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Limerick clinch final spot with game to spare

GAA: NHL DIVISION TWO: Limerick 1-24 Kerry 1-9 WHAT A difference a year makes – 12 months ago Limerick failed to win a single…

Mon Apr 04 2011 - 01:00

GAA: NHL DIVISION TWO: Limerick 1-24 Kerry 1-9WHAT A difference a year makes – 12 months ago Limerick failed to win a single game in the league but yesterday at Kilmallock they clinched a place in the Division Two final with a game remaining against Antrim.

Limerick manager Donal O’Grady will welcome that game because he did not learn a great deal from this one, apart from the fact teenager Kevin Downes blossomed and Ritchie McCarthy again excelled as Pat Tobin continued to shine up front.

But it was not all sunshine and roses in the first half as Kerry, backed by the strong breeze,jumped into a 1-5 to 0-4 lead with their goal coming from their man-of-the-match Darragh O’Connell on 20 minutes after hesitancy in the Limerick defence.

But it was that goal that sparked Limerick to life and they hit seven points without reply from Niall Moran, Paul Browne, Moran again, Seán Tobin, Moran once more, Kevin Downs and Browne again and this altered the complex of what then became a one-sided contest.

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By half-time Limerick led by five points, 0-14 to 1-6, and they coasted thereafter.

Limerick had three more points on the board and they killed it off when McCarthy raced through, spotted Downes and he hand passed to the teenager to blast past Bernard Rochford. Browne returned to midfield and he contributed three points, all from play.

Kerry flattered to deceive and but for the scoring deeds of O’Connell they would have gone under by a bigger margin.

O’Connell scored 1-6 of their total, including three pointed frees. Shane Nolan was their only scorer from play with a point in each half.

LIMERICK: N Quaid; D Moloney, G OMahony, T Condon; W McNamara, S Hickey, D Breen; D OGrady, P Browne (0-3); N Moran (0-4), R McCarthy (0-5, 0-3 frees), J Ryan (0-2); S Tobin (0-1), K Downes (1-3), P Tobin (0-4). Subs: E Ryan (0-2, 0-1 65), for OGrady (half-time), P McNamara for McCarthy (51 mins), B Hourican for Moran (57 mins), D Reale for Condon (61 mins).

KERRY: B Rochford; E Fitzgerald, T Murnane, C Harris; P O'Grady, M Conway, J Casey; P Costelloe, D Dinneen; S Nolan (0-2), L Boyle, D Fitzell; J Egan (0-1, free), A Boyle D O'Connell (1-6, 0-3 frees). Subs: B Brosnan for Fitzgerald (40 mins), P OKeeffe for L Boyle (47 mins), D Wallace for Costello, (50 mins).

Referee: S Whelan (Wexford).