Canning keeps Limerick on track

Fitzgibbon Cup First round Limerick IT 1-14 Waterford 0-14Galway's Joe Canning delivered a second-round Fitzgibbon Cup date for Limerick, against UCD, scoring 1-9 to dethrone champions Waterford IT at Limerick, yesterday.

Coach Davy Fitzgerald had to survive anxious moments, though, as his side conceded unnecessary frees, with Willie Ryan converting 11 of them.

Limerick were coasting 1-12 to 0-7 after 40 minutes, but with the wind behind them, they managed just two more points, from Canning and Jonathan Clancy, with Ryan (five), Kevin Moran and Eoin Reid, finding the target for their opponents and making it a very tight finish.

Canning received considerable help from Galway colleague Iarlaith Tannain, who struck two wonderful points from play. Tannain proved more than a handful for an under-pressure Waterford IT half-back line, in which Paul Hartley was outstanding.

Canning fired over from a free inside three minutes, captain Ciarán Murphy tacked on another and Canning made it 0-3 to 0-0. Even when Ryan got them off the mark from a free, they fell further behind to a brace of Canning points from play.

Lawlor and Daniel Hoctor began to share supremacy in midfield with Eoin Cadigan and Murphy, and with Ryan knocking over two more pointed frees, it was all to play for at 0-5 to 0-3. Tannain had his first score of the afternoon, cancelled out by Ryan as Limerick IT led 0-9 to 0-5 at the interval.

Waterford IT put the pressure on at the restart, with Liam Lawlor and Ryan narrowing the gap. Canning added two beauties, plus another from Bernard Gaffney, and LIT seemed to be on course. The most crucial score was delivered by Canning on 40 minutes when guiding the sliotar past goalkeeper Damien Young for a lead of 1-12 to 0-7.

Ryan (three) and Moran got Waterford back in the contest but Canning provided extra breathing space for his side, and Clancy left it 1-14 to 0-11. Ryan (two) and Reid were on target at the other end, making for a hectic finish.

LIMERICK IT: J Skehill; M Walsh, J Tyrell, A Byrne; S McGrath, C O'Mahony, M O'Brien; J Clancy (0-1), C Murphy (0-1); E Caddigan, A Murphy, I Tannain (0-2); A Callanan, J Canning (1-9), B Gaffney (0-1). Sub: D O'Reilly for A Callanan.

WATERFORD IT: D Young; C O'Brien, K Brady, K Lanigan; P Hartley, J Dalton, H Moloney; D Hoctor, L Lawlor (0-1); E Reid (0-1), K Moran (0-1), A Cullinane; C Parlon, J Mullane, W Ryan (0-11). Sub: PJ Delaney for Brady.

Referee: J Ryan (Tipperary).