Kilkenny 0-18 Limerick 0-13: If there is any catchy intro out there about Kilkenny hurling it would come in handy right now. They're becoming annoyingly inscrutable. In reaching their ninth successive All-Ireland semi-final they played badly and won easily, and yet their overall performance still seems immune to any close inspection.
Whether they are a team in decline or simply holding something back will only be known as the season reaches its climax.
Limerick never truly looked like repeating the electric comeback that opened the day's events, but they certainly unsettled their opposition - even if they failed to maximise their opportunities for what could have been the most sensational result of the summer.
So while the game threatened to take off, in fact it never left ground level. Limerick will look back on the first 15 minutes of the second half as their golden period, when they reduced a six-point interval deficit to trail Kilkenny by the minimum margin, 0-12 to 0-11. At that stage there were faint hopes of two great quarter-finals in succession, but Kilkenny tore up the script.
Manager Brian Cody was philosophical when assessing the Kilkenny performance, talking about heart and character and praising Limerick's doggedness. Still, they'll take on Galway in three weeks' time with further cracks in their invincibility.
Like in their Leinster final win over Wexford, they failed to produce a goal. At times the laissez-faire attitude in certain areas of play was startling, and there's little doubt that if Kilkenny were at their best they'd have buried Limerick by half-time.
Forwards Eoin Larkin and Richie Power were both held scoreless and replaced, and even the half backs - who had lorded the play in the first half - were caught drifting in the latter stages as Donie Ryan and James O'Brien led the Limerick fightback. Derek Lyng was dominant at midfield from early on but his grip also slipped as the game progressed.
For consistency Kilkenny once again looked to Henry Shefflin, who ended with 0-9 (including one sublime point from play) having operated most of his game at centre forward. There was also a cunning return to form for DJ Carey, who reminded the crowd of 44,438 why he was once known as the "dodger". John Tennyson deputised well at full back for Noel Hickey while Peter Barry helped establish much of the dominance in the first half.
It was only when Limerick reduced the deficit to within a point with 20 minutes left to play that Kilkenny revealed their old competitive edge. Limerick struggled in the first half, allowing Kilkenny to ease tamely in front as Lyng, Tommy Walsh and Martin Comerford produced the better scores from play.
Limerick could only improve in the second half and they did. Donie Ryan epitomised the newfound spirit when he almost stormed through for a goal within the first minute, but referee Ger Harrington correctly called him back for taking too many steps.
But at least the Limerick forwards were getting some possession. Such was the dominance of Barry, JJ Delaney and Richie Mullally in the first half, Limerick's half-forward line could count on one hand the number of scoring chances they created.
Suddenly they were coming by the bucketful. TJ Ryan finally got his free-taking together to start the charge before Niall Moran and Paul O'Grady chipped in with two huge points from play. A superb 70-yard point from wing back Peter Lawlor took them to within two before Ryan completed the run of five unanswered points by bulldozing his way through the Kilkenny full-back line to make it 0-12 to 0-11.
Limerick needed a few more things to go their way; instead Kilkenny's eyes had been opened, and their experience became evident. They forced a few frees which Shefflin duly converted. Then on 61 minutes Shefflin drew the Limerick defence into conceding a penalty. Carey's first effort was disallowed because of player encroachment, his second was pointed to ease Kilkenny 0-17 to 0-13 in front.
Limerick's enthusiasm was starting to become their downfall. They went searching for goals too soon when a couple of points might have kept their hopes alive. Ryan and substitute Pat Tobin wasted good goal chances in the final 10 minutes as out the field Ollie Moran and Lawlor worked tirelessly for possession.
Kilkenny weren't going to ease up with the finishing line in sight. Walsh made a telling block to foil one of Limerick's last attacks and Shefflin had the last word with his seventh free while substitute Eddie Brennan hit a string of late wides. That summed it all up really - the good with the bad but still good enough to win.
KILKENNY: 1 J McGarry; 17 M Kavanagh, 3 J Tennyson, 4 J Ryall; 5 R Mullally, 6 P Barry, 7 JJ Delaney; 8 B Barry (0-1, a free), 9 D Lyng (0-1); 10 M Comerford (0-2), 11 E Larkin, 12 T Walsh (0-2); 13 R Power, 14 DJ Carey (0-3, one penalty), 15 H Shefflin (0-9, seven frees). Subs: 22 E Brennan for Power (47 mins), 23 E McCormack for Barry (56 ), 21 J Hoyne for Larkin (61 mins).
LIMERICK: 1 T Houlihan; 2 D Reale, 3 S Lucey, 4 M Foley; 5 O Moran, 6 B Geary, 7 P Lawlor (0-3, one free, one 65); 8 P O'Grady (0-1), 9 N Moran (0-1); 10 D Ryan, 11 J O'Brien (0-1), 12 M Cahill; 13 P Kirby, 14 TJ Ryan (0-6, five frees), 15 A O'Suaghnessy (0-1). Subs: 17 A O'Connor for Cahill (27 mins), 18 P Tobin for O'Brien (57 mins).
Referee: G Harrington (Cork).
