All-Ireland SHC quarter-final: Dublin 2-24 Limerick 0-28
The hurling shock of the decade, if not longer. No one saw this coming. That is, no one, except Dublin manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin, who along with his heroic players certainly didn’t read the script on Saturday evening in Croke Park.
It was deemed by many as a run-out for outgoing All-Ireland favourites Limerick, a stepping stone towards much bigger things and a chance to banish the demons of their heartbreaking Munster final penalty defeat to Cork two weeks’ previous.
But Ó Ceallacháin and his 14-man Dublin had other ideas as they shocked the Shannonsiders with a historic two-point victory to deny John Kiely’s men a place in the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2017, the Dubs making their first appearance in the last four since 2013.
The easy option would have been to revert into their shell after talisman and captain Chris Crummey was sent off after just 15 minutes, but a spirited and determined performance for the ages, boosted by an impressive self-belief, saw the Dubs over the line against the odds.
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“How does it feel? Just really, really proud, to be honest,” Ó Ceallacháin said of his team’s performance.
“It was a complicated game, but it was character that won that game. There were so many things against us, coming in we were absolutely written off.”
Ó Ceallacháin, however, insists Dublin’s shock result stands for nothing unless they do themselves justice again in a two weeks’ time against Cork.
“So, while this result will give us great confidence to kick on, we know we can do it anyway and the challenge for us now is that that’s done now,” he said.
“This will be long forgotten if we don’t follow through in a fortnight’s time. We wanted to be into the last four in July, and we are, and that’s where we’re looking now.”
Dublin took full advantage of a lacklustre Limerick performance with two quick-fire second half goals from Cian O’Sullivan and substitute John Hetherton proving the difference for the Dubs.
Limerick never hit the heights from recent years and trailed by three points at half-time before Dublin held on for the remarkable 2-24 to 0-28 win, despite a late Limerick resurgence.
Asked if the win had sunk in, Ó Ceallacháin said: “To answer honestly, it probably hasn’t.
“All right, I get it – Limerick, for what they were and what they’ve won, going down to 14, an incredible achievement.
“I know we’ll look back on this day like that, but as regards to ourselves and the way we go at things, there’s four days there and we’ve two down. We obviously had a huge challenge. The way things went in the Munster final, we knew it was going to be a huge day.
“To go down a man in those conditions so early, it’s hard at this level to do that for fifteen minutes – to do it for that length of time, I’d just be so proud of the lads. To be able to stay at it for so long in those conditions, you need to physically be able to do it.
“But to be honest, most of it is deep in your stomach to have the character and the will and the hunger to do it. And that’s what we’re proud of. We knew the lads wouldn’t falter. Anything can happen in a game, but what they won’t do is fold. And so, we knew we’d be in it.”
The game was the first championship meeting between the two counties in 10 years with just Nickie Quaid and Cian Lynch surviving the starting 15 from Limerick’s one-point defeat to Dublin in that All-Ireland qualifier at Semple Stadium in July 2015.
A decade later a much-changed Limerick side were again left shocked by a determined Dublin team full of passion and belief.
Limerick had named an unchanged side to the team that lost on penalties to Cork at the Gaelic Grounds two weeks previously, while Dublin made two changes to the starting 15 that overcame Kildare in their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final a week ago with Andy Dunphy and Conor Burke coming in for Paddy Dunleavy and John Hetherton.
The sides were level seven times in the opening half, with Dublin showing huge character and determination after Crummey saw red with 15 minutes gone.
Limerick, showing real signs of a hangover after the loss to Cork, struggled against a strong breeze in the opening 35 minutes with Seán Currie and Conor Burke starring with eight of Dublin’s 0-15 return.
After Limerick opened up a three-point lead just shy of the 11th minute, a superb score from Currie quickly brought it back to a two-point game.
However, when Dublin were reduced to 14 three minutes later – Crummey shown red for a high tackle on Gearóid Hegarty – even the most optimistic of Dublin supporters in Croke Park would have given their side the slightest of chances against a team of Limerick’s magnitude.
Boosted by a vocal home support, Dublin got to grips with the game and grew in belief as the half went on, Currie pointing four scores to no reply to see the sides level again by the 19th minute.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Dublin scored 10 of the next 13 scores directly after Crummey’s sending off during a period when Limerick went 10 minutes without a score.
A purple patch for Limerick just before the break saw Tom Morrissey and Lynch reduce Dublin’s lead to three, 0-15 to 0-12, but it remained worrying times for Kiely’s charges.
After the restart, Dublin showed no signs of losing belief and points from man of the match Conor Burke and Ronan Hayes eased them to a five-point lead.
When Adam English slotted over in the 51st minute to make it 0-19 to 0-18 in Limerick’s favour it was the first time they had led since the 24th minute.
However, two quick-fire goals from Cian O’Sullivan and John Hetherton again made it a five-point game. The momentum was certainly with Dublin now.
Limerick narrowed the deficit to three minutes later and the inevitable comeback looked likely.
Dublin had other ideas, however, and a superb save from Seán Brennan to deny Aaron Gillane a certain goal gave the Dubs a real belief that the game was theirs to lose.
Limerick again brought it back to a one-point game with five minutes to go but points from Brian Hayes and two Currie frees put four between the sides as added time approached.
As Limerick went in search of that all-important goal, Dublin continued to put bodies on the line, their resilient defence making a crucial block on Diarmaid Byrnes’ drilled effort on goal.
Peter Casey and English gave Limerick a fighting chance with two late points, but it was too little too late for the Shannonsiders as Dublin held on for a historic win.
DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, P Smyth, C McHugh; P Doyle, C Crummey (capt, 0-1), A Dunphy; C Burke (0-5), B Hayes (0-2); R McBride (0-2), F Whitley (0-1); C O’Sullivan (1-1); S Currie (0-9, four frees), R Hayes (0-3) D Ó Dúlaing.
Subs: J Hetherton (1-0) for Ó Dúlaing (h-t), D Power for Whitley (52 min), D Burke for McBride (64), C Currie for Hayes (69), D Lucey for McHugh (70 + 5).
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, M Casey; D Byrnes, K Hayes, B Nash (0-1); A English (0-5), W O’Donoghue, G Hegarty (0-4), C Lynch (capt, 0-2), T Morrissey (0-2), A Gillane (0-9, 0-6f, 0-1’65), A O’Connor (0-3), D Reidy.
Subs: C O’Neill (0-1) for T Morrissey, B Murphy for M Casey (both h-t), D Hannon for Nash (50 mins), P Casey (0-1) for O’Donoghue (58), S O’Brien for O’Connor (64).
Referee: L Gordon (Galway).
