Kilkenny 3-22,

Limerick 1-12

 Conor Kane reports from Thurles

WHAT STARTED OUT as a tight game between two teams on their last chance in the All-Ireland minor hurling championship turned into something of a rout as Kilkenny blitzed Limerick to earn a place in the semi-finals.

For much of the first half there was little between the teams — indeed Limerick led 0-8/0-7 in the 24th minute — but the young cats ran up 1-4 before half-time and another unanswered 0-5 in seven minutes after the break to make easy their passage.

There were never more than two points between the teams for much of the opening period until just before the break, when a fine Jamie Harkin point from deep and then a superb Jack Morrissey goal from a tight angle on the right put them 1-11 to 0-8 ahead.

Once Kilkenny had a strangehold on the game in the second half, it was mostly one-way stuff as they racked up a big score, Jack Morrissey getting a goal with another bullet and Killian Hogan netting their third.

By the time Bryan Nix goaled for Limerick well into injury-time, the Shannonsiders were already gone from the championship.

Scorers for Kilkenny – Conor Kelly 0-8 (8f), Jack Morrissey 2-1, Killian Hogan 1-1, Jack Buggy 0-3, Ciaran Brennan 0-2, George Murphy 0-2, Cian Kenny 0-2, Jamie Harkin 0-1, Dan Coogan 0-1, Cathal O’Leary 0-1

Scoreres for Limerick – Cathal O’Neill 0-8 (7f 1 ‘65’), Bryan Nix 1-0, Emmet McEvoy 0-1, Barry O’Connor 0-1, Cormac Ryan 0-1, Eoin O’Mahony 0-1.

Kilkenny:

1. Jason Brennan,

2. Pádraig Dempsey,
3. Jamie Young,
4. Dylan Crehan,

5. Darragh Maher,
6. Shane Staunton,
7. Jamie Harkin,

8. Conor Kelly,
9. Cian Kenny

11. Ciarán Brennan
15. Jack Buggy
12. George Murphy

13. Cathal O’Leary
14. Dan Coogan
10. Jack Morrissey

Subs

23. Killian Hogan for C O’Leary (46 minutes)
24. Eoin Guilfoyle for D Coogan (49m)
19. David Fogarty for D Maher (56m)
18. Padraic Moylan for J Morrissey (56m)
17. Harry Walsh for J Harkin (56m)

Limerick:

1. Bryan Heavey,

2. Pádraig Harnett,
3. Ben Herlihy,
4. Michael Keane

12. Kyran O’Donnell
5. Eoin O’Mahony
7. Jack Nicholas

8. Patrick Kirby
9. Barry O’Connor

10. Michael Martin
6. Emmet McEvoy
11. Cormac Ryan

15. Andrew Shanahan
13. Cathal O’Neill
14. Bob Purcell

Subs

17 Colin Coughlan for Patrick Kirby (25 minutes)
22 Jimmy Quilty for M Martin (39m),
19 Bryan Nix for A Shanahan (41m)
20 Diarmuid Hegarty for B Purcell (52m)
18 Cian Casey for B O’Connor (52m)

Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway)

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