WHEN REFEREE LIAM Gordon blew the final whistle of this gripping Munster hurling championship opener, Limerick fans greeted it with the kind of delirium usually reserved for finals.
Their team has learned to win in many way, but to do it when losing Gearoid Hegarty to a second yellow card in the 47th minute, along with missing a Kyle Hayes penalty and then absorbing a serious push from Waterford pays tribute to the sheer stubbornness of champions.
Waterford will rue so many elements of this loss but the nine second half wides were just cruel. From early in the second half they seemed to be losing their composure in seeking goals but the door was firmly closed. The only half chance they had on goal came late in injury time when substitute Auston Gleeson embarked on a run through the middle, chased by Hayes.
The move was halted, the ball flicked out to Patrick Fitzgerald but flicked wide.
A first half goal from Seamus Flanagan provided the cushion for Limerick, but they could never truly shake off a determined Waterford challenge when they came closest to addressing their dreadful round robin record.
More to follow…
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Written by Declan Bogue and posted on the42.ie
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