Limerick 6-21
Kerry 3-8
By Jackie Cahill at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
RONAN LYNCH SCORED 3-11 as Limerick saw off Kerry by 22 points to collect their first victory of the season in Division 1B of the Allianz League.
Having lost out to Wexford in the opening round, the Shannonsiders bounced back with another big victory over Kerry, who they hammered by 4-28 to 0-16 in the Munster senior hurling League.
Ahead by ten points at the break, Limerick kicked on in the second half, as Lynch led the way in the scoring stakes with a massive haul.
Padraig Boyle’s hat-trick of goals for Kerry proved in vain as the Kingdom suffered their first defeat of the League campaign, having claimed victory over Laois last weekend.
In front of 1065 spectators, Limerick knew before throw-in that a big win was necessary, with points difference potentially important at the end of the group campaign.
But news filtering through that Wexford had beaten Galway left something of a deflated air hovering over the Gaelic Grounds.
Limerick could only take care of their own business and that they did, despite the spirited challenge of a Kerry team that finished with 14 men, when Shane Nolan was issued with a straight red card late on.
And Lynch could have finished with 4-10 rather than 3-11, as his second half penalty struck the crossbar and went over, rather than under.
But Lynch contented himself with three second half goals as Limerick eventually ran riot.
The hosts recovered from the concession of two Boyle goals to lead comfortably at half-time, 2-13 to 2-3.
Boyle grabbed his first goal in the tenth minute, finishing a fine move involving Shane Nolan and Colum Harty.
Limerick, playing with a slight breeze, rallied to lead by 0-7 to 1-1 before Boyle struck again eight minutes later, brilliantly fielding brother Mikey’s sideline ball before rattling a low drive into the corner of the net.
That score levelled the game at 2-1 to 0-7 but Limerick, with Seanie Tobin, Tom Morrissey and Ronan Lynch contributing all but one goal of their first half tally, won the remainder of the half by 2-6 to 0-2.
Limerick’s opening goal came in the 26th minute, as Graeme Mulcahy latched onto a precise ball from James Ryan to finish well.
And Tom Morrissey’s injury-time goal increased Limerick’s advantage, before Jordan Conway and Lynch traded points.
Lynch hit the net from a 20m free to kick-start the second half goal glut and 17 minutes from time, he was credited with a scruffy effort for his second major.
Kevin O’Brien’s first touch after coming on as sub saw him score Limerick’s fifth goal ten minutes from home, as Boyle replied in kind within a minute for Kerry.
Eight minutes from time, Lynch rattled his penalty off the crossbar and over, after O’Brien was fouled, before the Na Piarsaigh man completed his treble in the 67th minute, again from a blistering 20m free.
Scorers for Limerick: Ronan Lynch 3-11 (2-5f, 0-2 65s, 0-1 pen), Tom Morrissey 1-3, Graeme Mulcahy 1-1, Seanie Tobin 0-4, Kevin O’Brien 1-0, James Ryan & Andrew La Touche Cosgrave 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kerry: Padraig Boyle 3-0, Shane Nolan 0-5f, Patrick Kelly, Jordan Conwawy & Jack Goulding (f) 0-1 each.
Limerick
1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)
2. Stephen Cahill (Tournafulla)
3. Richie McCarthy (Blackrock)
4. Richie English (Doon)
5. Colin Ryan (Pallasgreen)
6. Seamus Hickey (Murroe/Boher)
7. Declan Hannon (Adare)
8. John Fitzgibbon (Adare)
9. James Ryan (Garryspillane)
12. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo/Pallaskenry)
10. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)
14. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell)
15. Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock)
