In the semi-final of the National Hurling League, Kilkenny has once again secured their spot in the final, following a decisive victory over the All-Ireland champions, Limerick. This outcome marks Limerick’s first defeat of this year’s season. This is a preliminary report with more comprehensive details to be provided later.
Despite facing heavy winds, Limerick had a powerful opening, leading 1-2 to 0-0 after just four minutes of play. It appeared promising for Limerick when Aaron Gillane masterfully dispatched a low and powerful shot into the corner, following Cillian Buckley’s handling error 35 metres from the goal.
However, Kilkenny quickly retaliated, with their first score arriving in the ninth minute. Eoin Cody made the initial breakthrough, thanks to an exceptional catch and delivery by Jordan Molloy at centre field. Within a minute, they were back when Luke Hogan seized an opportunity following Nickie Quaid’s save of Cody’s direct shot, swiftly netting the ball. By this point, Kilkenny led 2-3 to Limerick’s 1-3.
The second quarter was marked by a surprising struggle for Limerick, who seemed to grapple with their usual build-up play from the back. This problem was epitomised when Cian Lynch got dispossessed. Spotting a prime opportunity, John Donnely sent a clever 50 yard pass to TJ Reid, who bypassed Aaron Costello and secured the ball in the net. Consequently, Kilkenny extended their lead by six points, maintaining it till half-time. The score was 3-6 to 1-6 in Kilkenny’s favour.
Despite Cody being sent off on a second yellow card shortly into the second half, Kilkenny’s performance remained undeterred. Any attempts Limerick made to close the four-point gap was unsuccessful, and they did not establish any significant momentum. By mid-way through this half, Kilkenny were leading with a seven-point gap again. The score stood at 3-12 to 1-11 for Kilkenny.
During the fourth quarter, 21 minutes into the latter half, Peter Casey from Limerick was dismissed on a direct red card due to an off-ball incident with Paddy Deegan. This led to a further slump in Limerick’s already lacklustre performance. Meanwhile, Kilkenny regained their momentum and almost secured a fourth goal but for Owen Wall’s shot that went astray into the side netting. Limerick took the opportunity to rotate their squad players as the game’s ending was marred by a lack of excitement.
Kilkenny team comprised of E Murphy; S Murphy, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, P Deegan, C Buckley (0-1); C Kenny, J Molloy; A Mullen (0-3), J Donnelly, B Ryan (0-1); L Hogan (1-0), TJ Reid (1-8, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65), E Cody 1-0. Substitutes included R Reid for Buckley (h-t), M Keoghan (0-1) for Hogan (45 mins), O Wall for Ryan (52), B Drennan (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 65) for Reid (59), T Clifford for Donnelly (68), and K Blanchfield for Kenny (70).
Representing Limerick was N Quaid; B Nash, S Finn, A Costello; D Byrnes (0-1, free), D Hannon, C O’Neill (0-2); W O’Donoghue, C Lynch; G Hegarty (0-1), A English, T Morrissey (0-2, frees); P Casey (0-1), A Gillane (1-5, 0-3 frees), D Ó Dalaigh (0-1). The substitutes were D Reidy (0-2, 0-1 free) for English (h-t), C Boylan for Lynch (55 mins), S Flanagan for Gillane (59), M Quinlan for Hannon (61), and A O’Connor for Hegarty (68). The match was officiated by referee James Owens from Wexford.