LIMERICK PLAYER RATINGSNICKIE QUAID 7Puck-outs top class. One drilled restart to Cathal O’Neill for an immediate bounce back score just one example. No shot in anger on his goal until the late penalty.SEÁN FINN 7A lesson in quiet leadership at the back. No frills, no fuss.MIKE CASEY 5Was on the back foot from the moment he conceded the first free on Rabbitte. Beaten for the first three balls and picked up a yellow for persistent fouling. (l-r) Limerick’s Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Peter Casey and Gearóid Hegarty celebrate yesterdayBARRY NASH 8 Gave his team renewed confidence when he beat Rabbitte to the first ball after switching over in the first half. So dynamic on the front foot.DIARMAID BYRNES 8Part of a rock solid half-back line. Arrowed three deadballs wonderfully under the breeze in first half and produced a trademark score from under the Hogan.WILL O’DONOGHUE 8Locked down the central channel all day. Even got up to get a block and turnover on his opposite number six Daithí Burke.KYLE HAYES 8Grew in stature as the game wore on. Plucking Darach Fahy’s puckout from the sky and galloping forward to score set the tone for second half.ADAM ENGLISH 8A dynamic presence in the middle third. Justified his inclusion ahead of Darragh O’Donovan.CIAN LYNCH 9Proved once again that he is a generational talent. Has the quick hands of a magician, the touch of an artist and then the steel to go with it all.GEARÓID HEGARTY 9A defiant display from another of Limerick’s Hurler of the Year contenders. A player for the big day, only denied two goals by two quality saves.AIDAN O’CONNOR 7Stuck his frees and sniped around the edges to good effect.CATHAL O’NEILL 8Plunged the knife into Galway by burying his goal. Free-running and so hard to pin down, has become one of the team’s leaders.AARON GILLANE 8Showed once again what a big game player he is. Was back slinging shots over the bar over his shoulder. Four from play and the go-to man inside. The final was a tactical masterclass by Limerick manager John Kiely and his fellow coachesSHANE O’BRIEN 6Worked so hard to put the big squeeze on Galway as they worked the ball out but got little change out of Daithí Burke.PETER CASEY 8So clever in finding pockets of space when Limerick turned the ball over. Took that high hit from Ronan Glennon but came back on and also finished with four from play.SUBSTITUTES 6The game was done and Galway down to 14 by the time Limerick ran in four of their six substitutes. David Reidy rounded off the day’s scoring with his team’s last score in injury time.MANAGER 9A tactical masterclass from John Kiely and his management team. Did what Cork and Dublin couldn’t do in stopping Galway’s running game at source. Ferocious but so disciplined in the tackle to gorge on turnover ball.