Munster MHC: Limerick and Tipp set-up decider date

Tipperary's Jack Leamy and Rory Furlong of Waterford

Tipperary will take on Limerick in the Munster minor hurling championship final next Sunday week after both sides won their respective semi-finals today.

The Premier men led from start to finish in a 2-14 to 0-12 win over Waterford at Pairc Ui Rinn, where Kenny Lee contributed a goal from the bench late on for the victors.

It was Jack Leamy’s goal on 16 minutes that saw Tipp surge into a six-point lead (1-5 to 0-2) and they simply wouldn’t look back from there.

A sublime double save from Jason O’Dwyer denied Waterford the net and they’d have to settle for points from Paddy Fitzgerald and Sean Callaghan instead as they trailed 1-8 to 0-5 at the interval.

Fitzgerald and Liam O Siothchain trimmed the difference down to three by the second water break but that was as good as it got for the Deise lads.

Substitute Lee hammered over a point before adding a well taken goal that killed off the contest and moved Tipp into their second Munster MHC final in three years.

The earlier throw-in saw Limerick impressive in their 2-19 to 0-13 victory against Cork at Semple Stadium.

Adam English hammered in both of the Treaty men’s goals towards the end of the first-half as they ushered themselves into a third consecutive provincial decider at this level.

It was Cork that edged the opening 25 minutes in Thurles as Ben Cunningham, Brian Keating, Ben O’Connor and Michael Mullins raised the white flags that had them 0-9 to 0-7 in front.

Luke O’Connor made it a one-point game prior to English scoring a fantastic individual goal and from the resultant puck out he would have the sliotar in the Rebels’ net again.

This time it was Liam Lynch that intercepted Cork possession and fed through English, who made no mistake and sent the holders towards a 2-9 to 0-10 half-time lead.

The double concession rattled Cork and it showed as they only added three points to their tally after the resumption.

A point from English seven minutes into the restart made it 2-12 to 0-11 and from there Limerick went on a run of six unanswered scores to cement their Munster final berth on December 20th.

Tipperary - J O’Dwyer; D Slattery, R Doyle, J Duncan; C Quinn, M Corcoran, L Shanahan; D Stakelum, P McGarry (0-2, 1f); S Ferncombe (0-3, 2f, 1'65), C McCormack, J Leamy (1-3, 0-2f); S Kenneally (0-2), T Cahill (0-2), C McKelvey (0-1). Subs: P Hayes for J Duncan, K Lee (1-1) for S Ferncombe, D Fogarty for C McKelvey, E Ryan for C McCormack, P Ryan for J Leamy.

Wterford - C Troy; J Fitzgerald, C Cantwell, A Keane; N Browne, M Fitzgerald, M Mullaney; J Power, J Booth (0-2); T O’Connell, W Beresford, C Treen (0-1); S Callaghan (0-1), P Fitzgerald (0-7, 5f, 1'65), L O Siothchain (0-1). Subs: K Cullinane for A Keane, J O’Donnell for N Browne, L Horgan for S Callaghan, S Lanigan for M Mullaney.

Referee - S Stokes.

**

Limerick - T Lynch; J Fitzgerald, V Harrington, R Lyons; B Molyneaux, E Hurley, B Duff; J Kirby (0-1), S Whelan; A English (2-3), L Lynch (0-8, 7f), S O'Brien (0-1); L O'Connor (0-2), P O'Donovan (0-3), D Lynch. Subs: J Keating (0-1) for D Lynch, S O'Neill for B Molyneaux, L Dennehy for L O'Connor, E Harmon for A English.

Cork - B Saunderson; S Kingston, C Smyth, K Lyons; E Downey, B O'Connor (0-1), M Mullins (0-1); B Keating (0-1), J Dwyer; A Quirke, C Walsh, T O'Connell; B Cunningham (0-8, 7f), M Howell, E O'Leary (0-1). Subs: D Healy for A Quirke, J Leahy (0-1) for T O'Connell, W Buckley for E O'Leary, T Walsh for J Dwyer.

Referee - K Jordan.