A hard-fought game in Walsh Park has provided Waterford’s second win of the Allianz Hurling League campaign.
Liam Cahill expectedly moved back to a stronger selection for the visit of the All-Ireland champions and his side rewarded him with a 1-22 to 0-21 victory.
The game looked more akin to previous meetings of the side, with the referee Paud O Dwyer allowing the game to flow significantly more freely than the opening two rounds.
Waterford were boosted by the return of three-time All-Star Jamie Barron who was active throughout the game, breaking tackles and providing runs to set up his teammates in attack.
Limerick lost the services of Seamus Flanagan on 27 minutes when he was shown a red card for an off-the-ball incident. Flanagan had looked lively until that point, but despite having a one-man advantage for over 15 minutes, Waterford couldn't reduce the five-point deficit that had stood prior to Flanagan's removal from the game.
The two-time All-Star Aaron Gillane had kept the scoreboard ticking for Limerick, providing four from placed balls and two from play.
Waterford’s first score came through Kieran Bennett on 5 minutes, with his brother Stephen, Jack Prendergast, Callum Lyons also chipping in with scores.
Limerick's worrying tally of wides continued into the second half. They emerged from the break and Cian Lynch's shot drifted away from the posts after a dangerous attacking run.
The referee became a bigger part of the game in the second half, and while it was nothing like the first two weeks of the league, the second half in Walsh Park saw Paud O'Dwyer dip into his pocket more often - with this reporter counting 11 in the second half.
Iarlaith Daly and Callum Lyons were also shown yellow, with Stephen Bennett also booked in the last moments after a mass scuffle on the sideline - the same incident earned Kyle Hayes his straight red.
In the 54th minute of the game, Waterford claimed the lead for the first time. Jack Fagan's shot hit the back of the net and from that Waterford were able to stretch their legs and never surrendered the lead after that point.
