Munster Senior Hurling S-Final – Waterford 3-15 Limerick 3-14

Mullane saves Déise at the death

Munster GAA Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Waterford 3-15 Limerick 3-14

John Mullane scored a dramatic late goal to send defending champions Waterford into the Munster final after an engrossing tussle with Limerick in Thurles on Sunday. The Déise will put their Munster title on the line against Clare or Tipperary on July 10, but Davy Fitzgerald’s side will know just how lucky they are to have the chance to retain the provincial crown for the first time in their history after a truly searching test against Limerick. Leading by 1-9 to 1-6 after a pedestrian first half that only came to life in the closing stages, Waterford were rocked on their heels by a second half double from Limerick’s teenage prodigy Kevin Downes. Limerick were two points clear in the 70th minute after David Breen and Niall Moran sent over scores as the clock counted down, but Mullane was on hand to rattle home his second goal of the game as the game moved into added time and Waterford escaped with the win.

Waterford were presented with an early goal chance when they were awarded a penalty after Damien Reale’s foul on Brian O’Sullivan. Debutant Pauric Mahony stood up to take the dead ball, but his well-struck shot was block by a combination of Gavin O’Mahoney and goalkeeper Nicky Quaid. A Déise goal, however, was not too long in coming, the buzzing Mullane escaping the clutches of Tom Condon – who was caught on the wrong side – and ramming a shot into the top corner, giving Quaid no chance. After a promising start, Limerick began to betray their nerves and too often opted to shoot from too far out the field, hitting a string of wides – they hit seven in the first half alone – which was clearly frustrating their manager, Dónal O’Grady. Allied to that, three of their defenders were shown yellow cards in the first half an hour.

Waterford were more accurate, working the ball into better positions before shooting. While Limerick struggled, the Désie forwards were making hay, as they strung four points without reply together before the break. Shane Walsh, Shane O’Sullivan, Maurice Shanahan and Mahony all found the target to leave them 1-7 to 0-4 ahead and apparently cruising. However, the Treaty men snaffled a goal completely against the run of play to reignite their challenge. Wing-back Wayne McNamara spotted a gap in the Waterford defence and ran straight through it, before cutting inside a defender and cracking a low shot past Clinton Hennessy. O’Grady added his second point from midfield and the gap was down to two.

Suddenly, the game crackled to life and Waterford responded with two successive scores, Brian O’Sullivan and Shanahan finding their range in injury time. Moran sent over his second of the game, flicking over the bar after Hennessy had sent a rebound from a shot straight into his path. But there was more action packed into a five-minute spell than the 33 that had preceded it. Mullane was handed a golden chance to grab a second with practically the last puck of the half, but his low shot was well saved by Quaid and Waterford had to be content with a three-point, 1-9 to 1-6, lead at the break.

Limerick maintained that momentum on the restart as Brian Geary sent over an early free before the game was turned on its head when Kevin Downes scored a brilliant solo goal in the 38th minute. It was a trademark Downes effort, evading a defender and beating his man for pace on the outside before finishing with a crafty flick of the hurley. The excellent O’Grady and Graem Mulcahy added scores and Limerick were suddenly 2-9 to 1-9 ahead. In keeping with the tone of a dramatic and thrilling game, Shane Walsh had Waterford level within two minutes, winning a breaking ball in the Limerick defence and steering his shot beyond Quaid. There was nothing separating the sides, 2-9 to 2-9.

Spurred by the goal, Waterford hit three points on the spin, before Richie McCarthy and Moran hit back for Limerick. Then, Downes, by now running riot at full-forward, was found with a fine diagonal ball and, quite remarkably, repeated the trick he performed 12 minutes earlier, to snatch another fine goal – again finished in style from a tight angle. Waterford were level by the 60th minute, Mahony grabbing two points from play to leave the game on a knife edge. However, it was Limerick who made the break for the line, Breen and Moran, his fourth of the day, sending over scores to leave Donal O’Grady’s side within reach of a place in the Munster final. On a day that will live in the memory for its sheer drama, it was a man who has seen and done it all before, Mullane, who came up trumps, grabbing a late ball across the square and ripping a bullet of a shot – aided by a slight deflection – into the top corner for the match-winning goal.

