Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Quarter-Final – Limerick 1-21 Dublin 1-19

Limerick defeated Dublin by 1-21 to 1-19 in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Quarter-Final on Saturday April 2nd at Parnell Park.

REPORT: @LimerickCLG beat @DubGAAOfficial at Parnell Park in #AllianzLeagueshttps://t.co/IXNzbnp0kk pic.twitter.com/lkXemrEtf8

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 2, 2016

Allianz HL: Limerick earn quarter-final victory

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL

LIMERICK 1-21 DUBLIN 1-19

By Paul Keane at Parnell Park for GAA.ie

Kevin Downes hit the vital goal as Limerick bounced back from their promotion disappointment to secure a first Allianz hurling league quarter-final win in 10 years. TJ Ryan’s side were pegged back to level terms by a resurgent Dublin in the third quarter at Parnell Park, but Downes’ 55th minute major put them into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Shane Dowling top scored with six points on his return to county action though it was a strong overall performance as the Shannonsiders put aside their failure to overcome Clare in the Division 1B promotion race. Their reward is as a semi-final tie with Waterford or Wexford on April 17 and it may yet be a good omen that when they last qualified for a league semi-final, in 2006, they beat Waterford in that tie.

Promotion may have been out of the picture for Limerick after finishing second in Division 1B, but revenge for last year’s heavy quarter-final loss to Dublin was surely a motivator. Boss Ryan returned Na Piarsaigh duo Dowling and Downes to his lineup after their AIB All-Ireland club final heroics.

A third Na Piarsaigh man, Ronan Lynch, was included and played as an effective sweeper, scoring his first point for Limerick from a free late in the first-half. That point put them 0-13 to 0-9 up at half-time and it was a lead they deserved as they moved ahead in the 15th minute and remained there with a controlled display.

Dowling scored five first-half points, all but one from frees, though he showed flashes of excellence in general play while Diarmuid Byrnes nailed two long-range points from play. Dublin had made Parnell Park their fortress, beating Galway twice there already this year, but played second fiddle to Limerick for long spells.

Eamon Dillon, Niall McMorrow and Fionntan MacGib buzzed with intent when on the ball in Dublin’s attack, but opportunities were limited as Limerick won more possession in the middle third. Dublin were better after the break and impressively fought back to level terms at 0-15 apiece.

Treacy punished slack Limerick defending with three more converted frees while David O’Callaghan was the man who levelled it up. But the game turned with 15 minutes to go. Treacy presided over a penalty and a successful conversion would have moved Dublin ahead for the first time.

Goalkeeper Nickie Quaid saved and Limerick struck the net themselves 90 seconds later. Downes finished it off though James Ryan did well in the build up, winning back possession in the Dublin defence with a clever interception. Limerick never looked like losing after that and led by five before Treacy flicked in a 75th minute consolation goal in the last action of the game.

Scorers for Limerick: S Dowling 0-6 (4fs, 1 65), K Downes 1-2, D Byrnes 0-3, T Morrissey 0-2, B Nash 0-2, G O’Mahony 0-2, P Browne 0-1, R Lynch 0-1 (0-1f), J Fitzgibbon 0-1, P O’Brien 0-1

Scorers for Dublin: D Treacy 1-8 (7fs), N McMorrow 0-4, E Dillon 0-3, D O’Connell 0-2, F MacGib 0-1, D O’Callaghan 0-1

Limerick: N Quaid; S O’Brien, R McCarthy, R English; D Byrnes, W McNamara, G O’Mahony; P Browne, J Ryan; S Dowling, B Nash, T Morrissey; G Mulcahy, K Downes, R Lynch
Subs: P O’Brien for McNamara (50), G Hegarty for Mulcahy (54), J Fitzgibbon for Dowling (59), C Lynch for Morrissey (65).

Dublin: C Dooley; E O’Donnell, C O’Callaghan, O Gough; J Madden, L Rushe, C Crummey; D O’Connell, J McCaffrey; S McGrath, N McMorrow, D Treacy; D O’Callaghan, F MacGib, E Dillon
Subs: D Plunkett for McGrath (32), M Schutte for MacGib (48), S Barrett for Madden (59), B Quinn for McCaffrey (65), O O’Rorke for O’Callaghan (68).

Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly)

Team News

Limerick senior hurling team to face Dublin: https://t.co/hCvZOglSlp

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) April 1, 2016

The starting fifteen to face Dublin in this Saturday evening’s Allianz senior hurling league quarter final game in Parnell Park has been announced by the Limerick management team. The starting fifteen is as follows: 1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)(Captain), 2. Seamus Hickey (Murroe/Boher), 3. Richie McCarthy (Blackrock), 4. Richie English (Doon), 5. Wayne McNamara (Adare), 6. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 7. Ronan Lynch (Na Piarsaigh) 8. Gavin O Mahony (Kilmallock), 9. Paul Browne (Bruff), 10. Barry Nash (South Liberties), 11. James Ryan (Garryspillane), 12. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell), 13. Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock), 14. Kevin Downes (Na Piarsaigh), 15. Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh).