Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final – Limerick 1-18 Dublin 0-15

Limerick defeated Dublin by 1-18 to 0-15 in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final on Sunday August 7th at Croke Park.

All-Ireland MHC semi-final result: Limerick 1-18 Dublin 0-15 – Galway play Tipp in other s/f https://t.co/jvoIHZtYYG pic.twitter.com/nlTrfM5fjw

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 7, 2016

MATCH REPORT: @LimerickCLG defeat @DubGAAOfficial in Minor hurling semi-final>>https://t.co/KCmgWsG3W8 pic.twitter.com/BVTb86vZyq

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 7, 2016

Limerick defeat Dublin in MHC Semi-Final

Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final

LIMERICK 1-18 DUBLIN 0-15

By Paul Keane in Croke Park for GAA.ie

Limerick are back in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor hurling final and they have Brian Ryan’s 10-point haul to thank for securing their passage to next month’s decider.

South Liberties man Ryan proved a reliable outlet from placed balls at Croke Park while Cian Magnier-Flynn’s 13th minute goal was crucial in a six-point point game. Limerick’s reward is a September 4 final clash with Tipperary or Galway and if it’s Tipp they meet then it will be a repeat of the Munster final which the Premier County won convincingly.

Pat Donnelly’s Shannonsiders will hope to go one better than their previous final appearance in 2014 when they lost out to Kilkenny. They led from gun to tape this time though had to withstand a strong second-half performance from Dublin who trailed by nine at half-time but reduced their arrears to just four after 53 minutes.

Dublin couldn’t get any closer than that though and the day finished in frustration for the Leinster champions who lost substitute Jack O’Neill to a 61st minute dismissal. Limerick scored the game’s first four points, two of those coming from Ryan, to put Dublin on the back foot immediately. Magnier-Flynn’s goal put them 1-4 to 0-1 up when he rose up high to Ryan’s long free in and redirected the ball to the Dublin net from close range.

It was all Limerick who tagged on points from Conor Boylan, Anthony Barrett and Ryan to open up a 10-point lead after 24 minutes. Dublin talked about pushing hard for an All-Ireland final place after beating Wexford in the Leinster decider.

But they found themselves 1-13 to 0-7 down at the break and had it all to do. Johnny McGuirk’s side at least finished strong and they outscored Limerick in the second-half by 0-8 to 0-5. They consistently drew frees off Limerick’s defence that Colin Currie converted and the Sky Blues got the gap down to just four at 1-16 to 0-15 late on.

But they couldn’t get any closer and were denied goals on a number of occasions while Limerick finished with back to back free conversions from Ryan to seal it, keeping alive their dream of a first title since 1984.

COMHGHAIRDEAS le Brian Ryan ó @LimerickCLG; the @ElectricIreland Man of the Match! #GAAThisIsMajor pic.twitter.com/ShPcQ5snwr

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 7, 2016

Scorers for Limerick: B Ryan 0-10 (0-8f), C Magnier-Flynn 1-1, K Hayes 0-2, C Boylan 0-2, M O’Kelly 0-1 (0-1f), A Barrett 0-1, F Hourigan 0-1.

Scorers for Dublin: C Currie 0-8 (0-6f, 0-2 65), C Dowling 0-2, J McGuirk 0-2 (0-1f), E Foley 0-1, C Burke 0-1, D Gray 0-1.

Limerick: M O’Kelly; B Nash, R Connelly, C Nicholas; F Hourigan, J Boylan, J Adams; M O’Grady, D Carroll; C Boylan, A Barrett, B Ryan; C Magnier-Flynn, K Hayes, C O’Connor
Subs: J Flynn for Carroll (46), D Woulfe for Barrett (49), P O’Riordan for Magnier-Flynn (58), M Bourke for O’Grady (61).

Dublin: D de Poire; D Hawkshaw, P Smyth, D Ryan; J McVeigh, C O’Sullivan, E Foley; C Ryan, D Keogh; C Burke, C Dowling, D Burke; C Currie, J McGuirk, R Hayes
Subs: J Walsh for Hayes (h/t), D Gray for Keogh (h/t), J O’Neill for McVeigh (48), P Feeney for Currie (49), S Currie for McGuirk (54).

Referee: J Heffernan (Wexford)

Limerick beat Dublin in minor hurling semi-final: Brian Ryan's 10-point haul proved decisive at Croke Park as… https://t.co/jPcW2fBrAy

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) August 7, 2016

Limerick Minor Team and Panel Announced: https://t.co/x9bR9oMt78

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) August 5, 2016

The Limerick minor hurling team and panel is as follows –

Mark O Kelly (Croom), 2. Brian Nash (South Liberties), 3. Conor Nicholas (Monaleen), 4. Ronan Connelly Adare, 5. Josh Adams (Ballybrown), 6. Jerome Boylan Na Piarsaigh, 7. Finn Hourigan (Murroe/Boher), 8. Ciaran O Connor (Kilmallock), 9. Darragh Carroll (Newport), 10. Michael O Grady (Knockainey),11. Anthony Barrett (Kilmallock), 12. Conor Boylan (Na Piarsaigh), 13. Brian Ryan (South Liberties), 14. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo/Pallaskenry)(Captain), 15. Cian Magnier Flynn (Killeedy).