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Good afternoon, hurling fans. It’s the greatest day of the year and we’re here to bring you through every gripping minute of hurling from Croke Park.
First up, the minors, where Limerick will be hoping that they get off to as good a start as the men testing the scoreboard think they will.
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Here’s the two starting line-ups named earlier this week.
Who’s your money on?
KILKENNY: Darren Brennan (St Lachtain’s); Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan), Conor Delaney (Erin’s Own), Cathal McGrath (John Locke’s), Pat Lyng (Rower-Instioge), Jason Cleere (Bennetsbridge), Darragh Joyce (capt, Rower-Instioge); Conor Browne (James Stephens), Luke Scanlon (James Stephens); Sean Morrissey (Bennettsbridge), Ross Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels) Ronan Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks); Alan Murphy (Glenmore), Liam Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge). John Walsh (Mullinavat)
Subs: Shane Murphy (Glenmore), Conor Doheny (Dicksboro), Billy Ryan (Graigue Ballycallan), Donnacha O’Connor (Tullogher Rosbercon), Liam Hennessy (Glenmore), Richie Leahy (O’Loughlin Gaels), Eoin Kenny (Slieverue), Andrew Gaffney (Dicksboro), Robbie Donnelly (Thomastown)
LIMERICK: Eoghan McNamara (Doon); Sean Finn (Bruff), Paddy O’Loughlin (Kilmallock), Lorcan Lyons (Monaleen); Colin Ryan (Pallasgreen), Andrew La Touche Cosgrave (Monaleen), Conor Byrnes (Murroe-Boher); Thomas Grimes (Na Piarsaigh), Robbie Hanley (Kilmallock); Cian Lynch (Patrickswell), Barry Nash (South Liberties), Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh-Castlemahon); Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh), Tom Morrissey (Ahane), Ronan Lynch (Na Piarsaigh).
Subs: Cian Hedderman (Ballybrown), Edward Doyle (Monaleen), Conor Fitzgerald (Claughaun), Jamie Porter (Monaleen), Darragh Fanning (Pallasgreen), Barry Murphy (Doon), Brian Ryan (South Liberties), Conor McSweeney (South Liberties), Dylan Dawson (Blackrock),
In case you haven’t been able to follow them all the way to the final, Kevin O’Brien has narrowed the focus onto six players to keep an eye on in this game.
The slow-mo shots are coming steadily thanks to TG4′s cameras now, so you know we’re very close to the 1.15 throw in.
Ronan Lynch and Limerick are the hot favourites to shine in this one, but will that old Cat knack of winning on the big day out shine through?
Just the anthem to get through before we find out now.
The photographers are making great use of their filter lenses today. And why not, they’ll be collecting enough dust through the winter.
THROW-IN: Right, after a seemingly endless build-up we’re finally under way in the Electric Ireland minor hurling championship final.
Pat Lyng attempts to launch the first attack for Kilkenny, but it’s over-hit and runs out of room at the Canal End.
Limerick attack with more purpose at the other end, but Tom Morrissey’s shot is wide of the mark.
No such trouble for John Walsh, who opens the scoring after two minutes for Kilkenny.
4 mins: Limerick 0 – 1 Kilkenny 0 – 2
No Mistake from Ronan Lynch, who gets Limerick level and fist-pumps as he wheels away from Hill 16.
Kilkenny respond though, Luke Scanlon breaking from midfield and pointing coolly.
YELLOW CARD: Limerick’s Seamus Scanlon is first in the book after tapping a roving Kilkenny man on the front of the helmet.
From the free, Alan Murphy drives an enormous free right between the posts at the shaded end of HQ.
Cian Lynch hits back straight away.
6 mins: Limerick 0 – 2 Kilkenny 0 – 3
9mins: Limerick 0 – 2 Kilkenny 0 – 4
John Walsh delivers a lovely score from 40 metres off his left. Kilkenny keeping the board ticking over nicely in the early stages.
10 mins: Limerick 0 – 3 Kilkenny 0 – 4
Ronan Lynch on the mark again, this time from a free to keep Limerick lurking close behind the Cats.
15 mins: Limerick 0 – 3 Kilkenny 0 – 6
Ronan Cochrane fires over two quick-fire points to keep the black and amber flags flying. And they’re all the more important as they come after Robbie Hanley threatened to storm in towards the goal in front of Hill 16.
17 mins: Limerick 0 – 5 Kilkenny 0 – 6
Kilkenny defenders just doing enough to frustrate Limerick in the opening stage here, that marauding run from Hanley was typical of the game so far as he found himself hooked at the crucial moment.
Tom Morrissey does create a goal chance, though, after a high ball drops in, but he blazes the shot over the bar. And Barry Nash follows it up the close the gap to a minimum.
18 mins: Limerick 0 – 6 Kilkenny 0 – 6
And we are level. Cian Lynch with the latest of a stream of Limerick scores as the Munster side find their rhythm.
