Limerick put Antrim to the sword in one-sided Hurling League opener

The All-Ireland and League champions made light work of the Antrim challenge with a youthful panel impressing throughout the 70 minutes.

Their young guns in the full forward line fired over 1-22 between them in what was a dominant display by John Kiely’s side.

Antrim did lead a couple of times in the first-half but 10 points in the space of 12 minutes saw Limerick take full control of what was then a one-sided contest.

Two Conal Cunning frees helped Antrim to a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage early on but two Adam English strikes and one from Shane O’Brien saw Limerick go in front.

O’Brien then made it a two point advantage with another but Niall O’Connor and Gunning had Antrim level the game for a third time.

An English free swung the game in Limerick’s favour again but Antrim hit the front when great work from Rian McMullen saw Fred McCurry fire in the opening goal.

English and O’Connor then popped over scores for Limerick and Antrim respectively but Kiely’s men then began to show their power.

Donnacha Ó Dálaigh landed two level the game for a fourth time and English did the same to put Limerick two to the good.

Ó Dálaigh and English then hit the target again to put Limerick 0-13 to 1-6 ahead with five minutes of the half remaining.

Two more from English saw the Limerick charge continue as the half drew to a close and then Cathal O’Neill sent over arguably the score of the half. A Cunning free ended the first half scoring with Limerick 0-16 to 1-7 ahead.

Limerick didn’t waste any time in continuing their impressive display as Gearóid Hegarty blocked a free from Antrim keeper Tiernan Smyth and O’Brien was first to react in sending the ball to the net.

The second-half continued in that manner with Antrim limited to just two points in remaining minutes.

English, Hegarty and Micheál Houlihan delivered further scores after the goal to stretch Limerick’s lead to 12.

Hegarty and O’Brien kept the scoreboard ticking along with a brace of points with Mark Quinlan landing a long range point in between.

Ó Dálaigh was unstoppable in the second half and added four points, while O’Brien finished the game with 1-5.

Kiely handed league debuts to Ethan Hurley, Joe Fitzgerald, Paddy O’Donovan and Emmet McEvoy in the second half as they romped to victory.

Graeme Mulcahy was also sent in from the bench and landed a couple of late points from play as Limerick refused to let up in a game that saw them run out victorious on a 27-point margin.

Scorers – Limerick: A English 0-10 (6f), S O’Brien 1-5, D Ó Dálaigh 0-7, G Hegarty and C O’Neill 0-3 each, D Reidy (1f), M Houlihan and G Mulcahy 0-2 each, M Quinlan and P O’Donovan (1f) 0-1 each; Antrim: C Cunning 0-4 (4f), F McCurry 1-0, N O’Connor 0-2, R McMullen (1f) and S Walsh 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: J Power; F O’Connor, D Morrissey, A Costello; D Byrnes, D Reidy, M Quinlan; B Murphy, C Coughlan; G Hegarty, C O’Neill, C Boylan; D Ó Dálaigh, S O’Brien, A English.

Subs: M Houlihan for Boylan (h-t), E Hurley for Byrnes (h-t), J Fitzgerald for Murphy (45), G Mulcahy for English (51), P O’Donovan for Hegarty (61 blood), E McEvoy for O’Connor (63).

ANTRIM: T Smyth; P Duffin, R McCloskey, P Burke; S Walsh, R McGarry, C Boyd; S Rooney, N O’Connor; R McMullen, A O’Brien, C McCann; C Cunning, A Bradley, F McCurry.

Subs: E Trainor for Rooney (48), C McGarry for McCann (52), J McLaughlin for Bradley (52), R McAteer for O’Brien (64), N McGarrel for McMullen (68).

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford)