LIMERICK’S bid for retention of the National Hurling League title came unstuck against great rivals Kilkenny at the semi-final stage in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Gale-assisted Kilkenny were 3-6 to 1-6 ahead at half-time and were dealt an early second-half blow with the dismissal of Eoin Cody (Limerick much later lost Peter Casey to a red-card) but were value for this 3-17 to 1-15 win.
Only a fortnight earlier, Limerick also worryingly conceded three goals at the venue but won through against Tipperary.
Cody, Luke Hogan and the ageless TJ Reid (scorer of 1-8) slapped home opening-half goals for the eventual winners on Leeside after Limerick had netted first through Aaron Gillane.
For the closing-half, Kilkenny outscored Limerick by a couple of points.
Limerick have a month now to work on preventing future goal-leakages ahead of the massive Munster Senior Championship opener against Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis on May 21.
Meanwhile, in the Division Three Camogie Final, played at The Ragg, Limerick were beaten by Antrim.
On the football front, Limerick secured a precious 2-7 to 2-6 win over Waterford in the Munster Under-20 Football Championship at Carroll Park, Ballyagran
The Limerick goals arrived from Senan O’Brien (St. Senan’s) and Diarmuid Hynes of Mungret St. Paul’s, while neat points arrived from the likes of Emmet Rigter (Newcastle West), Ronan Quirke (Fr. Casey’s) and Darragh Murray, Monaleen.
Limerick: N Quaid; B Nash, S Finn, A Costello; D Byrnes (0-01f), D Hannon, C O’Neill (0-02); W O’Donoghue, C Lynch; G Hegarty (0-01), A English, T Morrissey (0-02, 2f); D Ó Dálaigh (0-01), A Gillane (1-05, 0-03f), P Casey (0-01).
Substitutes: D Reidy (0-02, 1f) for English (half-time), C Boylan for Lynch (55), S Flanagan for Gillane (59), M Quinlan for Hannon (61), A O’Connor for Hegarty (67).
