Five-in-a-row-seeking Limerick have faltered for the first time this season, splitting the points with Galway after a 17-17 draw in Pearse Park. The draw comes, despite Limerick playing the majority of the game with only fourteen men following a needless Shane O'Brien red card.
The red card saw Limerick reduced to just fourteen men after twenty-five minutes when Limerick's Shane O'Brien went sprinting into a small scrap to defend teammate Cian Lynch, ripping Sean Linnane's helmet off his head.
Despite being reduced to fourteen men, Limerick and Galway traded blow for blow in a nail-biting seventy minutes of hurling. While Galway had both the edge and a two-point lead going in at the break, Limerick came out of the blocks racing, levelling the scores after twenty minutes, before taking control of the scoreboard and forcing Galway to chase them.
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From there on out, Shefflin and Kiely's men battled for each and every point, trading score-for-score for much of the final quarter. While fourteen-man Limerick somehow managed to earn themselves a two-point lead heading towards the final whistle, it was again their discipline which let them down, gifting Galway two frees that left them sharing the spoils.
It finishes 17 points a piece in Salthill as Galway fail to defeat 14-man Limerick
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Shane O'Brien's needless red card
While it's unlikely Limerick will spend too long rueing the loss given their shortage of players today, it was Shane O'Brien's needless red card which will have cost John Kiely's side dearly today.
O'Brien was given his marching orders just twenty-five minutes into the clash after Cian Lynch found himself involved in a scuffle with a few Galway players on the sideline. Sprinting in to support his teammate, Shane O'Brien didn't hold back in getting involved, grabbing Sean Linnane around the neck before ripping the helmet off his head.
Limerick's Shane O'Brien is shown a red card for pulling off the helmet of Galway's Sean Linnane
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While some commentary on social media has branded the red card as harsh, the laws of the game are clear when it comes to interfering with another player's face guard or helmet meaning the officials had little choice but to send O'Brien marching.
The result means that Limerick's place in the league semi-final is guaranteed while Galway will be reliant on Antrim delivering a huge upset against Tipperary if they're to go through to the semi-final.
Limerick's war for a result away in Galway despite being a man down is a testament to just how good this Limerick side is, and today's result will undoubtedly reaffirm just how far ahead of everyone else they are.
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