We’re getting set for the second game this afternoon as Kilkenny prepare to face Limerick. Here’s the Kilkenny team.

KILKENNY: 1.David Herity (Dunnamaggin); 2. Paul Murphy (Danesfort), 3. JJ Delaney (Fenians), 4. Jackie Tyrrell (James Stephens); 5.Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan), 6.Kieran Joyce (Rower Inistioge), 7. Richie Doyle (Barrow Rangers); 8. Michael Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks), 9. Michael Rice (Carrickshock); 10. Eoin Larkin (Capt.) (James Stephens), 11. Richie Power (Carrickshock), 12. Henry Shefflin (Ballyhale Shamrocks); 13. Colin Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks), 14.Richie Hogan (Danesfort), 15.Aidan Fogarty (Emeralds).

And here’s the Limerick team with defender Tom Condon having come through a late fitness test to start.

LIMERICK: 1. Nickie Quaid (Effin); 2. Stephen Walsh (Glenroe), 3. Richie McCarthy (Blackrock), 4. Tom Condon (Knockaderry); 5. Wayne McNamara (Adare), 6. Donal O’Grady (Granagh-Ballingarry), 7. Gavin O’Mahony (Kilmallock); 8. James Ryan (Garryspillane), 9. Paudie O’Brien (Kilmallock); 10. Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh), 11. Declan Hannon (Adare), 12. David Breen (Na Piarsaigh); 13. Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock), 14. Niall Moran (Ahane), 15. Sean Tobin (Murroe Boher).

Here’s all you need to know about today’s second game.

We’re getting set for the throw-in here in Thurles as Kilkenny seek to recover from that Leinster final mauling by Galway. They have a strong team out this afternoon with big guns like JJ Delaney and Michael Fennelly back in harness. But Limerick’s confidence levels are high after defeating Clare and their attack which features Niall Moran and Shane Dowling carries a huge threat.

Limerick 0-1 Kilkenny 0-0: 1 mins – Fine start by Limerick with Shane Dowling converting a free after Graeme Mulcahy was fouled.

Huge hit by Declan Hannon on Richie Power sends him over the sideline. Limerick look fired up for this clash in the early stages.

Kilkenny 0-1 Limerick 0-1: 3 mins – Kilkenny draw level with Henry Shefflin pointing after a cross field pass by Tommy Walsh.

Kilkenny 0-2 Limerick 0-1: 4 mins – Shefflin again points. He looks sharp early on and is positioned at corner-forward where he is being marked by Stephen Walsh.

Kilkenny 0-2 Limerick 0-2: 7 mins – Sublime point by Niall Moran for Limerick from an acute angle after he had blocked down Paul Murphy’s attempted clearance for Kilkenny.

Another scoring controversy when a point is awarded for a Richie Power free despite the ball looking to have gone wide. But Michael Wadding consults with his linesman who had a perfect view of it and the score is disallowed. Before that chance Nickie Quaid produced a brilliant point-blank save to deny Aidan Fogarty a Kilkenny goal.

Kilkenny’s shooting has been poor early on with four wides in the first 11 minutes, Aidan Fogarty the latest player to be off target.

Limerick 1-2 Kilkenny 0-3: 13 mins – Goal for Limerick and a massive boost for the underdogs. Graeme Mulcahy hand passes the ball amidst a scrum of players to David Breen who surges in from the left and finishes with aplomb past the advancing David Herity. Richie Power hits over a ’65 in reply for Kilkenny and they needed that.

Limerick 1-3 Kilkenny 1-3: 16 mins – The All-Ireland champions are still very much in the hunt. As the ball breaks Eoin Larkin runs in to challenge Nickie Quaid and when it spins loose, Shefflin is on hand to shoot to the empty net. Before that Paudie O’Brien had flighted over a lovely point for Limerick after great work by Donal O’Grady and Shane Dowling. While earlier again Gavin O’Mahony had produced a brilliant covering flick to dispossess Colin Fennelly when Kilkenny were threatening.

Limerick 1-5 Kilkenny 1-3: 18 mins – Great response by Limerick to the concession of that goal with Dowling and Mulcahy both notching points. They’re going to give Kilkenny a serious examination here judging on the early stages.

Kilkenny 2-3 Limerick 1-5: 20 mins – But Kilkenny pounce again for another goal and it’s Shefflin once more who produces a brilliant finish from a tight angle after the chance was created by Colin Fennelly.

Kilkenny 2-4 Limerick 1-5: 23 mins – Richie Power taps over a free for Kilkenny after he was fouled himself by Tom Condon.

Kilkenny 2-4 Limerick 1-6: 24 mins – Limerick swiftly reply when Dowling converts a free after Niall Moran was hauled down.

Kilkenny 2-4 Limerick 1-7: 28 mins – The teams are drawn level by a great point from Limerick’s Graeme Mulcahy who raises the white flag after a defensive clearance by Tom Condon and great work at the back as well by Donal O’Grady to prevent Aidan Fogarty from breaking clear.

Kilkenny’s shooting continues to be erratic with Tommy Walsh and Henry Shefflin, from a free, both off target.

But at the other end Limerick’s Seanie Tobin spurns a golden chance to put them ahead with a point.

Kilkenny 2-5 Limerick 1-7: 32 mins – Kilkenny take the lead with a brilliant rousing point from Tommy Walsh as he bursts out of defence and launches over a beauty from distance.

Kilkenny 2-6 Limerick 1-8: 34 mins – Richie Hogan gets on the scoresheet to push Kilkenny ahead by two points but Shane Dowling cancels that out by pointing a free after he was fouled following a terrific run forward. Two minutes of injury-time to be played at the end of this half.

