Kilkenny 1-21 Limerick 2-17: Cats edge Treaty in epic

Kilkenny are through to the All-Ireland final, after edging reigning champions Limerick in a classic semi-final, 1-21 to 2-17.

What more can you say about this Kilkenny team? After being written off in so many quarters after the Leinster final, they have beaten Cork and now Limerick. Suddenly with a final against Tipperary or Wexford coming into view, it is a realistic prospect the Cats can end their four-year 'drought'.

Brian Cody's team led from start from finish, in what was a stunning contest. Right from throw-in, they were up for the battle. They hammered into their opponents with hits and tackles, and the Treaty were looking like a side lacking match practice following their four-week break.

In truth, the All-Ireland champions had no response in the first 10 minutes. Nothing summed it up better than in the 11th minute. Tom Morrissey was trying to work the ball out of his half underneath the Hogan Stand, but he was swarmed by five men in black and amber. The Ahane man coughed up possession, and Adrian Mullen was on hand to punish him dearly to send the Cats into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead.

Matters were soon made worse for the 2019 National League and Munster champions. Eoin Murphy elected to send a long puckout in on top of Colin Fennelly, who beat Seán Finn out to the ball, turned and batted past the onrushing Nickie Quaid.

TJ Reid soon followed it up with a free, and the Cats led by nine, 1-8 to 0-2.

Given they were being widely tipped during the week, it certainly was not going according to script for John Kiely and Co.

Eventually, the Treaty grew into the game. Aaron Gillane and Graeme Mulcahy were leading the charge as they began to chip away at the lead.

As they trailed by five points with half-time approaching, a long-ball was sent into the Kilkenny area. Huw Lawlor was judged to have fouled Gillane under the high ball, and referee Alan Kelly stretched his arms out wide for a penalty.

The Patrickswell man stood over the ball himself, and dispatched it past Eoin Murphy in the Kilkenny net.

The Cats responded well, with Richie Hogan giving them a 1-12 to 1-9 lead at the break.

As expected, the reigning champions burst out of the blocks in the second half. Gillane kept chipping away at the margin, while a long-range free from Diarmaid Byrnes inspired belief around Croke Park that Limerick would do what they have done so often over the last two years, and find a way to win.

However, despite trailing by just a single point on two occasions, they could not pull level. Gearoid Hegarty was among those to miss opportunities to tie it up.

Fennelly and Mullen added further points to help Kilkenny into a 1-20 to 1-15 lead.

However, just as it began to look as if the Noresiders were pulling clear, super sub Shane Dowling came to the rescue for Limerick. Not for the first time, the Na Piarsaigh man made a telling impact from the bench at Croke Park, as he got on the end of a hand-pass from Kyle Hayes, and he batted it into the corner of the net from 14 yards out.

The Limerick fans erupted, but there was still work to be done.

Try as they might, they could not find a leveller. Diarmaid Byrnes missed a long-range free, and after James Maher tapped over over for Kilkenny, Darragh O'Donovan had a side-line cut at the death.

However, he sent it wide, and Alan Kelly blew the full-time whistle.

Believe it or not, Kilkenny are heading back to the All-Ireland final.

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Attendance: 55,001

Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)

Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-8 (0-7 frees, 0-1 side-line), Colin Fennelly 1-3, Adrian Mullen 0-4, Walter Walsh 0-2, Richie Hogan 0-1, Pádraig Walsh 0-1, John Donnelly 0-1, James Maher 0-1.

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 1-9 (0-6 frees, 1-0 penalty), Shane Dowling 1-0, Graeme Mulcahy 0-2, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-2 (0-1 free, 0-1 65), Tom Morrissey 0-1, Barry Nash 0-1, David Reidy 0-1, Peter Casey 0-1.

Kilkenny

1. Eoin Murphy

2. Paul Murphy

3. Huw Lawlor

4. Joey Holden

5. Conor Fogarty

6. Padraig Walsh

7. Paddy Deegan

8. Conor Browne

9. Richie Leahy

10. John Donnelly

11. TJ Reid

12. Walter Walsh

13. Adrian Mullen

14. Colin Fennelly

15. Richie Hogan

Subs:

Cillian Buckley for Richie Leahy (35th minute)

Bill Sheehan for Richie Hogan (46th minute)

Billy Ryan for John Donnelly (52nd minute)

Liam Blanchfield for Colin Fennelly (64th minute)

James Maher for Conor Fogarty (68th minute)

Limerick

1. Nickie Quaid

2. Seán Finn

3. Mike Casey

4. Richie English

5. Diarmuid Byrnes

6. Declan Hannon

7. Dan Morrissey

8. Cian Lynch

9. William O'Donoghue

10. Gearoid Hegarty

11. Kyle Hayes

12. Tom Morrissey

13. Aaron Gillane

14. Graeme Mulcahy

15. Peter Casey

Subs:

Barry Nash for Declan Hannon (half-time)

Shane Dowling for Gearóid Hegarty (56th minute)

Darragh O'Donovan for William O'Donoghue (58th minute)

David Reidy for Tom Morrissey (64th minute)

Pat Ryan for Peter Casey (68th minute)

Make sure to tune into the second semi-final of the weekend, as Tipperary face Wexford on Sunday afternoon, live on Sky Sports Arena from 2:30pm!

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