Electric Ireland MHC: Gritty Waterford advance:
Electric Ireland MHC Quarter-Final
Waterford 1-18 Limerick 1-14
By Tomás McCarthy at FBD Semple Stadium
Waterford are through to the All Ireland minor hurling semi finals for the first time in 11 years.
On a bright and breezy Sunday afternoon, Cormac Spain scored 1-8 as the Déise beat Limerick for the second time this season and bounced back from their Munster final loss to Cork. It is now a total of 6-58 for the young Ballygunner attacker in this year’s championship.
He got plenty of support from Jamie Shanahan and Shane Power up front, who supplied three points each from play. Workaholic centre forward Jack Power plucked ball after ball out of the sky. Defenders Darragh Keane and Tommy Kennedy also played lead roles for James O’Connor’s side. Goalkeeper James Comerford made a crucial second half save. They will face Kilkenny in the last four.
Rian Horgan, Cathal Dennehy and Shane Waters led the Limerick charge. Donal O’Grady’s team failed to capitalise on two second half goal chances after Dennehy rippled the net.
A Cormac Spain goal right on the stroke of half time gave Waterford a 1-10 to 0-8 advantage at the break. Déise captain James Comerford won the toss and chose to play with the breeze towards the Town End. Sharpshooter Spain got the opening score after just 27 seconds of action.
The sides were level at four points apiece inside ten minutes. Speedy Limerick corner forward Rian Horgan shot two from play. Waterford corner man Jamie Shanahan pointed from a tight angle before centre back Hugo Quann won a turnover and split the posts.
Wind assisted Waterford then moved four clear. Shane Power won a puckout and sent them ahead. Bradley Penkert then obliged from his own 65. Two Spain singles (one from a free and one from play) made it 8-4. James O’Connor’s side could have been further ahead as they sent seven balls wide and one short by half time.
Alex Kearns got one back for Limerick before Spain slotted his third free. A pinpoint Kearns sideline picked out unmarked wing back Shane Carroll who made no mistake. Two Shane Waters frees closed the gap to one (0-9 to 0-8).
Approaching the end of the half, Shanahan fired his second point from play. A minute into injury time, Jack Power fed Ballygunner club mate Spain who found the far corner of the net. His sixth goal of the 2025 championship.
Four minutes into the second half, Cathal Dennehy blocked down Déise sub Caoillin Reville and billowed the net from close range (1-10 to 1-9). Game on. Gearóid O’Shea replied with a point at the other end.
On 43 minutes, Limerick nearly struck a second goal. Paul Murphy supplied Horgan who saw his shot saved by Déise number one James Comerford from a tight angle. Waters missed the subsequent 65. Points from Dylan Murphy and Shanahan gave Waterford a 1-15 to 1-11 lead by the end of the third quarter.
Limerick sub Killian Begley brought the margin back to three before Dennehy shot left and wide with the goal at his mercy. The gap was down to two entering injury time. A Waters free then came back off the post and Shane Power scored his third point at the Killinan End. A key moment. The Déise held on over the five added minutes. Spain kicked right and wide before he dispatched a late, late free.
Scorers for Waterford: Cormac Spain 1-8 (5fs), Jamie Shanahan, Shane Power 0-3 each, Dylan Murphy, Gearóid O’Shea, Bradley Penkert, Hugo Quann 0-1 each.
Scorers for Limerick: Shane Waters 0-7 (6fs, 1 65), Cathal Dennehy 1-1, Rian Horgan 0-3, Killian Begley, Shane Carroll, Alex Kearns 0-1 each.
Waterford: James Comerford; Darragh Murphy, Conor Lynch, Darragh Keane; Bradley Penkert, Hugo Quann, Tommy Kennedy; Aaron Walsh, Pierce Quann; Eoin Burke, Jack Power, Shane Power; Dylan Murphy, Cormac Spain, Jamie Shanahan.
Subs: Gearóid O’Shea for Walsh (HT), Caoillin Reville for Burke (HT), Seán Óg Costin for Dylan Murphy (62).
Limerick: Marcus Murphy; Eoin Hennessy, Evan Ryan, Jackie Dwane; Shane Carroll, Michael Hanly, Diarmuid Crowe; Paul Murphy, David O’Keeffe; Alex Kearns, Rory Hanly, Shane Waters; Conor Hough, Cathal Dennehy, Rian Horgan.
Subs: Killian Begley for Hough (42), Gavin O’Brien for Kearns (51), Seán Óg Cahill Hayes for Murphy (58), Danny Sheehan for O’Keeffe (60).
Referee: Matthew Farrell (Roscommon).