Limerick eased past Kilkenny with seven points to spare to secure their first win of the Division 1A campaign and their first competitive win since May of last year with Aaron Gillane scoring the Treaty men's goal 14 minutes from time.
After an entertaining opening half in front of an attendance of 8,958, which saw both sides level eight times, Limerick edged into a two-point lead – 0-14 to 1-09 – at the break with Matthew Keoghan’s goal in the 14th minute raising the green flag for Kilkenny.
A determined Limerick, however, upped the tempo in the second half, and outscored their Leinster counterparts by five points – 1-12 compared to 1-07 – in the second half to cruise to victory with Gillane and Eoin Cody scoring each side's second half goals.
John Kiely’s men, who were looking to put an end to a run of four competitive games without a win, showed intent from the get-go, naming 12 of 15 that started last year’s Munster final penalty loss to Cork.
Kilkenny began the game with eight of the 15 that started against Tipperary in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.
Indeed, it was Limerick who got off to a flying start as John Kiely’s men scored four without response inside the opening five minutes with Aidan O’Connor (two), Aaron Gillane, and Diarmaid Byrnes getting on the scoresheet during a period Kilkenny clocked up two wides.
Minutes later, Limerick should have been further ahead but Gilliane, who had been played through by David Reidy, could only watch on as his 8th minute effort on goal was saved off the line.
Kilkenny got their first point on the board in the 13th minute as John Donnelly slotted over before Eoin Cody narrowed the deficit to three less than a minute later.
Kilkenny brought it level in the 15th minute when Donnelly did well to set up Martin Keoghan for the opening half’s only goal after he’d been blocked in front of goal by Mike Casey and Sean Finn.
Both sides exchanged points in the remaining 20 minutes of the opening half and were level on seven more occasions.
Scoring what was the score of the half, Limerick took the lead again in the 22nd minute as Peter Casey beat Mikey Butler with ease to slot over from the tightest of angles to make it 0-08 to 1-04 in favour of the hosts.
Kilkenny took the lead for the first time in the 26th minute as Cian Kenny tapped over a free from just inside the 20-metre line.
Late first half points, however, from the impressive Aidan O’Connor – his fifth of the evening – and David Reidy put two behind the sides for the first time since the 13th minute.
Both sides again exchanged points early on in the second half before Limerick opened up a three-point by the 42nd minute thanks to well-taken efforts by Gearoid Hegarty and Casey – the latter a superb point from close to the sideline to make it 0-16 to 1-11 in favour of the Munster side.
Just shy of the 52-minute mark Hegarthy superbly set up Casey as the in-from Na Piarsaigh forward again put three between the sides.
Limerick got their goal five minutes later, Gillane, who’d taken possession of an excellent ball over the top of the Kilkenny defence by Adam English, found the back of the net from the narrowest of angles to put six points between the sides – 1-21 to 1-15 in favour of Limerick.
Points from Gillane, Tom Morrissey and an Aidan O’Connor free either side of an Eoin Cody goal, kept six between the sides heading into the final minutes.
Liam Moore narrowed the deficit to five three minutes from time but scores from Casey and O’Connor – his seventh free of the evening – put the icing on the cake for Limerick as John Kiely’s charges won their first competitive game since defeating Cork in their Munster round robin game last May.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes (0-03, 2f), William O’Donoghue, Matthew Fitzgerald (0-01); Adam English (0-01), Cian Lynch (capt.); Gearoid Hegarty (0-01), David Reidy (0-01), Aidan O’Connor (0-10, 7f); Aaron Gillane (1-02), Hugh Flanagan, Peter Casey (0-05)
Subs: Cathal O’Neill (0-01) for Flanagan (half-time), Dan Morrissey for Finn (40 minutes), 24 for Reidy (52), Tom Morrissey (0-01) for Hegarty (59), Paddy O’Donovan for Gillane (69)
Kilkenny: Aidan Tallis; Mikey Butler, Mikey Carey, Rory Garrett; Killian Doyle, Darragh Corcoran (0-01), Paddy Deegan (0-01); Cian Kenny (0-02, 2f), Jordan Molloy (0-01); Timmy Clifford (0-01), Eoin Cody (1-06, 1f), Luke Connellan; Liam Moore (0-02), John Donnelly (0-01), Martin Keoghan (1-00)
Subs: Luke Hogan (0-01) for Connellan (47 minutes), Stephen Donnelly for John Donnelly (48), Shane Murphy for Doyle (54), Fionán Mackessy for Molly (64)
Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway)