HALF-TIME: Kilkenny 2-7 Limerick 1-9: At half-time Kilkenny have just edged in front through a Michael Fennelly point. Before that Limerick had drawn level courtesy of Declan Hannon in an interesting passage of play that saw David Herity penalized for taking a Kilkenny puck out from the wrong position and a throw ball being awarded by referee Michael Wadding.

Kilkenny suffered a setback before the break with Richie Power forced off through injury as TJ Reid was brought on as a replacement. Power received a withering shoulder from the Limerick defence as he attempted to charge through. That was indicative of the physicality Limerick have brought to the first-half.

Here are the scorers from the first-half of today’s game.

KILKENNY: Henry Shefflin 2-2, Richie Power 0-2 (0-1 ’65), Tommy Walsh, Michael Fennelly, Richie Hogan 0-1 each.
LIMERICK: Shane Dowling 0-4 (0-3f), David Breen 1-0, Graeme Mulcahy 0-2, Paudie O’Brien, Declan Hannon, Niall Moran 0-1 each.

It’s been a riveting second match so far in Semple Stadium. Limerick are very much in contention for the honors here but the class of Henry Shefflin in attack has enabled Kilkenny to just creep in front at the break. We’ll be back with the second-half action shortly.

Confirmed attendance for today’s double-header of hurling action in Semple Stadium is 38,116.

Second-half back underway.

Change on the Limerick team early on sees Tom Condon brought off with an injury as Seamus Hickey replaces him.

Kilkenny 2-8 Limerick 1-9: 38 mins – Kilkenny register the opening score of the second-half through Eoin Larkin with the James Stephens man pointing.

Kilkenny 2-8 Limerick 1-10: 40 mins – Brilliant determination by Declan Hannon to fight to win possession sees him tap the ball out for David Breen to collect and fire over a point for Limerick.

Kilkenny 2-8 Limerick 1-11: 42 mins – Fine point by Seanie Tobin levels the game after he gathered a pass by Limerick teammate Wayne McNamara.

Kilkenny 2-9 Limerick 1-11: 44 mins – Aidan Fogarty pushes Kilkenny back in front with a point but it had looked like Limerick’s Stephen Walsh was fouled in the build-up to that score. Then Fogarty is awarded a free much to the displeasure of the Limerick players and supporters but Shefflin is off target with the resultant placed ball.

Kilkenny 2-10 Limerick 1-11: 47 mins – All of the starting Kilkenny forwards have now scored with Colin Fennelly clipping over a point. Then Nickie Quaid produces a fantastic save to deny Shefflin his third goal of the game and Stephen Walsh is on hand to collect the rebound before clearing to safety.

Kilkenny 2-11 Limerick 1-11: 49 mins – Kilkenny are three points to the good courtesy of a Shefflin pointed free. They are starting to exert their authority and Limerick are finding it harder in this half to break down the Cats defence.

Kilkenny 2-12 Limerick 1-11: 51 mins – Now it’s four points that Kilkenny are ahead by with another Shefflin free, this time after TJ Reid is fouled.

Kilkenny 2-13 Limerick 1-11: 52 mins – Kilkenny are beginning to turn the screw as Aidan Fogarty lofts over a point from the left wing. Five points down, Limerick need to grab a score here to vault themselves back into contention.

Kilkenny 4-13 Limerick 1-11: 55 mins – And that is most likely that as Kilkenny fire two quick goals. Firstly Michael Fennelly’s long ball finds Aidan Fogarty completely unmarked and he lashes home before Colin Fennelly unleashes a blistering drive for their fourth goal of the match.

Kilkenny 4-13 Limerick 1-12: 57 mins – Point for Limerick’s Declan Hannon while they have brought on Kevin Downes for David Breen. But Kilkenny have suffered the loss of Richie Hogan who has just been shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident.

It still seems unlikely though that Kilkenny sending-off will affect the end result as they lead by ten points with 11 minutes left. Plenty supporters are starting to stream out of Semple Stadium as they seemingly think this game is over.

Kilkenny 4-13 Limerick 1-14: 60 mins – Limerick cut the gap to eight through a Kevin Downes point from play and a converted free by Declan Hannon. They need goals though if they are to launch a comeback. Paul Browne is on their team for Shane Dowling.

Limerick change with Tommy Quaid on for Seanie Tobin.

Kilkenny 4-14 Limerick 1-15: 66 mins – Tommy Quaid does excellently to keep the ball in play and lob over a point for Limerick from the sideline. But then Colin Fennelly hooks over a shot and the margin is back to eight once more. Kilkenny substitutions with Cillian Buckley and Matthew Ruth in for Eoin Larkin and Aidan Fogarty.

Kilkenny 4-14 Limerick 1-16: 67 mins – A Hannon free ensures Limerick put another point on the board but time is running out on their challenge.

Two minutes of injury-time but this game is petering towards its inevitable conclusion.

Kilkenny 4-15 Limerick 1-16: 71 mins – Shefflin taps over a free to bring his personal tally to 2-5 for the afternoon.

FULL-TIME: Kilkenny 4-16 Limerick 1-16: And that is that. A late Shefflin free brings the curtain down on this game as Kilkenny seal their route to an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Tipperary on August 19th. They were full value for their victory in the end with an improved second-half display enabling them to stave off the Limerick challenge. The Treaty gave an excellent account of themselves but had to give way to superior opponents.

That’s it from this afternoon’s hurling action in Thurles as Cork and Kilkenny both triumphed. We’ll be back later with analysis and reaction to today’s games. Thanks for joining us.