Limerick prove too hot for Tipp to handle

GAA: Allianz National Football League Division 4 Round 5

Limerick 2-21

Tipperary 3-8

Report: James Hayden at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Iain Corbett (Limerick).

SCORERS - Limerick: James Naughton 0-7 (4 frees); Emmet Rigter 1-1; Iain Corbett 0-3 (1x2p); Peter Nash 1-0; Robbie Childs, Tommie Childs, Darragh O Siochru 0-2 each; Sean Clancy, Killian Ryan, Tadgh O Siochru, Danny Neville 0-1.

Tipperary: Micheal Freaney 2-0; Sean O’Connor 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-2 frees); Cian Smith 0-4 (1x2p free); Michael Barlow, Luke Boland 0-1 each.

Tipperary’s hopes of promotion from Division 4 of the Allianz National Football League were dealt a crushing blow following a disappointing defeat to Limerick in a crunch round 5 clash on Saturday evening.

Going into this encounter, Philly Ryan’s charges had mined five points from three games but were in dire need of a response following a last-gasp loss to London a week previous, with a win for the Premier County crucial to their promotion aspirations.

An inexperienced Tipp side were forced to plan once again without the services of the influential attacker and captain Steven O’Brien while Kieran Costello was drafted in for Clonmel Commercials defender Tadhg Condon.

With little or no wind with under lights on a decent sod, Tipp were buoyed by a fantastic start with two goals inside the opening five minutes, the first coming from corner-forward, Sean O’Connor after he rifled a well-taken penalty low into the left corner past the outstretched Josh Ryan. Tipp's second goal was fortuitous in nature after the Limerick defence failed to deal with a high ball and Michael Freaney was on hand to poke home from close-range.

In what proved an enthralling and entertaining opening half full of end to end action, Jimmy Lee’s charges hit back with a cracking two-point effort coupled with a neatly worked close range effort from inside the 40-metre arc from captain and player of the match Iain Corbett, before an incisive tenth minute move involving Mark McCarthy and Cormac Woulfe put full-forward Emmet Rigter through and he crashed home from close-range to fire Limerick into a 1-4 to 2-0 lead.

Tipperary responded with a delightful two-point free from the ground from the impressive Cian Smith. Philly Ryan’s charges were pushing out of defence in an attempt to curtail Limerick’s potency from long-range efforts but this left space inside and the home side duly exploited it.

Limerick retorted with a Sean Clancy point after he blazed over from close-range with the goal at his mercy on the quarter-hour before Robbie Childs added a sixth point for the men in green. The influential Sean O’Connor hit back with a lovely nineteenth minute point for Tipp following a high tackle on Mikey O’Shea.

The frantic nature of the game continued and with Limerick scorer-in-chief James Naughton and Tipp’s Michael Barlow exchanging points before further points from Naughton (free) and Darragh O Siochru extended Limerick’s lead to two points with ten minutes remaining to the break.

The Shannonsiders really started to turn the screw in the closing ten minutes of the half, forcing Tipp onto the back foot. Emmet Rigter and Sean O’Connor (free) traded points before two points on the bounce from James Naughton served to boost Limerick’s tally. Shane Ryan pulled off a fine 33rd minute save to deny Limerick a second goal as Limerick piled on some late pressure before Tipperary were dealt a massive blow after chief marksman Sean O’Connor pulled with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced. Limerick added a further point from the boot of O Siochru to ensure a four-point interval cushion, 1-13 to 2-6.

Limerick’s experience really told in the second half and although the pace of the game dropped noticeably Tipp were unable to break down a resolute home rearguard.

Tipp centre back Luke Boland, who also succumbed to a suspected hamstring injury later in the half, landed an impressive 39th minute point before Limerick retorted with a sublime Tom Childs effort from 35 metres out.

Tipp were gifted a third goal on 48 minutes after Josh Ryan failed to deal with a high dropping ball into the Limerick square and Michael Freaney duly found the net from close-range.

However, it proved the penultimate score for the Premier County. Limerick’s riposte was immediate with Peter Nash crashing the ball to the back of the Tipp net straight from the kick-out that served to really take the win out of the visitors sails.

Limerick proved too hot for Tipp to handle in the closing twenty minutes, hitting a further six points without reply, before Cian Smith added Tipp’s final point in the 67th minute. Danny Neville put the final nail in Tipp’s coffin with an impressive late effort to ensure a thoroughly deserved ten-point victory for the Treaty County.

The manner of Tipp’s defeat was a tough pill to swallow particularly when coupled with injuries to Sean O’Connor and Luke Boland who were very much to the fore until forced to retire. Cian Smith also caught the eye while Michael Feaney poached two well-taken goals. Shane Ryan impressed with a string of fine saves while Jimmy Feehan and Emmet Moloney were to the fore in defence.

Limerick had the best player on the pitch in the guise of Iain Corbett while James Naughton, Robbie Childs, Emmet Rigter, Cormac Woulfe, Paul Maher, and Colm McSweeney also impressed.

TEAMS - Limerick: Josh Ryan; Cormac Woulfe, Colm McSweeney, Mark McCarthy; Fiachra Cotter, Iain Corbett, Tony McCarthy; Darragh O’Hagan, Paul Maher; Robbie Childs, James Naughton, Sean Clancy; Darragh O Siochru, Emmet Rigter, Killian Ryan.

Subs: Tommie Childs for Clancy (29); Peter Nash for O Siochru (45); Danny Neville for R Childs (47); Tadgh O Siochru for O’Hagan (58); Diarmuid Buckley for Corbett (61).

Tipperary: Shane Ryan (Clonmel Commercials); Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Emmet Moloney (Portlaoise); Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers), Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash); Cathal Deeley (Clonmel Commercials), Mark Russell (Aherlow); Conor Fahey (Upperchurch/Drombane), Mikey O’Shea (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone), Michael Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash); Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Michael Barlow (Ardfinnan), Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials).

Subs: Paudie Feehan (Killenaule) for O’Connor (35 inj); Tadhg Condon (Clonmel Commercials) for Fahey (HT); Ben Comerford (Grangemockler/Ballyneale) for Boland (48 inj); Jack Nevin (JK Brackens) for Deeley (53); Mikey Lyons (Grangemockler/Ballyneale) for O’Shea (63).

Referee: Andrew Smith (Meath).