All-Ireland SHC quarter-final: Dublin 2-24 Limerick 0-28
Fourteen-man Dublin have shocked Limerick with a historic two-point victory to deny the Treaty men a place in the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2019.
Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s charges, who last reached the All-Ireland semi-final back in 2013, took full advantage of a lacklustre Limerick performance with second half goals from Cian O’Sullivan and substitute John Hetherton proving the difference for the Dubs.
John Kiely’s Limerick side, looking to bounce back after their heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Cork in the Munster final, never got to the heights hit by this record-breaking side in recent years and trailed by three points at halftime before Dublin held on for the remarkable win, despite a late Limerick resurgence.
The game was the first Championship meeting between the two counties in 10 years with just Nickie Quaid and Cian Lynch surviving the starting 15 from Limerick’s one-point defeat to Dublin in that All-Ireland qualifier at Semple Stadium on July 11th, 2015.
A decade later a much-changed Limerick side were again left shocked by a determined Dublin side full of passion and belief.
Limerick had named an unchanged side to the team that lost on penalties to Cork in TUS Gaelic Grounds two weeks previously, while Dublin made two changes to the starting 15 that overcame Kildare in their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final a week ago with Andy Dunphy and Conor Burke coming in for Paddy Dunleavy and John Hetherton.
Both sides were level seven times in the opening half minutes with Ó Ceallacháin’s Dublin team showing huge character and determination after being reduced to 14 men when captain Chris Crummey saw red after just 15 minutes.
Limerick, showing real signs of a hangover from their penalty defeat to Cork two weeks’ previously, struggled against a strong breeze in the opening 35 minutes with Seán Currie and Conor Burke starring for the Dubs with eight of their side’s return of 0-15.
After Limerick opened up a three-point lead just shy of the 11th minute mark, a superb score from the impressive Seán Currie quickly brought it back to a two-point game.
However, when Dublin were reduced to 14 three minutes later when Chris Crummey saw red for a heavy tackle on Gearóid Hegarty, even the most optimistic of Dublin supporters in Croke Park would have given their side the slightest of chances against a team of Limerick’s magnitude.
Boosted by a vocal home support Dublin grew into the game and grew in belief as the half went on as four Currie points without response had the sides level again by the 19th minute, despite the numerical disadvantage.
Despite being a man down, Dublin scored 10 of the next 13 scores during a period when Limerick went 10 minutes without a score.
A purple patch for Limerick just before the break which saw Tom Morrissey and Cian Lynch and reduce Dublin’s winning margin to three – 0-15 to 0-12 – but it looked worrying times for Kiely’s charges.
After the restart, Dublin showed no signs of losing belief and points from eventual man of the match Conor Burke – who also picked up the man of the match award in Dublin’s quarter-final defeat to Cork in last year’s Championship – and Ronan Hayes eased the men in blue into an early second half five-point lead.
When Adam English slotted over in the 51st minute to make it 0-19 to 0-18 in favour of Limerick it was the first time the Munster side led since the 24th minute.
However, two quick-fire goals from Cian O’Sullivan and John Hetherton, who was only on the field for 17 minutes when he blasted to the net from a tight angle, beating Nickie Quaid at his front post, again made it a five-point game.
The momentum was certainly with Dublin now,
Limerick narrowed the deficit to three minutes later, and with the momentum swinging in the visitor’s favour the inevitable looked likely.
Dublin had other ideas, however, and a superb save from Seán Brennan to deny Aaron Gillane a certain goal gave the Dubs a real belief the game was theirs to lose.
Limerick again brought it back to a one-point game with five minutes to go but points from Brian Hayes, and two Currie frees put four between the sides as time added on fast approached.
As Limerick went in search of that all-important goal, Dublin continued to put bodies on the line and when the resilient Dubs’ defence blocked Diarmaid Byrnes’ drilled effort on goal, a Treaty men comeback seemed unlikely.
Peter Casey and Adam English gave Kiely’s men a fighting chance with two late points, but it was too little late for the Shannonsiders as Dublin held on for a historic two-point win.
Dublin: Seán Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey (capt) (0-1), Andy Dunphy; Conor Burke (0-5), Brian Hayes (0-2); Riain McBride (0-2), Fergal Whitley (0-1); Cian O’Sullivan (1-1); Seán Currie (0-9, four frees), Ronan Hayes (0-3) Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing
Subs: John Hetherton (1-0) for Ó Dúlaing (half time), Darragh Power for Whitley (52 minutes), Donal Burke for McBride (64), Colin Currie for Hayes (69), David Lucey for McHugh (70 + 5)
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash (0-1); Adam English (0-5), William O’Donoghue, Gearóid Hegarty (0-4), Cian Lynch (capt) (0-2), Tom Morrissey (0-2), Aaron Gillane (0-9, six frees, one ’65), Aidan O’Connor (0-3), David Reidy
Subs: Cathal O’Neill (0-1) for Tom Morrissey, Barry Murphy for Mike Casey (both half time), Declan Hannon for Nash (50 minutes), Peter Casey (0-1) for O’Donoghue (58), Shane O’Brien for O’Connor (64)
Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)
