Tom Morrissey, Limerick, and Tom Monaghan, Galway, in Allianz Hurling League action at Pearse Stadium. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division One Group A
Limerick 0-24 Galway 0-19
By Cian O’Connell at Pearse Stadium
Ultimately Limerick survived a late Galway comeback mission to pocket the spoils in sunny Salthill.
The All-Ireland champions, who led by eight points after 57 minutes, didn’t register again until deep into stoppage time as Galway narrowed the deficit to two.
Tom Morrissey, though, who was influential for Limerick eventually terminated a 15 minute search for a score as John Kiely’s charges closed out the deal.
Limerick controlled vast chunks of the opening period eventually departing 0-14 to 0-7 ahead at the interval.
Some of the visitors’ long range striking was splendid with Kyle Hayes and Tom Morrissey both mining three points from play each.
Galway’s attack struggled to pose any serious questions before the break as Limerick - with Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, and Hayes effective - dictated the agenda.
Initially it was lively with Limerick 0-5 to 0-4 ahead by the 10th minute, but then John Kiely’s outfit seized the initiative.
Five points on the spin from Micheál Houlihan (free), Tom Morrissey, Cian Lynch, Shane O’Brien, and Hayes ensured Limerick’s supremacy was being reflected on the scoreboard, 0-10 to 0-4.
Jason Flynn, Galway, and Dan Morrissey, Limerick, in Allianz Hurling League action at Pearse Stadium. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
A response was summoned by Galway with Conor Cooney clipping points either side of an effort from Cianan Fahy, but Limerick were unperturbed.
Another Limerick flurry yielded scores from Houlihan (two frees), Peter Casey, and Tom Morrissey ensuring the green and white team led by seven at the turnaround.
When the action recommenced Limerick remained in the ascendancy, accumulating a 0-21 to 0-13 advantage courtesy of a 57th minute Morrissey point.
Suddenly, though, Galway came thundering back, stitching a sequence of six unanswered points together.
During that Galwegian burst Conor Cooney was prominent, nailing a half dozen scores as the maroon and white team improved considerably.
Having only converted 0-7 from 14 opportunities in the first half, Galway were much more efficient after the restart scoring 0-12 from their first 12 attempts.
A couple of late misses from Galway didn’t matter too much because Morrissey and substitute Donnacha O’Dalaigh rifled over the insurance points for Limerick.
Scorers for Limerick: Tom Morrissey 0-8 (3fs), Micheál Houlihan 0-4 (4fs), Cian Lynch and Kyle Hayes 0-3 each, Shane O’Brien and Peter Casey 0-2 each, Seamus Flanagan and Donnacha O’Dalaigh 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway: Conor Cooney 0-12 (9fs), Tom Monaghan 0-3, Kevin Cooney 0-2, Seán Linnane and Cianan Fahy 0-1 each.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seán Finn, Richie English, Barry Nash; Ciarán Barry, Dan Morrissey, Kyle Hayes; Darragh O’Donovan, William O’Donoghue; Micheál Houlihan, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Shane O’Brien, Séamus Flanagan, Peter Casey.
Subs: Conor Boylan for Houlihan (45), Gearóid Hegarty for Lynch (59), Adam English for O’Donoghue (60), Donnacha Ó Dalaigh for Flanagan (68).
Galway: Darach Fahy; TJ Brennan, Gearóid McInerney, Jack Grealish; Joseph Cooney, Pádraic Mannion, Tiernan Killeen; Seán Linnane, Tom Monaghan; Cianan Fahy, Jason Flynn, Conor Cooney; Donal O’Shea, Kevin Cooney, Martin McManus.
Subs: Darren Morrissey for Grealish (HT), Brian Concannon for O’Shea (HT), Conor Whelan for Flynn (HT), Liam Collins for McManus (68).
Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).
