Limerick's drive for a record-extending seventh successive Munster Senior Hurling Championship title kicked into gear at Walsh Park, as they saw off a resilient Waterford by six points.
Cian Lynch, Aaron Gillane and Shane O’Brien starred on the night, and despite the best efforts of Stephen Bennett and company, Waterford’s bid for a win against the Shannonsiders rolls on.
Only six times has a side won in successive weekends since the implementation of the round-robin format in Munster, and Waterford were faced with a formidable task in their bid to add their names to that list - not to mention Limerick were unbeaten against the Déise in the championship since June 2011.
Limerick’s search for the magnificent seven wasn’t off to the perfect start leaving Thurles, but the moment they arrived in Walsh Park - they made their presence felt.
Diarmuid Byrnes opened the scoring with a superb effort inside his own 65 within the opening minute, before Barry Nash picked out Shane O’Brien to double the early advantage.
A great catch and score from Patrick Fitzgerald got Waterford up and running moments later, but they struggled to live with the breathless intensity that Limerick brought to the occasion, Byrnes finding Cian Lynch in acres to restore a two-point lead.
Stephen Bennett opened his account from a free, but Limerick were keen to send out an early message, knocking over the next four scores. Gearoid Hegarty found Nash on the overlap, before Lynch turned provider to Adam English - it was poetry in motion in the opening exchanges.
English doubled his tally owing to some loose marking from the Déise, before a fine effort from Tom Morrissey moved Limerick five in front on ten minutes.
Byrnes then entered the referees’ notebook for a foul on Kevin Mahony, allowing Bennett to offer Waterford a temporary reprieve from the Treaty onslaught. Byrnes caught Mark Fitzgerald moments later and questions were asked as to whether Colm Lyons could have brandished a second yellow - Byrnes was substituted by John Kiely moments later to avoid that eventuality.
Bennett pointed the requisite free impressively before Jack Prendergast caught the puck out and sent it right back where it came from, moving the Déise back within two points as they began to find their feet.
But two quickfire frees from Aaron Gillane kept the Limerick machine motoring, before a beautiful pop pass from Morrissey allowed Lynch to point with ease.
Waterford captain Dessie Hutchinson then swept over, before his side were afforded an almighty let off on 22 minutes. Shane O’Brien beat Conor Prunty to a long searching ball and unleashed a rasping drive that left Billy Nolan rooted, but the effort cannoned off the lower left-hand post and back into play.
Gillane and Morrissey moved the Munster champions six in front as they smelled blood, but Waterford showed great heart to stay in the game. A monstrous free from Nolan and a beauty from Jamie Barron arrested the slump - as did the introduction of Michael Kiely to subdue Limerick’s aerial dominance.
O’Brien was on hand to slot over his second score, but some outstanding work from Kiely allowed Kevin Mahony to open his account soon after. The intensity was through the roof as Bennett brought it back to a three-point affair on the cusp of the interval, but Morrissey and Gillane showed all their experience to make it a five-point gap. It could have been more undoubtedly, but Waterford weren’t going down without a fight in front of a raucous Walsh Park crowd.
A superb score from Mark Fitzgerald was responded to in turn by Gillane at the peak of his powers, but Kiely soon opened his account as Waterford found some rhythm. Stephen Bennett played a free short to brother Shane as the Déise searched for goal, but Mike Casey was on hand to smother any such thoughts. A free and a 65 from Bennett moved Waterford back within two on 43 minutes but that was as close as they would get - Limerick responded with six of the next seven scores.
Gillane fired over another free, before Adam English punished poor decision making with his third of the evening. Gillane then won one of Nicky Quaid’s mesmerically accurate puckouts to point, before 'The Bull’ O’Brien outmuscled Conor Prunty to show exactly why he has earned that moniker.
A Nolan free temporarily restored Déise optimism, but another Gillane dead ball and a long searching effort from Colin Coughlan moved Limerick seven to the good midway through the second period.
Mark Fitzgerald again brought the fight, but Hegarty won a turnover and went on to score as he riled up the travelling crowd and the sense grew that this was to be Limerick’s day again.
Bennett and Barron did their utmost to haul Waterford back into affairs but a thunderous effort from man-of-the-match Cian Lynch reminded us all why he is a two-time Hurler of the Year.
Waterford never truly threatened the Limerick goal, the closest they came was on the hour mark - Hutchinson picking out Stephen Bennett who pulled low but his effort was blocked by Quaid. The resultant 65 saw a white flag raised, but that was soon cancelled out as Limerick substitute Aidan O’Connor turned on a sixpence to split the posts.
Bennett caught a Nolan puck out to reduce arrears to five as Waterford looked to Austin Gleeson to turn the tide. Colossal catches from Kyle Hayes and company made that elusive for the hosts, late scores from substitutes Cathal O’Neill and Gavin Fives running out proceedings - while the game was summarised by another excellent O’Brien score out in front of Prunty.
While Waterford’s heart couldn’t be faulted, they were second best - and Limerick were fully deserving of their victory.
The Déise will look to Thurles for win number two - but the message emerging from Walsh Park is clear - Limerick have arrived in this Munster Championship, and everyone else is in danger.
Waterford: Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Iarlaith Daly; Mark Fitzgerald (0-02), Tadhg de Burca, Paddy Leavy; Darragh Lyons, Jack Prendergast (0-01); Stephen Bennett (0-09; 0-05f; 0-02 ‘65), Jamie Barron (0-02); Kevin Mahony (0-01); Patrick Fitzgerald (0-01), Dessie Hutchinson (0-01), Patrick Curran.
Subs: Michael Kiely (0-01) for Patrick Curran (26); Shane Bennett (0-01) for Patrick Fitzgerald (HT); Gavin Fives for Darragh Lyons (45); Padraig Fitzgerald for Kevin Mahony (49); Austin Gleeson for Jamie Barron (64)
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmuid Byrnes (0-01), Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash (0-01); Adam English (0-03), William O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty (0-01), Cian Lynch (0-03), Tom Morrissey (0-03); Aaron Gillane (0-09; 0-06f), Shane O'Brien (0-04), David Reidy.
Subs: Colin Coughlan (0-01) for Diarmuid Byrnes (19); Cathal O’Neill (0-01) for William O’Donoghue (49); Aidan O’Connor (0-01) for Tom Morrissey (58); Darragh O’Donovan for Adam English (65); Donnacha O’Dalaigh for Shane O’Brien (70)
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
