Limerick thrive in united front

NHL Division One B/Limerick 0-14 Galway 0-13: Pearse Stadium in February is not the most intimidating venue in the world, nonetheless this was a satisfying day in Limerick's move towards a renaissance.

The reunification of the county's footballer-hurlers had an immediate impact yesterday as Mungret's Brian Begley, starting his first game in two years, banged over two points at full forward as the visitors held on for a slender win.

The hurling fever that swept Galway late last September was not so much in evidence here yesterday on the All-Ireland finalists' first return to Salthill since that defeat to Cork. Around 4,000 people showed up for the game, with Limerick providing a voluble minority crowd.

Caught late by Tipperary last week, Limerick endured another anxious few minutes late in the game as Galway flashed over the last four points of the game, but they hung on.

"We are nicely placed now," said manager Joe McKenna afterwards. "I feel we are progressing all the time. Last week was a different game, so I wasn't that worried at the end of this.

"At half-time, we were concerned that a five-point lead facing into a strong, strong wind mightn't be enough. But they battled hard. And we drew our two wing forwards into midfield to crowd it and never really let Galway get going."

That was about the size of it. There were startling glimpses of the flow and speed that this Galway team contain, but they were smothered by a Limerick side who appeared that little bit more desperate to win.

Galway kept challenging right until the close, and twice had the Limerick defence exposed, but just couldn't thrust the dagger blow.

They are missing the Portumna contingent, along with Alan Kerins, and All Star Derek Hardiman is still recovering from injury. Nonetheless, they had nine of the team that defeated this opposition in the championship last summer.

There was nothing hugely wrong with the collective effort. Small failings and shortcomings at crucial times cost them.

Manager Conor Hayes admitted afterwards it has been a bleak start to the league for Galway and that their intention of making the play-offs has been written off by this defeat.

"I felt that the performance was better this week than in Antrim. That was a physical game, and Limerick kind of sat on it on the second half and it worked for them. Our defence did fairly well and we worked hard at midfield.

"We made a few chances up front but just couldn't convert them. I suppose maybe we were looking for goals when points might have done it for us in the end if we had copped that. We were missing that bit of experience - you don't really miss those guys until it comes to winning a vital ball towards the end."

Trailing by 0-9 to 0-4 at the break, Galway had a big wind - as evidenced by Ollie Moran's phenomenal free of over 100 yards just before the break - to aid their recovery. A fine strike by Eugene Cloonan set them on their way, and when Ger Farragher added a free two minutes later, Galway seemed certain to eliminate the lead fairly quickly.

The key moment came on 44 minutes when Niall Healy raced on to a Broderick shot which dropped off the post and looked to have a simple tap-in goal, before TJ Ryan made a brilliant clearance to take the sliothar off the full-forward's hurl.

Healy got little change out of the Garryspillane veteran all afternoon, and Cloonan also found Ollie Moran a close-marking customer. Begley lost out to Tony Óg Regan on the first three balls sent in, but gradually imposed himself and looks set to become the central personality of the Limerick attack.

Their failure to land a few more scores from play was a disappointment, but Andrew Shaughnessy had Damien Joyce breathing down his neck and Mike O'Brien hurled a fine game from deep.

Mark Keane had a hot hand for most of the afternoon, delivering on all bar two of his frees and capitalising on a missed clearance by Galway's Colin Coen to whip over a point that left Limerick 0-13 to 0-8 in front with 14 minutes left.

Having hung on to their half-time advantage, they looked a good bet.

As has been their style in recent years, Galway then began to tantalise the home crowd, swiftly reducing the deficit with the clock running out. David Tierney's introduction made a difference, and the direct, assured striking which Richie Murray and Fergal Healy demonstrated in scoring Galway's last two points raised the question as to why they were chasing this game.

Conor Hayes will hardly lose sleep over this: Galway have spent enough February Sundays illuminating the hurling world only for their form to suffer a black-out in summer.

But the extra games would have been useful.

Instead, it is Limerick, after a performance that suggests harmony and a county intent on going places, who can challenge for a place in the knock-out stages.

LIMERICK: B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, M Foley; D Maloney, O Moran (0-1, free), M O'Riordan; D O'Grady; A Brennan; M O'Brien (0-1), P O'Grady (0-1), N Moran; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley (0-2), M Keane (0-9, seven frees). Sub: N Collins for A Brennan (19 mins).

GALWAY: L Donoghue; D Joyce, T Og Regan, C Coen; G Mahon, C Dervan, D Collins; F Healy (0-1), S Kavanagh; K Brady, E Cloonan (0-1), R Murray (0-1); G Farragher (0-7, six frees, one 65), N Healy (0-2), K Broderick (0-1). Sub: D Tierney for Broderick (56 mins).

Referee: A MacSuibhne (Dublin).