Limerick Scorers: D O’Grady 0-3, K Downes 2-1, N Moran 0-4, R McCarthy 0-3 (0-3f), W McNamara 1-0, B Geary 0-1 (0-f), G Mulcahy 0-1, D Breen 0-1.

Waterford Scorers: P Mahony 0-7 (0-4f), J Mullane 2-2, S O’Sullivan 0-1, S Walsh 1-1, M Shanahan 0-2, B O’Sullivan 0-2,

Limerick: N Quaid; D Reale, S Hickey, T Condon; W McNamara, B Geary, G O’Mahony; D O’Grady, P Browne; J Ryan, R McCarthy, N Moran; S Tobin, K Downes, G Mulcahy. Subs: D Moloney for Reale (59), P Tobin for McCarthy (65), D Breen for S Tobin (66).

Waterford: C Hennessy; D Fives, W Hutchinson, N Connors; T Browne, M Walsh, K Moran; S O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan; P Mahony, S Molumphy, M Shanahan; J Mullane, S Walsh, B O’Sullivan. Subs: J Nagle for Hutchinson (54), S Prendergast for Shanhan (59), E Kelly for Mahony (66).

Referee: Barry Kelly

Attendance: 15,650

Munster SHC: Mullane downs Limerick in Thurles thriller

From the Hogan Stand web site

12 June 2011

This superb match-up see-sawed, ebbed and flowed from start to finish, with the lead changing hands and goals altering the face of the game on numerous occasions. Limerick were very unlucky not to at least earn a draw, but in the end it was the Decies’ day. Full forward Kevin Downes seemed to have set Limerick on the road to victory with two second-half goals, but there were many twists and turns before this one was settled…

Waterford’s Padraic O’Mahony drilled over his seventh point from distance on the stroke of the hour to draw the sides level for the fourth time, 2-15 to 3-12, setting up a grandstand finale in this tense and captivating battle. Within seconds of entering the fray, 35-year-old David Breen put the Division Two side back ahead in the 67th minute and Niall Moran followed up with his fourth point from play. Donal O’Grady’s men were in the boss seat now… There were two points in it as substitute Eoin Kelly shaped up to hit a late free, which he miss-hit as he went for goal. It looked like Waterford’s chance had passed. Incredibly, on the stroke of 70 minutes, Mullane bagged his second goal, latching onto Kelly’s cross and striking a powerful shot which was deflected past Nicky Quaid into the top corner of the net. Waterford held on for an astonishing victory.

The winners led by 1-9 to 1-6 at half time, with Mullane firing their goal and Wayne McNamara responding with the Treaty County’s major just shy of the short whistle. Earlier, Mullane’s point had tied the scores up at 0-2 each before the De La Salle attacker won a penalty, which Padraic O’Mahony saw blocked by his namesake Gavin. Mullane pounced for his three-pointer towards the end of the first quarter and a Shane Walsh point had Na Deise ahead by double scores shortly after, 1-5 to 0-4. Points from Maurice Shanahan and O’Mahony had the holders heading for what looked like a comfortable win, 1-7 to 0-4, but wing back McNamara’s brilliant goal at the end of a lung-bursting run put a new complexion on proceedings. Brian Geary reduced the margin with the first score of the second period before Downes struck for the first of his majors to send the Shannonsiders ahead, 2-7 to 1-9. And the underdogs led by three by the time Graeme Mulcahy brought their scoring run to 1-4: 2-9 to 1-9. But Waterford were soon level with their second goal courtesy of Walsh and three unanswered points from the Decies turned the match on its head again. After Niall Moran had closed the gap to one, Downes found the net 20 minutes from the end to make it 3-11 to 2-12 in Limerick’s favour. But Waterford’s O’Mahony took three of the next four scores – to a Richie McCarthy reply – to set the stage for a dramatic denouement.

Waterford: C Hennessy; D Fives, W Hutchinson, N Connors; T Browne, M Walsh, K Moran; D O’Sullivan, S O’Sullivan (0-1); M Shanahan (0-2), S Molumphy, P Mahony (0-7); J Mullane (2-2), S Walsh (1-1), B O’Sullivan (0-2). Subs: J Nagle for W Hutchinson (54), S Prendergast for M Shanahan (58), E Kelly for P Mahony (66).