13. Ronan Lynch (Na Piarsaigh)
20. Sean Tobin (Murroe/Boher)
Subs
18. William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh) for Hayes (h.t.)
21. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon) for C Lynch (44)
22. Pat Ryan (Doon) for Fitzgibbon (56)
24. Andrew La Touche Cosgrave (Monaleen) for Mulcahy (56)
24. Kevin O’Brien (Patrickswell) for Tobin (59)
Kerry
1. Aiden McCabe (Kilmoyley)
4. Bryan Murphy (Causeway)
3. Rory Horgan (St Brendans)
2. Sean Weir (Crotta O’Neills)
5. Paud Costello (Ballyduff)
6. Patrick Kelly (Clarecastle)
7. Darren Dineen (St Brendans)
8. Paudie O’Connor (Kilmoyley)
9. Colum Harty (Causeway)
15. Shane Nolan (Crotta O’Neills)
11. Mikey Boyle (Ballyduff)
13. Jordan Conway (Crotta O’Neills)
18. Keith Carmody (Causeway)
14. Padraig Boyle (Ballyduff)
10. Jack Goulding (Ballyduff)
Subs
17. James O’Connor (Abbeydorney) for M Boyle (h.t.)
21. John Buckley (Lixnaw) for Costello (55)
26. Jason Wallace (Lixnaw) for Carmody (58)
20. Stephen Murphy (Causeway) for Conway (58)
19. James Godley (Kilmoyley) for Kelly (59)
Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)
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Amazing the progress Kerry hurling has made in recent years
Kerry will be there abouts come september i think!!!
3 more goals scored off Richie mc carthy
Who would you prefer at full back?
Richie or not conceding 3 goals to Kerry is fair poor.
Heard a rumour during the week that division 1 is planning on being changed to 8 teams next season any1 heard something similar could be a bit of good fortune for either limerick or Galway if that was the case
Good result for the shannonsiders but Galway let them down.
Galway let us down?? We let or ourselves down last week!!! Blaming Galway is ludicrous, hammering Kerry does nothing for us only improve scoring difference, beating Wexford and Galway would have been progress, disappointing to be on this div for another yr but roll on Championship time plz!
I can’t imagine being in 1A makes much of a difference lads IMO. We’ve won a Munster from here and let’s be fair Limerick can match Coca cola for bottling stuff. Next season will have another big team from 1A in 1B so it’ll be more competitive isn’t that what we want ? Since we were relegated how many All Ireland’s have Dublin Cork Waterford Galway won ? Thought as much.
So we should just be content with 1b and aim for Munster? Trying to be the best u can be means mixing it with the best, beating Kerry or a Laois year in year out doesn’t improve us tbh, having the tougher tests against the stronger teams of Kilkenny and Tipp and Waterford etc will only bring on the young lads leaps n bounds, improve crowds on home games and higher standard of skill before championship, only my own opinion but that’s what I hope a Limerick Senior Hurler is aiming for!
Never said be content lad. I just feel we’re getting wound up about being in 1A. And who’s to say if we got promoted we’d stay up ? I’m sick of listening about the talent in this county and how we should be there there abouts. Whether its the county board or management team its one or the other being blamed for not progressing. But no one is looking at the players. TJ couldn’t get us up the Cork lad John Allen couldn’t. Now Kiely who was the answer isn’t bringing us up. It can’t be the county board or management the whole time. The players need to say fook the hype we need to prove to ourselves and the county we’re good enough.
Agreed, players need to stand up and be counted for! Surely the want to be hurling at the top table every year, everyone in Limerick knows we have some decent talent at our disposal now, here’s hoping John Kiely & Co can utilise it, god knows it was pissed away many moons ago! Unless we reach 1A we’ll never know if we can stay a float up dere, pretty sure ppl didn’t expect Waterford to continue staying in 1A, talent hard work and dedication has kept them up dere and continue to improve
Agreed on that.
Hopefully we’ll push on from here and salvage some pride at least from this league campaign, as getting to 1A is gone now. Glad we got some kind of a response at least.
Awful pity it takes a loss to get a response, why can’t we put foot to the floor from the off ad get the fcuk out of this div once and for all, gonna be even harder next yr depending on who comes down, more competitive yes, but we want those high intensity games week in week out!