Limerick have also made their first sub during that flurry of scores Conor Fitzgerald brought on in place of wing back Conor Byrnes.
23 mins Limerick 0 – 6 Kilkenny 0 – 8
Two lovely back-to-back scores from Alan Murphy gives Kilkenny a cushion again.
26 mins Limerick 0 – 8 Kilkenny 0 – 8
Limerick won’t be shaken off that easily though. Morrissey narrows the gap.
And they should have taken the lead as sub Conor Fitzgerald came on to a loose ball and shot for goal. but sent a daisy-cutter right of the posts.
Barry Nash finds his range and levels the game for a second time.
29 mins Limerick 0 – 10 Kilkenny 0 – 10
Limerick lead for the first time, Ronan Lynch pointing a straightforward free.
The lead is short-lived however, John Walsh blasts in a leveller.
As the game picks up pace Flanagan and Walsh trade another score each to bring both sides into double figures.
HALF-TIME: Limerick 0 – 10 Kilkenny 0 – 12
Another fine Alan Murphy paced ball and a big high, handsome score from John Walsh has Kilkenny ahead at the break, but Limerick have plenty of room to improve.
Here’s the midway tallies:
Scorers for Kilkenny: John Walsh 0-5, Alan Murphy 0-4 (0-4), Ronan Corcoran 0-2, Luke Scanlon 0-1
Scorers for Limerick: Ronan Lynch 0-3 (0-2f), Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey 0-2 and Barry Nash 0-2, Seamus Flanagan 0-1
Put down that slice of orange and throw that water bottle aside, because the second half is off an running and Alan Murphy has picked up exactly where he left off. Liam Blanchfield follows up the talisman’s score to give Kilkenny some breathing room.
31 mins: Limerick 0 – 10 Kilkenny 0 – 14
33 mins: Limerick 0 – 11 Kilkenny 0 – 14
Seamus Flanagan points, but Limerick can’t quite stem the flow at the other end. They need goals to win this game, and soon.
35 mins: Limerick 0 – 12 Kilkenny 0 – 14
Point from Ronan Lynch. This game, after a frenetic pace at the end of the first half, hasn’t really settled into a pattern in the second period.
CHANCE!
Limerick create a goal chance after Casey checked back inside and fired a rasping shot towards the net. He brought a great save out of the keeper and Ronan Lynch pointed the resulting 65.
38 mins: Limerick 0 – 13 Kilkenny 0 – 14
And Casey has Darren Brennan worried again, this time from a close range effort as he attempts to poc past the keeper after a scrap on the edge of the square.
39 mins: Limerick 0 – 13 Kilkenny 0 – 14
GOAL! Limerick 0 – 13 Kilkenny 1 – 14
John Walsh opens up a sizeable lead for the Cats as he storms onto a loose ball, controlling with his feet and stabbing the ball past the keeper and into the net.
41 mins: Limerick 0 – 15 Kilkenny 1 – 14
Cian Lynch narrowed the gap back to just the goal and Limerick instantly upped the intensity, forcing a free on the edge of the square which Lynch sent over the crowd of Kilkenny defenders.
44 min Limerick 0 – 16 Kilkenny 1 – 14
Superb response from Limerick, three unanswered points since that Kilkenny goal.
48 mins: Limerick 0 – 16 Kilkenny 1 – 16
Ronan Corcoran lands a superb score from the right side after Murphy’s latest free, awarded after a Limerick defender, ahem… lost his hurl.
Limerick 0 – 17 Kilkenny 1 – 17
Blanchfield cancels out Ronan Lynch’s latest free. Kilkenny looking in a mood to close this one out.
GOAL! Limerick 0 -17 Kilkenny 2 – 17
A much more conventional goal from the Cats this time as Walsh receives the ball and hammers it into the net.
Surely no way back for Limerick now.
55 mins: Limerick 0 – 18 Kilkenny 1 – 117
Yet another long range free for Lynch, Kilkenny will be happy enough to see him that far out the field.
58 mins: Limerick 0 – 18 Kilkenny 1 – 17
Frustration really starting to show for Limerick. A hard-driven free from Ronan Lynch results in a chance for Nash, but on the spin he can only power the low shot left of the post and past the umpire.
FULL-TIME: Kilkenny are All-Ireland Minor Hurling Champions.
Limerick 0 -19 Kilkenny 2 -17
Heartbreak for Limerick who came into this encounter as favourites, but the longer the game progressed without them taking a meaningful goal chance, the higher the writing on the wall became.
Kilkenny showed that the ruthless streak is something that’s present before they reach the senior ranks as John Walsh struck one unconventional and one classy blast to put the game beyond Limerick.
That’s it from me, folks. I hope that’s sufficiently whetted your appetite for the main event.
Just go out there and enjoy it.
