Final quarter blitz propels Limerick to Tailteann Cup final
Tailteann Cup semi-final: Limerick 2-18 (2-2-14) Wicklow 1-17 (1-2-13)
A golden ticket to the 2026 All-Ireland SFC is within touching distance for Limerick after a final quarter scoring blitz at Croke Park propelled them through to the Tailteann Cup final.
Jimmy Lee's side trailed by seven points with 52 minutes on the clock and looked to have come to the end of the line in the tier two competition.
But a stunning burst of scoring which yielded 1-9 without response in a 16-minute spell turned the game on its head and ultimately won it for Limerick.
Substitutes played a huge part in the turnaround with 1-3 coming from the bench and Rob Childs' 52nd minute goal kick-starting the blitzkrieg.
Barry Coleman, who also came on, weighed in with two important points while goalkeeper Josh Ryan boomed over a two-point free which, when the angle was built in, was from all of 60 metres out.
Limerick's reward is a July 12 Tailteann Cup final clash with Kildare or Fermanagh, who play in the second semi-final on Sunday
But it's the end of the road for Oisin McConville's Wicklow who will kick themselves for letting victory elude them.
Aside from that big lead which they held after dominating the third quarter, they also had a penalty awarded in the 57th minute which was saved by the brilliant Ryan.
It was a second successful outing for Limerick at Croke Park this year having previously beaten Wexford in the Division 4 league final.
They didn't beat Wicklow in the league though, drawing with the Garden County when they last met in mid-March.
And it was neck and neck again for long stretches with Wicklow initially taking the lead, 0-4 to 0-3, before Danny Neville netted to put Limerick into a lead they held onto for the majority of the first-half.
Neville was fresh off hitting Wexford for 2-2 in the preliminary quarter-finals and only had goal on his mind when he shrugged off Malachy Stone down the right channel in the 16th minute.
Neville still had ground to cover and plenty to do but held his nerve in a one-on-one with big Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson and curled home at the near post.
James Naughton, who came into the contest with 0-27 from four games, added two points for Limerick though wasted a decent chance from a free on the edge of the D.
Naughton won a free that Peter Nash converted to leave Limerick 1-07 to 0-09 up at half-time.
But it was essentially level pegging with Wicklow midfielder Dean Healy accounting for the half's only two-pointer.
Healy has had a brilliant campaign, kicking the winner against Westmeath last weekend in Aughrim and blasting 1-4 against Waterford previously.
He set up another score here for Christopher O'Brien while Eoin Darcy and Joe Prendergast grabbed eye-catching points after long kick-passes opened up the Limerick defence.
Healy was brilliant in that third quarter when Wicklow initially turned the screw.
He added three more points, including a second two-pointer, and with defender Malachy Stone getting forward to bundle home a goal from close range in the 47th minute, Wicklow opened up a 1-16 to 1-9 lead.
Oisin McGraynor punched the air in delight when he scored in the 50th minute, opening up that seven-point lead.
But it was all downhill from there for the Leinster side who couldn't hold on for their fourth win of the campaign as Limerick rallied superbly.
Scorers for Limerick: D Neville 1-2; J Ryan 0-4 (2 tpf); R Childs 1-0; P Nash 0-3 (3 frees); J Naughton, T McCarthy, B Coleman 0-2 each; E Rigter, C Fahy, D Murray 0-1 each.
Scorers for Wicklow: D Healy 0-5 (2 tp); M Stone 1-0; M Jackson (2 frees), J Prendergast, E Darcy, K Quinn 0-2 each; C O'Brien, M Kenny, O McGraynor, J Kirwan 0-1 each.
LIMERICK: J Ryan; J Hassett, M McCarthy, D O'Doherty; K Ryan, I Corbett, T McCarthy; T Childs, D O'Hagan; J Naughton, E Rigter, P Maher; P Nash, D Neville, C Fahy.
Subs: R Childs for Naughton (39); T O Siochru for Corbett (45); B Coleman for Rigter (49); D Murray for O'Hagan (52); R O'Brien for Maher (61).
WICKLOW: M Jackson; T Moran, M Nolan, M Stone; C Maguire, P O'Keane, D Fee; D Healy, P O'Toole; C Baker, J Prendergast, C O'Brien; O McGraynor, E Darcy, M Kenny.
Subs: K Quinn for O'Brien (28); PJ Nolan for Baker (44); A Maher for Prendergast (61); J Kirwan for Kenny (64); C Fee for McGraynor (65).
Ref: D Murnane (Cork).
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