Tipperary's Gavin Meagher

Tipp need extra time to get past Limerick in Minor football playoff

GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Playoff

 

Limerick 1-11

Tipperary 2-12 AET

 

The monkey was lifted off the back of Tipperary at minor football level last Wednesday evening as they progressed past Limerick to keep their championship campaign alive.

August 2015 was the last time the premier county won a game in the grade with six games having come and gone in that time with the losing taste in their mouths.

Tipperary trailed by one point at half time, 1-4 to 1-3, with both sides goals coming from the penalty spot. Kyle Shelly converting for Tipp on fourteen minutes after Christy English was fouled, running onto a quickly taken free from Devon Ryan. Limerick scored theirs ten minutes later when Patrick Gallagher had his jersey pulled by Christy McDonagh, with the impressive Luke Moloney confidently slotting past Callan Scully in the Tipp goal.

Tipp upped their game at the start of the second half, helped by two effective substitutions with Rhys Baron adding drive at midfield while Sean O'Connor provided a physical presence in the full forward line. Points from Devon Ryan and two frees from English and O'Connor put Tipp in front before their scored their second goal on forty minutes when Keith Ryan forced a turnover at midfield and with the ball moved quickly to Devon Ryan who played in Kyle Shelly who finished expertly.

The loss of Keith Ryan to a black card three minutes later provide critical for Tipperary as for the last twenty minutes, they struggled to get out of their own half with Sean O'Connor providing the only score with a difficult 46th minute free.

Limerick virtually camped themselves in Tipp's half and chipped away at the lead with points from Dylan Moloney (3 frees) and John Hayes but going into five minutes of added time, Tipp still held a two point lead. With Moloney off the field through injury, Kevin Guina converted a free before fellow sub Keith O'Kelly saw a hopeful effort from long range sail over the bar to restore parity. Limerick almost came close to winning it but Keith O'Kelly's free from 45 yards on the sideline struck the post and bounced clear.

Luke Gleeson put Limerick in front in the first period of extra time but it proved to be the Shannonsiders only score as a well created move and point from Kyle Shelly and a Christy English free had Tipp in front at the change of ends.

With three minutes of the resumption, Tipp all but had the game sealed with Shelly, English and sub Jamie Holloway added fine points from play while Devon Ryan also had a goal chance denied as Tipp finished in a confident manner.

In terms of ending the losing run in the grade, the result is all that matters but overall the performance wouldn't challenge the very best. When Tipp did use the ball effectively, they did create some good scores but too often they went down blind alleys, carrying the ball into traffic or trying to play the killer pass into the forwards when it wasn't on.

However, you can't underestimate what a win means and it should allow them to express themselves more against Waterford this evening, with the prize being a home semi-final against Clare and the road opens up before the Tipperary team.

 

MATCH DIGEST

Man of the Match: Kyle Shelly (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Limerick: Dylan Moloney 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-5 frees); Eoin Murphy 0-2; John Hayes, Keith O'Kelly, Luke Gleeson, Kevin Guina (free) 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Kyle Shelly 2-3 (1-0 pen); Christy English 0-4 (2 frees); Sean O'Connor 0-2 frees; Mark O'Meara (free), Devon Ryan, Jamie Holloway 0-1 each.

 

TEAMS – Limerick: Kevin Walsh (7); Michael O'Halloran (6), Tom Lyons (7), Sean Bradshaw (6); Luke Gammell (6), Craig Carew (7), Darragh O'Keeffe (7); James Molyneaux (7), John Hayes (Capt 7); Brian Foley (6), Dylan Moloney (8), Darren Kearns (6); Paul O'Shaughnessy (6), Eoin Murphy (7), Patrick Gallagher (6).

Subs: Keith O'Kelly (8) for Gallagher (41); Luke Scannell (6) for O'Keeffe (46); Luke Gleeson (7) for Foley (49); Kevin Guina (6) for Gammell (50); Ruadhan O'Connor (6) for Moloney (56 inj); Luke Gammell for Molyneaux (5 ET); Ryan O'Connell (NR) for Carew (15 ET); Dylan Moloney for Murphy (17 ET inj).

Tipperary: Callan Scully (Nenagh Eire Og 7); Tommy McDonagh (Cahir 6), Shane Lowe (Moyne-Templetuohy 6), Christy McDonagh (Cahir 7); Johnny Ryan (Arravale Rovers 7), Gavin Meagher (Inane Rovers 7), Mark O'Meara (Grangemockler/Ballyneale, Capt, 8); Billy Murphy (Kilsheelan/Kilcash 6), Keith Ryan (Upperchurch/Drombane 6); Kevin Hayes (Moycarkey/Borris 6), Devon Ryan (Knockavilla Kickhams 7), Eddie Daly (Knockavilla Kickhams 6); Max Hackett (Moycarkey/Borris 6), Christy English (Ballyporeen 7), Kyle Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris 8).

Subs: Rhys Byron (Galtee Rovers 8) for Murphy (HT); Sean O'Connor (Clonmel Commercials 8) for Hackett (HT); Conor Whelan (Mullinahone 6) for K Ryan (43 BC); John O'Sullivan (Galtee Rovers 6) for Meagher (57); Jamie Holloway (Carrick Swans 7) for Daly (59); Alan Flannery (Galtee Rovers 6) for D Ryan (60+3); Max Hackett for O'Meara (13 ET); Devon Ryan for English (15 ET); Donagh Hickey (Arravale Rovers NR) for Shelly (20+3 ET inj).

Referee: John Ryan (Cork)

 

Full report and reaction in next weeks Guardian