Limerick recorded their first win of their Division 1A campaign in a scrappy affair in TUS Gaelic Grounds.
As William O’Donoghue and Peter Casey impressed, Limerick were keeping their noses in front and led by four points when Aaron Gillane struck the decisive goal in the 55th minute.
Adam English found Gillane inside and with the unmarked Cathal O’Neill distracting Mikey Carey, the Patrickswell man found enough space to beat Aidan Tallis.
Gillane had been starved of ball but added his second point shortly after and the result was all but confirmed. Eoin Cody flashed in a 66th minute goal to put a fairer reflection on the scoreboard.
Diarmaid Byrnes was awarded an additional time penalty when Carey pulled back his arm and was sent to the sin bin. However, Byrnes’s strike was easily saved by Tallis and referee Shane Hynes brought an end to the game.
Kilkenny produced some periods of fine hurling. Their puck-outs were often sharp, Eoin Cody was a persistent danger despite shooting five wides, and centre-back Darragh Corcoran was almost as convincing as O’Donoghue on the other 45-metre line.
Before the game, John Kiely spoke about “a response” to the Waterford defeat. His team commenced the game like they were going to give just that, going five points to no score up by the 10th minute.
It could have been more but for Carey spoiling Gillane’s close-range shot in the eighth minute. Gearóid Hegarty and English had linked up to create the chance for Gillane, who was making his first appearance of the season.
Kilkenny’s profligacy helped their cause too. They shot four of their eight first-half wides in the opening nine minutes and didn’t score until the 13th when John Donnelly broke their duck.
Cody followed up with another seconds later and Kilkenny, whose puck-outs were working well, squared matters in the 15th minute. Luke Connellan landed a ball on top of Martin Keoghan, John Donnelly picked up the break and Keoghan remain involved, his shot evading Seán Finn and Byrnes.
Matthew Fitzgerald, performing solidly as he did last week, reacted quickly for Limerick and the scoring pattern was tit-for-tat for the next 11 minutes until Cian Kenny arrowed over a free following Timmy Clifford’s score. Kenny had taken over the placed ball responsibilities after Cody had struck a couple of frees off target.
Casey and English strung together points to swing the game in Limerick’s advantage only for Corcoran to level it for a seventh time.
Aidan O’Connor’s third free after Hegarty had been held back was followed by a successful David Reidy effort and Limerick went into the break two to the good, 0-14 to 1-9.
A. O’Connor (0-10, 7 frees); P. Casey (0-5); A. Gillane (1-2); D. Byrnes (0-3, 2 frees); M. Fitzgerald, A. English, D. Reidy, G. Hegarty, C. O’Neill, T. Morrissey (0-1 each).
E. Cody (1-6, 0-1 free); M. Keoghan (1-0); C. Kenny (frees), T. Clifford, L. Moore (0-2 each); D. Corcoran, J. Molloy, L. Hogan, P. Deegan (0-1 each).
N. Quaid; S. Finn, M. Casey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, W. O’Donoghue, M. Fitzgerald; A. English, C. Lynch (c); G. Hegarty, D. Reidy, A. O’Connor; H. Flanagan, A. Gillane, P. Casey.
C. O’Neill for H. Flanagan (h-t); D. Morrissey for S. Finn (inj 40); D. O’Donovan for D. Reidy (52); T. Morrissey for G. Hegarty (59); P. O’Donovan for A. Gillane (70).
M. Carey (70+7).
A. Tallis; R. Garrett, M. Casey, M. Butler; K. Doyle, D. Corcoran (c), P. Deegan; C. Kenny, J. Molloy; T. Clifford, L. Connellan, E. Cody; M. Keoghan, J. Donnelly, L. Moore.
L. Hogan for L. Connellan (47); S. Donnelly for J. Donnelly (48); S. Murphy for K. Doyle (54); C. Beirne for T. Clifford (58); F. Mackessy for J. Molloy (64).
S. Hynes (Galway).
