HL1A: Table toppers Limerick finish with nine points to spare over Cats
February 17, 2019
Limerick's Conor Boylan looks to race past Paul Murphy of Kilkenny
Two goals in the space of a minute approaching half-time sent Limerick on the road to an impressive nine-point round 3 victory over Kilkenny at Nowlan Park today.
The scoreboard read 2-18 to 0-15 at the final whistle as John Kiely’s side secured their third win from as many outings - and a first league win over Kilkenny in Nowlan Park since 1997.
Played in front of an attendance of 11,283, the game was delicately poised in the run-up to the break but quickfire strikes from Shane Dowling and Conor Boylan put some daylight between the teams.
Centre-forward Dowling capitalised on good work by Aaron Gillane to raise the game’s opening goal in the 33rd minute and Eoin Murphy was picking the ball out of his net again inside a minute after Conor Boylan made no mistake from close range.
Robbie Hanley, Diarmaid Byrnes and Gillane – who registered 0-5 in the opening period – tagged on points and John Kiely’s side enjoyed a 2-10 to 0-7 cushion at the change of ends.
The Cats had the backing of a strong wind for the second-half but the Treaty County continued where they left off in the first with four unanswered points.
The home supporters had to wait for 10 minutes of the second-half for a score which arrived courtesy of Richie Leahy but they were no stopping the team in green and white.
Gillane took the scoring honours with a return of 0-9 for Limerick who will look to continue their winning ways when they face Cork in round 4.
Limerick - N Quaid; T Condon (0-1), S Finn, R English; D Byrnes (0-1f), D Morrissey, P O’Loughlin; R Hanley (0-1); D O’Donovan; K Hayes, S Dowling (1-2), C Boylan (1-1); A Gillane (0-9, 6f), G Mulcahy (0-1), B Murphy (0-2). Subs: T Morrissey for C Boylan, P Casey for B Murphy, P Ryan for G Mulcahy, G Hegarty for R Hanley.
Kilkenny - E Murphy; T Walsh, C Delaney, E Morrissey; P Walsh, P Deegan, P Murphy; C Fogarty, M Keoghan; R Leahy (0-7, 4f), W Walsh, J Maher (0-1); B Ryan (0-2), K Kelly (0-2f), J Donnelly (0-1). Subs: L Blanchfield (0-1) for K Kelly, C Browne for C Fogarty, M Carey for E Morrissey, G Malone (0-1) for J Maher.
Referee - F Horgan.
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