Aaron Gillane must have wondered what he had to do.
First the Limerick man broke straight through early on in the first half in Semple Stadium and after losing his hurl, he improvised well to volley the sliotar with his right foot in the direction of the top corner.
He was wheeling away, almost celebrating. Then from nowhere, Eoin Murphy stood up sprightly and leapt from one corner of his goals to the other before getting his hurl to the corner bound shot.
Standard really. Eoin Murphy was only getting going.
Last weekend, the Glenmore netminder made a rare mistake. This weekend, he was back doing what he always does.
That man Aaron Gillane did everything right in the second half again. He jumped highest to catch a skyscraper over his man Paddy Deegan before bearing down on the Kilkenny goal.
The Patrickswell man took it all the way to the 21 yard line before he unleashed a bullet shot that looked destined for the top corner of the net.
Not when Eoin Murphy is around. He summoned those cat-like reflexes again to somehow deny the by now frustrated Treaty man.
Aaron Gillane gets the point after a superb save from Kilkenny's Eoin Murphy! pic.twitter.com/eo7brTdy8y
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 15, 2018
Murphy was at it again a couple of minutes later, this time denying Limerick attacker Seamus Flanagan.
In the end, it was Limerick who prevailed in Thurles. Gillane, Tom Morrissey, Cian Lynch and co. took their points down the home straight where others might have faltered.
Limerick head to the semi-finals now while the Kilkenny Cats have to lick their wounds for another year.
Last week on The GAA Hour Show, JJ Delaney claimed that only for Eoin Murphy, Kilkenny would have been “hammered in a lot of games.”
This weekend, a whole host on Twitter were in unison claiming that this man is the best hurling goalkeeper they’d ever seen.
In Donal Óg, Davy Fitz, Damien Fitzhenry, Ger Cunningham, Tony Reddin, Brendan Cummins, Noel Skehan, we’ve had some tremendous net-minders in hurling over the years. Is Eoin Murphy the best of the lot?
Eoin Murphy is the best keeper I've ever seen. Just has it all. He should be a lock for All Star every year.
— Colm Crowley (@mrcolmcrowley) July 15, 2018
Is Eoin Murphy human?? Best keeper I've ever seen 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#KILvLIM #GAA #RTEGAA
— Damien Synnott (@damosynnott) July 15, 2018
Some saves from Eoin Murphy but gillane has to go further and make sure, best keeper in the game
— colin ryan (@Ryan5C) July 15, 2018
Eoin Murphy is given, easily, the best goalkeeper performance I’ve ever seen in a hurling game! Unbeatable today! #kikvlim #GAABEO #kilkenny #Limerick
— Jamie Leavy (@iamGilbertL) July 15, 2018
Eoin Murphy is some keeper #killkennyvlimerick
— Colm O Neill (@crossbar13) July 15, 2018