Limerick: N Quaid; D Reale, S Hickey, T Condon; W McNamara (1-0), B Geary (0-1), G O’Mahony; D O’Grady (0-3), P Browne; J Ryan, N Moran (0-4), G Mulcahy (0-1); R McCarthy (0-3), K Downes (2-1), S Tobin. Subs: D Moloney for D Reale (58), P Tobin for R McCarthy (64), D Breen (0-01) for S Tobin (66), M O’Riordan for P Browne (69)

Click to view a video of Davy Fitzgerald looking ahead to the game

Admission Prices –

Covered Stand – €30
Uncovered Stand – €25
Terrace (Town End Terrace only) – €15 (note – the estimated terrace attendance requires the opening of the Town End terrace only).
Group Terrace Tickets – €10 each with a minimum order of 20 tickets per Club
Family – Adult €30 / €25 – Juveniles €5
Juvenile Groups – There will be a limited number of Juvenile Group Stand tickets available for this game – €3 per Juvenile with a free Adult with every 10 children. Orders through clubs only in the participating counties.
Adult Group Stand Tickets – Tickets at the end of both stands – €25 per person ordered only through clubs – minimum order per Club is 10.
Student/OAP – Concession on Stand Tickets only – pay full price and get a refund of €10 at specified Stiles on the day (on production of I.D.)

Munster GAA would like to confirm that student discounts apply to all students who present valid ID cards. In relation to Second Level students we are aware that schools don’t produce cards but they can get Student travel Cards from USIT offices or from www.studenttravelcard.ie. Alternately, Secondary students can get an ISSU scholar card from www.studentcard.ie or International student ID card from www.isic.org. Unfortunately the scheme has been much abused in the past and we were forced to seek ID cards from all patrons attempting to avail of the discount. This is in keeping with other bodies such as Irish Rail and Bus Eireann.

Team News

The Waterford Senior Hurling Team to play Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship on Sunday next in Semple Stadium is as follows:

1. Clinton Hennessy Ardmore

2. Darragh Fives Tourin

3. Wayne Hutchinson Ballygunner

4. Noel Connors Passage

5. Tony Browne Mount Sion

6. Michael Walsh Stradbally

7. Kevin Moran De La Salle

8. Shane O’Sullivan Ballygunner

9. Richie Foley Abbeyside

10. Maurice Shanahan Lismore

11. Stephen Molumphy CAPT Ballyduff Upper

12. Pauric Mahony Ballygunner

13. John Mullane De La Salle

14. Shane Walsh Fourmilewater

15. Brian O’Sullivan Ballygunner

Traffic Arrangements

RE : Garda Traffic Arrangements for Munster Intermediate and Senior Hurling Championship Semi Final’s at Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary on Sunday 12th June, 2011.

Superintendent Pat Lordan, Thurles Garda Station stated, I want to appeal to all patrons attending this event to be patient and allow sufficient time for their journey and to be guided by Gardai on Traffic Duty. I especially want to make the following appeal to all patrons attending the game, if you must park on the road ensure your car is turned for home, this is to ensure the minimum of delay after the matches.

N.B. PLEASE USE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES SUGGESTED HEREUNDER AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR YOUR JOURNEY.

Traffic Arrangements.

1. Car parks will be available on all approach routes and we urge that they be used by all patrons on their particular route thus avoiding unnecessary delays after the match.

2. Arrive in Thurles in good time for the matches.

3. Co-operate with the car park attendants and Gardai to ensure free flow of traffic.

4. The area about Semple Stadium will be kept completely free of parked vehicles and controlled by Garda Barriers.

5. The housing estates at the rear of Semple Stadium form an EMERGENCY ROUTE from the Stadium and any vehicles not belonging to residents will be towed, without exception.

6. Please do not abandon cars on the main routes. Keep driving until you meet Gardai on duty at relevant car parks. If you must park on the road ensure your car is turned for home, this is to ensure the minimum of delay after the matches.

7. A traffic diversion programme will be in place within Thurles and all motorists are asked to be patient during its operation. Every effort will be made to ensure that motorists can transgress the town with a minimum of delay.

8. Consideration should be given by all motorists travelling from Cork as a large amount of vehicular traffic may converge at Cashel.

Limerick Supporters

Limerick supporters have an option on the following main routes :

1. From Limerick travel the N24 to Tipperary, the N74 to Cashel, the M8 to Horse & Jockey and the N62 to Thurles.

2. From Limerick travel the N24 to Tipperary, the R601 to Dundrum, the R661 to Holycross and either the R659 or R660 to Thurles.

