Trinity hurler Eoghan McNamara became an all-Ireland champion today as Limerick defeated Kilkenny in the Bord Gáis Energy under-21 All-Ireland Hurling Championship. Played in Semple Stadium, the hotly anticipated clash saw Limerick prevail by a scoreline of 0-17 to 0-11. McNamara’s Limerick showed great character to see off Kilkenny and claim their second title in three years.
McNamara guarded the posts for the Treaty county, as he has done for the entire championship, seeing no real threat come his way from the Kilkenny forwards as they chose to take their points rather than attempt to break down Limerick’s tough defence. With the wind on his side in the first half, McNamara’s puck outs were driven over 70 yards at times, dropping straight on top of the Limerick forwards. His accuracy in picking out green shirts such as Aaron Gillane and Peter Casey was instrumental as Limerick pulled ahead of Kilkenny, leaving them to lead for the remainder of the game. The only threat brought upon the Limerick goal came late in the second half but was dealt with by centre back Kyle Hayes, seeing the ball go out for a 65-metre free, which Kilkenny’s Alan Murphy put over the bar coming up to the end of normal time.
Although Kilkenny got on the scoreboard first, courtesy of Shane Walsh, Limerick responded well by putting over seven points with no reply. Limerick soon began to show why they were Munster champions, adding to their tally through long-range frees from half-back Ronan Lynch, corner forward Peter Casey and man of the match Gillane. This meant that Limerick led at the interval by 0-11 to 0-4. Kilkenny substitute Murphy aided his team in trying to regain some ground through his free-taking, scoring five points in the second half. But it was a case of too little, too late, with the strength of Limerick’s first half display ultimately seeing them over the line.
Limerick’s tackling and high-pressure approach was vital to their success on the day. Their hunger and determination shone through as they fought for every ball that came their way and supported each other as they drove up the field in an attempt to get scores. From the strength possessed in the defence to the outstanding performance by the half-forward line in particular, Limerick were deserved winners of the James Gowran cup, their second under-21 title in three years. For Kilkenny, which counted Trinity full-forward Conor O’Carroll among its substitutes, the famine in the under-21 championship goes on.
