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Limerick manager Donal O'Grady admitted he found his side's last-gasp defeat to Waterford 'tough' to take but had no complaints about the result in Thurles.

Limerick led by two points in the closing stages but a late John Mullane goal saw the Déise edge today's Munster SHC semi-final by 3-15 to 3-14.

'It's always tough to get beaten in the last minute, but you have to give credit to Waterford; they kept battling away,' O'Grady said.

'I thought we were almost there when we stopped the free from Eoin Kelly.'

The former Cork supremo felt that Waterford had the superior fitness and that played a telling part in the result.

'We had five or six players that came into game without much training, except for the last week, and that began to tell in the end.

'I'd have to give our players great credit. I think they put up a good show and I think it was a very entertaining match.'

Waterford were much the better side in the first half but a Wayne McNamara goal and a point from midfielder Donal O'Grady left the Shannonsiders trailing by just three points at the break.

'We said in the dressing room at half time that we needed to take them on and take the game to them and we did that.

'I suppose we were in a winning position at one stage but so were Waterford but that's sport. The team that is ahead on the scoreboard at the end deserves to win. That's my philosophy always.'

Limerick full-forward Kevin Downes was a revelation on the day and he netted twice before Waterford deployed veteran Michael 'Brick' Walsh on him to quell the Na Piarsaigh clubman's influence.

'He (Downes) was only back training for a week as well. He was injured after a club match and his fitness maybe ran out a bit,' O'Grady said.

'But that was the game plan to try and get as much ball into the full-forward line as we could and try and attack Waterford there.

'I think it succeeded to a degree but we didn't get it in often enough for my liking.

'All you ask for from the players is to give as much as they can and I think everyone gave 100%, as did Waterford, and I'm sure their manager is inside and he's delighted with their display as well.

'But I couldn't fault any of the lads because I thought they were absolutely exceptional on the day,' he added.

Limerick must now head down the treacherous route, and O'Grady admitted he would much rather be preparing for a provincial decider.

'I would have preferred to have gone the direct route and gone into a Munster final and take our chances from there, but that's how things are and we'll just have to go that route and try and gain another bit of experience there.'