Shane O'Brien starred with 1-03 as Limerick ran out comfortable 1-27 to 0-18 winners at TUS Gaelic Grounds as the home side got their league campaign back on track against an in-form Galway side.
In what was Limerick’s first league win against the Tribesmen since February 2020, Limerick led by seven points at 1-12 to 0-08 at half-time, before John Kiely’s men outscored their Connacht counterparts by 15 points to 10 in the second half to run out 12-point winners.
Limerick made six changes to their starting 15 that were defeated by Clare a week previously as Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes and William O’Donoghue all returned from injury.
They started brightest and should have been a goal up inside two minutes. Adam English bore down on goal, but the Doon clubman could only watch on as his tame effort was comfortably saved by Galway goalkeeper Darach Fahy.
English made up for his effort with the opening point seconds later, tapping over from midfield after a misplaced puckout from Fahy which had gone straight to the 22-year-old Limerick midfielder.
Points from Shane O’Brien (2), Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill and an Aaron Gillane free, either side of two Conor Cooney efforts, had Limerick four points ahead – 0-06 to 0-02 midway through the opening half.
The hosts had the momentum at this stage and opened up a very comfortable seven-point lead on the 20th-minute mark when O’Brien did superbly well to raise the green flag.
With the Galway defence stretched, English found Gillane, who flicked the ball onto O’Brien. From here the Kilmallock forward burst through the Tribesmen defence before batting into the net.
Credit to Galway, who gave themselves a fighting chance thanks to the free scoring efforts of Conor Cooney, Micheál Donoghue's charges kept plugging away and scored three without response after both had exchanged two points following O’Brien’s goal.
However, Limerick responded with three point in a row themselves as Colin Coughlan, Barry Nash, and Aaron Gillane boosted Limerick into a seven-point lead at the interval.
In what was arguably a poor half of hurling by both side’s standards, both Limerick and Galway each racked up nine wides each in the opening 35 minutes.
John Kiely, who opted to start with eight of the starting XV that lost out to Cork in last year’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final, will have been happy with an opening half spread of eight different scorers.
Galway, who were in search of four league wins in a row, made three changes from the side that defeated Wexford last weekend as Micheál Donoghue gave the nod to Shane Morgan, Kevin Cooney and Conor Cooney.
After the restart, early second-half points from Cian Lynch, Aidan O’Connor, either side of Cooney’s fourth free of the evening, had Limerick 1-14 to 0-09 up inside five minutes.
Moments later, a Brian Concannon effort on goal was superbly saved by Shane Dowling but Galway’s uphill task was made even more difficult a minute later when the Tribesmen were reduced to 14 after Conor Cooney received a second yellow card for a shoulder into Barry Murphy’s back.
Cathal O’Neill and Aidan O’Connor further added to Galway’s woes as Limerick eased into an eight-point lead.
In an added bonus to Limerick’s championship hopes, Peter Casey was introduced as a 48th-minute substitute, his first appearance for the Treaty men since suffering a broken ankle against Tipperary last April.
Much to the delight of the home support, the Na Piarsaigh man slotted over a well-taken point just two points after coming onto the field.
Despite not scoring from play in 15 minutes in the final quarter, Limerick ran out comfortable 12-point winners with 10 of the starting 15 getting on the scoreboard.
Galway, who finished the game with a spread of four starters on the scoresheet, ended the game with 14 wides, compared to 12 for Limerick.
Limerick face a trip to Kilkenny next weekend before welcoming Wexford to the Ennis Road , while Galway will need a win against Cork on Leeside if they are to have any chance of reaching this year’s National Hurling League final.
Limerick: Shane Dowling; Seán Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Murphy; Colin Coughlan (0-01), Kyle Hayes (0-01), Barry Nash (0-02); Adam English (0-01), William O’Donoghue; Cathal O’Neill (0-04), Cian Lynch (capt) (0-01), Tom Morrissey (0-02); Aaron Gillane (0-06, 0-04f) Shane O’Brien (1-03), Aidan O’Connor (0-04)
Subs: Vince Harrington for Mike Casey (9, injured), Peter Casey (0-01) for Lynch (48), Ethan Hurley for Hayes (50), David Reidy (0-01) for O’Donoghue (53), Gearoid Hegarty for O’Connor (57), Eddie Stokes for English (66)
Galway: Darach Fahy; Shane Morgan, Fintan Burke, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannon, Gavin Lee (0-01), Michael Garvey; Cianan Fahy, Tom Monagan (0-01); Kevin Cooney, Tieran Killeen (0-01), David Burke; Conor Whelan (capt), Conor Cooney (0-06, 0-03f, 0-01'65), Anthony Burns
Subs: Brian Concannon (0-01) for Burns (half time), Cathal Mannion (0-07, 0-06f) for Burke (44), John Cooney for Kevin Cooney (49), Seán Linnane (0-01) for Whelan (48), TJ Brennan for Morgan (66)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
