Limerick held off a late rally from Waterford to maintain their winning streak over the main pretenders to their All-Ireland throne.
Leading by seven points with eight minute remaining, Waterford struck for two goals through Stephen Bennett and Jack Prendergast to reduce the deficit to the minimum but closing points from Pat Ryan and Diarmaid Byrnes eased them to victory in front of 27,488 at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
It was Limerick’s sixth successive Championship victory over Waterford, who haven’t beaten them since 2011 now but there was more than enough to this contest to suggest that there may be at least one more joust between these two before the summer’s end.
Austin Gleeson and Iarlaith Daly were restored to the Waterford team by Liam Cahill despite neither being named to start with Daly dropping to the full-back line to mark Aaron Gillane and Conor Prunty moving out to wing-back to track Gearoid Hegarty.
It was a difficult start for Limerick all round with Waterford, backed by the breeze, moving three points clear and Cian Lynch limping off injured the 10th minute. There might have been clear daylight between the sides only Barry Nash denied Michael Kiely a goal after Jack Fagan had fumbled the initial chance.
Lynch’s replacement, Cathal O’Neill, struck a point with his first touch but, outside of that, the Limerick attack failed to make inroads in the first half hour or so, with Byrnes continuing his fine form from last week as he accounted for four of their six points by the
21st minute.
Calum Lyons had a five-minute purple patch for Waterford as he hit 0-3 from midfield, which Bennett supplemented with two points from placed balls to put Waterford five clear after the first quarter but Byrnes’ crisp striking kept the home side in touch.
Limerick were within a point thanks to O’Neill’s second score when Daly was forced off through injury in the 29th minute and Gillane thundered into the game from there to half-time.
He had just hit his first from play a couple of minutes earlier but, after Gleeson had threatened to take over the game for a spell for Waterford, Gillane slotted three from play and another free in a six-minute period as Limerick took the lead for the first time, 0-14 to 0-13 at half-time.
Conor Gleeson had picked Gillane up following Daly’s departure but that job was handed to Prunty from the start of the second half but he was left exposed at times and the Patrickswell man tagged on another two from play.
His opposite number, Dessie Hutchinson, had a brilliant third quarter to drag Waterford back into it after falling behind as he hit 0-4 in a six-minute period while Mike Casey pulled off a brilliant save from an Austin Gleeson shot that was bound for the top corner.
At 0-21 each entering the final quarter it seemed finely balanced but Limerick hit the next seven points without reply in what proved to be a decisive burst despite Waterford’s late riposte.
Bennett struck the first goal to the net from a 20-metre free in the 63rd minute and then he set in train a slick move two minutes later, finding Lyons who offloaded to Prendergast for a second.
But Waterford couldn’t muster another score as Limerick saw it out. They now have a two-week break before a home tie with Tipperary, while Waterford host Cork a week later.
LIMERICK : Nickie Quaid; Barry Nash, Mike Casey, Sean Finn; Diarmaid Byrnes (0-6, 0-5f), Declan Hannon, Dan Morrissey; Darragh O’Donovan (0-2), William O’Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty (0-2), Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey (0-2); Aaron Gillane (0-13, 0-7f), Conor Boylan, Graeme Mulcahy.
Subs: Cathal O’Neill (0-3) for Lynch (10), David Reidy (0-1) for Boylan (52), Pat Ryan (0-1) for Mulcahy (57).
WATERFORD: Shaun O’Brien; Conor Gleeson, Shane McNulty, Iarlaith Daly; Jack Fagan, Tadhg de Burca, Conor Prunty; Darragh Lyons, Calum Lyons (0-3); Jack Prendergast (1-0), Patrick Curran (0-1), Austin Gleeson (0-5, 0-3f, 0-1 sideline); Stephen Bennett (1-7, 1-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), Michael Kiely, Dessie Hutchinson (0-5).
Subs: Tom Barron for Iarlaith Daly (29), Jamie Barron for Darragh Lyons (51), Neil Montgomery for Curran (67), Carthach Daly for De Burca (68), Pauric Mahony for Kiely (70+2).
REFEREE: Sean Stack (Dublin).
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