DEFEAT for Limerick in the semi final of the Munster U20 Football Championship this Thursday evening.

In Austin Stack Park in Tralee it finished Limerick 1-3, Kerry 0-18.

Limerick scored just twice in either half as Kerry earned a 12-point win to reach the Munster final.

Donal O’Sullivan was the Kerry star with seven points from play.

Limerick had beaten Tipperary in the quarter final and that stood to Jerry O’Sullivan’s side who battled throughout.

Kerry were 0-10 to 0-2 up by half time.

Limerick were aided by a diagonal breeze in the opening 30-minutes and kept their shape well to break forward on occasions.

Alas, Limerick got a return of just two scores in the half – in the seventh and 16th minutes.

Kerry had three points scored before Limerick opened their account through a fine James Molyneaux point to leave it 0-3 to 0-1.

Sean Horan and Joseph O’Connor went close to Kerry goals in the opening 10-minutes but another run of scores eased them into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead with 13-minutes played.

A fine long range free off the ground from Jack Downey stemmed The Kingdom scoring sequence but it was merely a temporary reprieve.

The home side were to carry an eight point lead into the interval dressing room when Fiachra Clifford and Donal O’Sullivan added points to bring them into double digits by the break.

The lead was out to nine points shortly after the restart with a fifth point from play for O’Sullivan.

Then Limerick hit back.

Firstly, John Hayes landed a point free to end over 20-minutes without a Limerick score.

Then came the goal – a Hayes free dropped into the goalmouth and James Molyneaux got a fist to the ball to direct it back across the goal and into the net.

That left it Limerick 1-3, Kerry 0-11 with six minutes played in the second half.

Kerry did reply with two points but as the rain came down in Tralee they went in search of a goal only for Cian Walsh to deny Cian Gammell with a save at the mid-point of the half.

With both sides making numerous substitutions the scores dried up but Kerry were soon back into a nine point lead and stretched it even further.

SCORERS: Limerick: James Molyneaux 1-1 Jack Downey 0-1 and John Hayes 0-1 (1free) each. Kerry: Donal O’Sullivan 0-10 (3frees), Fiachra Clifford 0-3, Cathal Ferriter 0-2, Joseph O’Connor, Killian Falvey and Paul O’Shea 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Cian Walsh (St Senans); Jack Fitzgerald (Adare), Jamie Fitzgerald (Glin), Karl Moloney (Crecora-Manister); Dubhan O’Grady (Oola), Adam Shanagher (Rathkeale), Lee Woulfe (Newcastle West) ; Jack Coyne (Mungret St Pauls), Jack Downey (Oola); Reubhan McCarthy (Na Piarsaigh), Barry Coleman (Rathkeale), James Cummins (Galbally); Noel Callanan (St Kierans), James Molyneaux (Dromcollogher Broadford), John Hayes (St Kierans). Subs: Darragh Lane (Adare) for Jack Downey, inj (h-t), Brian Foley (Newcastle West) for John Hayes (43mins), Niall McAuliffe (Newcastle West) for Jamie Fitzgerald (46mins), Shane Barry (Mungret St Pauls) for Jack Coyne (53mins), Dylan Quirke (Fr Caseys) for Reubhan McCarthy (57mins), DJ Stack (Fr Caseys) for James Cummins (59mins).

KERRY: Brian Lonergan (Ballymacelligott); Dan McCarthy (Kenmare), Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks), Michael Potts (Dr Crokes); Cian Gammell (Killarney Legion), Patrick Warren (Gneeveguilla), Sean O’Leary (Kilcummin); Joseph O’Connor (Austin Stacks), Barry Mahony (St Senans); Killian Falvey (Annascaul), Sean Horan (Scartaglen), Adam Donoghue (Castleisland Desmonds); Fiachra Clifford (Laune Rangers), Donal O’Sullivan (Kilgarvan), Cathal Ferriter (Annascaul). Subs: Paul Walsh (Brosna) for Sean Horan (h-t), Brian Friel (Rathmore) for Adam Donoghue (46mins), Eddie Horan (Scartaglen) for Killian Falvey (46mins), Paul O’Shea (Kilcummin) for Barry Mahony (53mins), Niall Donohue (Firies) for Patrick Warren (54mins), Chris O’Donoghue (Glenflesk) for Dan McCarthy (56mins).

REFEREE: David Murnane (Cork).