Munster HL: Limerick see off youthful Waterford

Cork notch 13 unanswered second half points as they pull away from Kerry

Daragh Lyons is tackled by  Graeme Mulcahy during Waterford’s defeat to Limerick. Photograph: Inpho/Ken Sutton
Daragh Lyons is tackled by Graeme Mulcahy during Waterford’s defeat to Limerick. Photograph: Inpho/Ken Sutton

Waterford 1-14 Limerick 0-24

Limerick recovered from a slow start to record a comfortable win over a youthful Waterford on a heavy Fraher Field sod.

At the break, Waterford led by 1-10 to 0-10, with DJ Foran’s 18th minute goal separating the sides.

Limerick captain for the day Nickie Quaid stopped Billy Nolan’s first minute penalty, but Waterford certainly began the brighter, and led by eights points by the 25th minute.

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But fine first half showings from Diarmaid Byrnes, John Fitzgibbon and Alan Dempsey kept John Kiely’s men in the contest, and Limerick went on to score 16 unanswered points between the 26th and 54th minutes.

In fact, Dempsey proved the afternoon’s most impressive performer, tallying seven points from play.

WATERFORD: I O'Regan; I Kenny, K Bennett, D Lyons; S Roche, MJ Sutton, C Prunty; M O'Brien (0-1), S Roche (0-1); B Nolan (0-6, 0-3fs), S Bennett, MF O'Neill (0-2); G O'Brien (0-1), DJ Foran (1-1), M Kearney (0-1). Subs: C Roche (0-1) for O'Brien (h-t), K Fitzgerald for S Bennett (h-t), B O'Keeffe for Kearney (h-t), A Molumby for Roche (h-t), C Lyons for Prunty (48).

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S O'Brien, R McCarthy, M Casey; D Byrnes (0-2fs), S Hickey, D Hannon (0-1); J Fitzgibbon (0-8, 0-6fs), G O'Mahony; G Hegarty (0-2), A Dempsey (0-7), D Dempsey; S Tobin (0-3), T Morrissey, G Mulcahy. Subs: K Hayes (0-1) for Dempsey (h-t), C Ryan for Morrissey (44), P Ryan for O'Mahony (49), A Gillane for Tobin (55), R English for McCarthy (66).

Referee: J Ryan (Tipperary)

Cork 1-28 Kerry 0-18

Cork pulled away in the second-half to get their Munster Hurling League campaign off to a winning start in Mallow.

Kerry matched them in the first half and only trailed by 1-12 to 0-14 at half-time. Cork’s goal came from Darragh Fitzgibbon after 14 minutes.

And the visitors even edged in front two minutes on the resumption with a Shane Nolan free, but Kerry only added two more points thereafter.

Cork took full control with newcomers Shane Kingston, Michael Cahalane and substitute Luke Meade impressing.

They added 13 points without response before Kerry ended a barren 28-minute spell with a point in injury-time from the hard-working Paudie O’Connor to close proceedings.

CORK: P Collins; D Griffin, S McDonnell (capt), K Burke; D Cahalane, C Joyce, M Coleman (0-3, all frees); L McLoughlin (0-1), B Lawton (0-1); S O'Keeffe, S Harnedy (0-3, two frees), S Kingston (0-9, three frees); M Cahalane (0-4), B Cooper (0-2), D Fitzgibbon (1-2).

Subs: S O'Donoghue for Burke (12 mins, inj), L Meade (0-3) for Harnedy (half-time), A Cadogan for O'Keeffe (57 mins), C Murphy for Cahalane and C O'Leary for McLoughlin (60 mins).

KERRY: A McCabe (capt); B Lyons, R Horgan, S Weir; J O'Connor, D Dineen, T O'Connor; D Collins, P O'Connor (0-2); M O'Leary (0-2), M Boyle (0-1), B O'Leary; J Goulding, S Nolan (0-9, seven frees), J Egan (0-1).

Subs: J Conway (0-3) for B O'Leary (6 mins, inj), T Casey for Goulding (41 mins), P Lucey for Egan and P Boyle for M O'Leary (53 mins), J Godley for T O'Connor (57 mins).

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford)