the difference.

Gillane’s seventh point from a free kept Limerick ticking over, but Conor Gleeson responded from distance to leave affairs agonisingly poised late on.

Paudie Fitzgerald hit the Déise’s 11th wide, each one of them they were likely to be left rueing, but they were still within a goal with seven minutes of added time announced.

Limerick had a chance to kill Waterford off from the resumption of play as Reidy and Gillane bore down on goal, but Nolan was on hand to save before Paudie Fitzgerald redeemed himself in spades with a superb block.

Diarmuid Byrnes’ powerful drive did no harm to the Limerick cause soon after, but who better than Bennett to respond in what was fast becoming a tantalising finish.

Austin Gleeson picked out Hutchinson with a superb pass but he could only fire wide. All was not lost though, as Gleeson fired over from a Calum Lyons pass - two points in it with two minutes left.

The Mount Sion man then bore down on goal and passed to Patrick Fitzgerald but his snapshot went wide as the Déise's despair continued.

Try as Waterford might, they couldn’t find the all elusive goal in the end as Limerick held firm despite a superb performance from the challengers.

Limerick begin their campaign with yet another victory, but Waterford will take great heart from their display ahead of a crunch clash with Cork next weekend.

Waterford: Billy Nolan; Conor Gleeson (0-01), Conor Prunty, Mark Fitzgerald; Calum Lyons, Tadhg De Burca, Jack Fagan; Darragh Lyons, Jamie Barron (0-01); Neil Montgomery, Dessie Hutchinson (0-03), Michael Kiely; Colin Dunford, Stephen Bennett (0-12, 0-10f), Jack Prendergast.

Subs: Tom Barron for Tadhg De Burca (22); Austin Gleeson (0-01) for Colin Dunford (50); Paudie Fitzgerald for Jack Prendergast (60); Patrick Fitzgerald (0-01) for Neil Montgomery (60)

Limerick: Nicky Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash (0-01); Diarmuid Byrnes (0-03, 0-02f), Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; Darragh O’Donovan, William O’Donoghue; Gearóid Hegarty (0-02), Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey (0-02); Aaron Gillane (0-07, 0-05f), Seamus Flanagan (1-01), Peter Casey (0-02).

Subs: Mike Casey for Declan Hannon (14); Cathal O’Neill for Séamus Flanagan (59); David Reidy for William O’Donoghue (67); Conor Boylan for Peter Casey (70)

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)

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