Waterford IT 0-21
Limerick IT 1-14

KILKENNY’S EOIN MURPHY scored nine points as Waterford IT held off the stiff challenge of Limerick IT in this afternoon’s entertaining Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final at a bitterly cold Carriganore.

Murphy, sub-goalkeeper to David Herity on Kilkenny’s 2012 All-Ireland winning team, slotted over seven frees and two points from play as Colm Bonnar’s WIT set up a semi-final meeting with competition surprise packets Mary Immaculate College on Friday week at GMIT.

Waterford forwards Jake Dillon and Gavin O’Brien were also in excellent form for eight-time Fitzgibbon Cup winners WIT as the pair, operating in the full-forward line, slotted over three points each.

Tipperary’s 2010 All-Ireland U21 medallist Ciaran Haugh enjoyed a productive afternoon too as he slotted over two long-range points from right half back. Wexford senior Harry Kehoe also fired over a brace of scores before half-time.

Tipp’s Seamus Callanan finished as leading scorer for Davy Fitzgerald’s Limerick IT with a haul of eight points, including seven frees. But LIT could not make the most of a significant breeze at their backs in the second half as WIT held firm.

With 16 minutes on the watch, WIT were 0-10 to 0-2 clear but Jamie Fitzgibbon finished a brilliant LIT team move in the 27th minute for the game’s only goal. At half-time, LIT trailed by 1-6 to 0-12 but they could never get closer than two points to WIT after the break.

O’Brien had the best goal chance of the second half but LIT goalkeeper Andrew Fahy did brilliantly to deny the corner forward from close range.

Crucially, WIT managed nine points into the breeze and they played some very smart hurling in the second half, with Dillon exceptional as the target man on the edge of the square.

Scorers for WIT: Eoin Murphy 0-9 (7f), Jake Dillon, Gavin O’Brien 0-3 each, Ciaran Haugh, Harry Kehoe 0-2 each, Tomas Hamill, Michael Power 0-1 each.
Scorers for LIT: Seamus Callanan 0-8 (0-7f), Jamie Fitzgibbon 1-0, Cathal McInerney 0-2, Andrew Fahy (0-1f), Eoin O’Sullivan, Sean Collins, Seanie O’Brien 0-1 each.

WATERFORD IT: Stephen O’Keeffe (Ballygunner, Waterford); Stephen O’Keeffe (Ballygunner, Waterford), Liam Lawlor (Fourmilewater, Waterford), Noel Connors (Passage East, Waterford); Ciaran Haugh (Lorrha-Dorrha, Tipperary), Wayne Hutchinson (Ballygunner, Waterford), Tomás Hamill (Killea, Tipperary); Luke Harney (Kilmacow, Kilkenny), Stephen Roche (Mount Sion, Waterford); Harry Kehoe (Wexford), Michael Sheedy (Portroe, Tipperary), Eoin Murphy (Glenmore, Kilkenny); Martin O’Neill (Mount Sion, Waterford), Jake Dillon (De La Salle, Waterford), Gavin O’Brien (Roanmore, Waterford).

Subs: Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner, Waterford) for Harney (29), Martin Power (Kilkenny) for O’Neill (half-time), Liam McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney, Tipperary) for Sheedy (61).

LIMERICK IT: Andrew Fahy (Whitegate, Clare); Alan Dempsey (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick), Pat Begley (Mungret, Limerick), Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary); Paudie Ahern (Kilteely-Dromkeen, Limerick), Paudie O’Brien (Kilmallock, Limerick), Paul Flaherty (Abbeyknockmoy, Galway); Sean Collins (Cratloe, Clare), Colin Nelson (Feakle, Clare); Jamie Fitzgibbon (Crusheen, Clare), Cathal McInerney (Cratloe, Clare), Gary Guilfoyle (Feakle, Clare); Eoin O’Sullivan (Sarsfields, Cork), Sean O’Brien (Patrickswell, Limerick), Seamus Callanan (Drom-Inch, Tipperary).

Subs: John O’Keeffe (Clonoulty-Rossmore, Tipperary) for Nelson (44), Niall O’Connor (Newmarket-on-Fergus, Clare) for Ahern (57).

Referee: Anthony Stapleton (Laois).

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