Limerick 1-31 Kilkenny 2-26
Limerick have held off a fierce challenge from Kilkenny to complete a historic All-Ireland three-in-a-row.
Having built a six-point lead early in the second half, Limerick were rocked by goals from Billy Ryan and Martin Keoghan as Kilkenny drew level.
And even though Limerick moved three points clear once again, Kilkenny reeled them in with sub Richie Hogan bringing the sides level with seven minutes remaining.
Limerick then hit five points on the trot to seemingly put it beyond doubt but, yet again, Kilkenny didn’t relent, hitting the last three points to leave the champions waiting for the whistle.
But they got there in the end to complete the first three-in-a-row since Kilkenny in 2008 and, indeed, it’s the first time in history that a county from outside the established ‘big three’ has achieved the feat.
Gearoid Hegarty made quite the imprint on the last two All-Ireland finals and for the second year in succession he helped to set Limerick on their way with an early goal.
The finish was lethal as he latched onto a break from a Nickie Quaid free from distance to arrow the ball beyond Eoin Murphy and into his top right-hand corner in the fourth minute.
Hegarty had a significant influence on the first half as he hit 1-3, with some of his points arguably outstripping his goal in terms of quality, and he might have had even more having also struck two wides.
Limerick set the pace for the most part in the first half as they made hay on Kilkenny’s puckout but, typically, the Leinster champions hung in well.
With TJ Reid pulling the strings up front, assisting several scores, and Limerick indiscipline allowing him to build a first half tally of seven points from frees, they were still in touch at half-time, trailing by 1-17 to 0-16 after a very high-scoring first half.
Five of the six forwards on either side got in on the scoring act, Graeme Mulcahy and Billy Ryan the exceptions for Limerick and Kilkenny respectively, while, remarkably, all six half-backs registered at least a point from play.
Points from Kyle Hayes and Gillane on the restart pushed Limerick six clear but the introduction of Walter Walsh energised Kilkenny and his storming run set up a goal for Ryan in the 38th minute.
Limerick kept their noses in front and were four clear when Keoghan struck for Kilkenny’s second goal in the 47th minute and then John Donnelly drew the Leinster champions level.
Again, Limerick pushed three clear only to be reeled in as Hogan scored a delightful point to restore parity with his first touch.
But points from Hayes, Cathal O’Neill, Conor Boylan, Gillane (free) and a huge effort from Hegarty ultimately proved too much for Kilkenny to recover from, despite Tommy Walsh, Alan Murphy and David Blanchfield cutting the deficit to two points in injury time.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes (0-5, 0-3f, 0-1 ‘65’), Declan Hannon (0-1), Dan Morrissey (0-1); William O’Donoghue, Darragh O’Donovan; Gearoid Hegarty (1-5), Kyle Hayes (0-4), Tom Morrissey (0-4); Seamus Flanagan (0-2), Aaron Gillane (0-7, 0-4f), Graeme Mulcahy.
Subs: Peter Casey for Mulcahy (48), David Reidy for O’Donovan (52), Conor Boylan (0-1) for Flanagan (60), Cathal O’Neill (0-1) for Tom Morrissey (64).
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh (0-1); Mikey Carey (0-1), Richie Reid (0-1), Paddy Deegan (0-2); Cian Kenny, Conor Browne; Adrian Mullen (0-3), Padraig Walsh (0-2), Eoin Cody (0-1); Billy Ryan (1-0), TJ Reid (0-9f), Martin Keoghan (1-1).
Subs: Walter Walsh (0-1) for Kenny (HT), John Donnelly (0-1) for Padraig Walsh (47), David Blanchfield (0-1) for Browne (53), Richie Hogan (0-1) for Cody (59), Alan Murphy (0-1) for Deegan (70+1).
REFEREE: Colm Lyons (Cork).
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