Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

GALWAY 0-24 LIMERICK 1-18

By Declan Rooney at the Gaelic Grounds

All-Star midfielder David Burke produced a stunning display for Galway as they ended Division 1B campaign with a fourth win at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

Limerick led by 1-13 to 0-15 at the end of an exciting opening half which saw Cian Lynch strike for the only goal of the game just before the break.

But David Burke was a colossus at the start of the second-half, and he reeled off five points from play, with Thomas Monaghan and then Niall Burke helping to secure the victory for Galway.

Galway played with the breeze at their backs in the first-half, but they couldn’t use that to their advantage and they went in trailing by one point at half-time.

It was hugely competitive and the sides traded scores all the way through, but Galway hit six points in a row during a blistering four-minute spell towards the end of the half and that pushed them four points clear.

But the hosts finished the stronger and Lynch’s low shot flashed past Colm Callanan in the Galway goal one minute before half-time, while Kyle Hayes tagged on another point, and Shane Dowling added a couple of scores for the half-time lead.

Joe Canning was outstanding for Galway in the first-half. He wore the No 10 jersey, but started at corner-forward and scored nine points before the interval.

The Portumna clubman missed a lot of hurling since Galway’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Tipperary last season, but he looked at the peak of his powers in Limerick.

He scored a sideline cut, two frees from inside his own 65, and three great points from play as part of his tally, to help Galway stay in touch.

Limerick No 10 Dowling was dominating down the other end of the field, with seven points in the first-half.

Te key score of the half came just before the break when Cian Lynch blasted to the net and Limerick by the minimum at half-time.

However Galway midfielder Burke took control of the game after the break, and he was majestic as Galway raced in front with their captain scoring five excellent points from play.

His replacement Niall Burke struck the insurance score in the 72nd minute, as Galway held on.

Scorers for Galway: Joe Canning 0-10 (6fs, 1’sl), David Burke 0-6, Cathal Mannion 0-2, Paul Flaherty 0-1, Johnny Coen 0-1, Aidan Harte 0-1, Shane Maloney 0-1, Thomas Monaghan 0-1, Niall Burke 0-1.

**Scorers for Limerick: **Shane Dowling 0-11 (8fs), Cian Lynch 1-1, Graeme Mulcahy 0-2, Seamus Hickey 0-1, David Dempsey 0-1, Kyle Hayes 0-1, Gearoid Hegarty 0-1.

GALWAY: Colm Callanan; Aidan Harte, John Hanbury, Padraic Mannion; Sean Loftus, Gearoid McInerney, Adrian Tuohy; Johnny Coen, David Burke; Padraig Brehony, Joseph Cooney, Paul Flaherty; Joe Canning, Jason Flynn, Cathal Mannion.

Subs: Paul Killeen for Sean Loftus (half-time), Thomas Monaghan for Jason Flynn (half-time), Shane Maloney for Paul Flaherty (58), Niall Burke for David Burke (68).

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Richie McCarthy, Richie English; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Seamus Hickey; William O’Donoghue, James Ryan; Shane Dowling, Gearoid Hegarty, David Dempsey; Graeme Mulcahy, Kyle Hayes, Cian Lynch.

Subs: Tom Morrissey for William O’Donoghue (60), Richie Ryan for James Ryan (68), Colin Ryan for Gearoid Hegarty (68), Ronan Lynch for David Demspey (71).

REFEREE: James McGrath (Westmeath).