3. From Limerick travel to Birdhill and travel the R503 to Newport and via Milestone to Thurles.

4. From Limerick travel the M7 to Junction 25 (Knockalton, Nenagh), the R498 via Borrisoleigh and the Ragg to Thurles.

Waterford Supporters

Waterford supporters have an option on the following main routes :

5. From Waterford travel the N24 to Clonmel via Carrick on Suir and the R688 to Cashel and the M8 to Junction 6 Horse & Jockey and the N62 to Thurles. This is the optimum route for Waterford supporters as match traffic can
divert in Cashel and travel to Thurles on the R660 via Boherlahan, Holycross to Thurles.

6. From Waterford travel the N10 to Kilkenny and the R693 via Freshford to Urlingford and the M8 to Junction 5 at Two Mile Borris and the N75 to Two Mile Borris and Thurles.

7. From Waterford travel the N24 to Carrick on Suir and then the N76/R690 to Mullinahone, Ballynonty, Littleton and Thurles.

Passes

1. Patron in possession of passes (G.A.A. and Invalid) should display same in a prominent place on their vehicle and follow the Garda directions en route. These passes are not parking permits but allow free movement subject to Garda discretion and traffic control.

2. Thurles Gardai do not issue passes.

Illegally Parked Vehicles

3. Vehicles found illegally parked will be towed away to the Garda Compound and will not be released until the statutory expenses (€ 121.00) have been paid. In addition a prosecution could be instituted against the driver / owner of the vehicle concerned.

Security

4. The Gardai appeal to all motorists to :

a. Secure and lock their vehicles.

b. Leave no valuables on display.

c. Park in the supervised car parks.

d. Pick Pockets – beware of your wallet, money and A.T.M/Credit Cards. Leave your wallet at home if possible. Do not carry large sums of cash.

e. Alcohol, Claxton Air Horns and Vuvuzelas will not be allowed into Semple Stadium.

We appeal to all concerned to make this outing a memorable day for the right reasons and to co-operate with Gardai, Stewards and encourage others to do the same.

For the Record

2011 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Matches played to date

Tipperary 2-22 Cork 0-23 – May 29^th @ Semple Stadium Thurles (Munster Quarter-Final)

Tipperary: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Young, Pádraic Maher, J O’Keeffe; G Ryan, S McGrath; S Callanan, N McGrath, Patrick Maher; E Kelly, J O’Brien, L Corbett.
Subs: J Woodlock for S McGrath ‘40, C O’Mahony for Young ‘59, B Dunne for O’Brien ‘62, P Bourke for Ryan ‘66.

Cork: D Óg Cusack; S McDonnell, E Cadogan, S O’Neill; J Gardiner, W Egan, B Murphy; L McLoughlin, P Cronin; B O’Connor, C McCarthy, N McCarthy; L Farrell, P O’Sullivan, P Horgan. Subs: J O’Connor for C McCarthy ‘45, J Nagle for O’Neill ‘45, T Kenny for McLoughlin ‘51, C Naughton for Horgan ‘70, K Murphy for O’Sullivan ‘70.

Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly)

2011 Top Scorers – Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Pat Horgan (Cork) 0-13 (0-10 frees)
Eoin Kelly (Tipperary) 1-07 (0-5 frees)
Lar Corbett (Tipperary) 1-2
Seamus Callanan (Tipperary) 0-5
Noel McGrath (Tipperary) 0-4 (0-2 sideline cut)
Benny Dunne (Tipperary) 1-0
Niall McCarthy (Cork) 0-3
Ben O’Connor (Cork) 0-3
John O’Brien (Tipperary) 0-2

Patrick Maher (Tipperary), James Woodlock (Tipperary), John Gardiner (Cork), Pat Cronin (Cork), Cian McCarthy (Cork), Paudie O’Sullivan (Cork) 0-1 each

Munster GAA HURLING Senior Championship 2011

Quarter-Final (Extra time)

Sunday May 29^th

@ Semple Stadium Thurles           Tipperary 2-22 Cork 0-23

Semi-Finals
Sunday June 12^th (Replay date – June 18^th)

@ Semple Stadium Thurles           Limerick v Waterford 4:00pm

Sunday June 19^th (Replay date – June 26^th)

@ Gaelic Grounds Limerick           Clare v Tipperary 4:00pm

Final

Sunday July 10^th (Replay date – July 17^th)

4:00pm throw-in

Odds and Ends

Cork and Tipperary proved to have the meanest defenses in the 2011 Allianz Hurling League, conceding 5 goals each. Limerick conceded 6 goals and Waterford 7 goals putting those 4 Munster counties at the top of the charts when it comes to the least concession of goals in Divisions 1 and 2. Oddly, Allianz Hurling League Division 1 champions Dublin conceded 14 goals during their campaign, an amount exceeded by only Down and Kerry in the top 2 divisions of the Allianz Hurling League.

The improvement in the defences of Munster counties can be attributed to the decline in the average scores per match in the last 3 seasons in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship –  2008 (40 scores per match), 2009 (36 scores per match), 2010 (34 scores per match).

Over the last 2 seasons, Semple Stadium Thurles has played host to 7 of the 10 Munster Senior Hurling Championship matches played. Pairc Ui Chaoimh hosted 2 matches while Pairc nan Gael in Limerick hosted 1 game.

Cork lost their 3 away matches in the Allianz Hurling League to Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford. Since Cork’s 2008 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final victory over Clare in Thurles, Cork’s Senior Hurling Championship record in matches played outside of Pairc Ui Chaoimh is Played 8, Won 2, Drew 1, Lost 5. The two victories came against Antrim (2010) and Offaly (2009).

Cork and Tipperary have met on 80 occasions in the Championship. Cork have won 37, Tipperary 35 and there have been 7 draws. 1 match was abandoned.

In the history of Tipperary and Cork matches in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship, on only 1 occasion did a game fail to produce a goal. That game in the 1900 Munster First Round game played at Dungarvan on November 4^th 1901 and resulted in a 0-12 to 0-9 victory for Tipperary.

Waterford is the only Munster county to have at least 1 victory in the last 2 Munster Senior Hurling Championships.

Cork won at least 1 Munster Senior Hurling Championship match from 2003 to 2007. Only Tipperary (2000 to 2002) and Waterford (2002 to 2004) have managed to go 3 consecutive years with at least 1 victory within the last decade.

Clare have failed to record a Munster Championship victory in 6 of the last 7 seasons.

Limerick have won 1 of the last 15 Munster Senior Hurling Championship matches they have played, an extra-time victory over Tipperary in the 2007 Munster Semi-Final 2^nd replay at the Gaelic Grounds. During that period, Limerick have drawn 5 times. Limerick’s last Championship victory away from the Pairc na nGael came in 2001 with victories over Cork and Waterford at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Clare have not drawn a match in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship since finishing level with Tipperary in 1999.

Since Dan Shanahan’s 69^th minute goal in the 2007 Munster Senior Hurling Final, Waterford have gone 141 minutes without scoring a goal against Limerick in the Munster Championship.

Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly was the top scorer in the 2010 Provincial and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships, scoring 3-43. Cork’s Ben O’Connor was 3^rd with 2-31 while Eoin Kelly of Waterford was 5^th with a tally of 1-27.

Limerick and Tipperary have both lost 26 Munster Senior Hurling Finals. Cork have lost 29.

Munster GAA HURLING Senior Championship Roll Of Honour

Cork (50) – 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1912, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006

Tipperary (38) – 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2008, 2009

Limerick (18) – 1897, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1955, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1996

Waterford (9) – 1938, 1948, 1957, 1959, 1963, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010

Clare (6) – 1889, 1914, 1932, 1995, 1997, 1998

Kerry (1) – 1891

Munster GAA HURLING Senior Championship – List of Winning Teams

Visit the Munster GAA web site History section to view the complete list of each winning team since the competition began 1888 – https://munster.gaa.ie/history/sh_teams/

Munster Senior HURLING Cup

No Name – Presented by Munster Council in 1928, new cup presented in 1990

All Ireland GAA HURLING Senior Championship

In the Senior Hurling All Ireland Roll of Honour, Cork are second on the list with 30 titles, 2 behind Kilkenny. Tipperary have won 26 All-Ireland titles and are the defending champions. Limerick have 7 titles, their last one in 1973. Clare have won 3 titles in 1914, 1995 and 1997 while Waterford’s two titles came in 1948 and 1959. Kerry won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final in 1891.