Below par Minor Footballers make losing start against Limerick

GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Phase 1 Round 1

Tipperary 1-4

Limerick 1-9

Report: Michael Dundon at Hannon Park, Lattin

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Charlie McCarthy (Limerick)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Reuben Grace 1-1; Cillian Morrissey 0-2 frees; Hugh Carolan 0-1.

Limerick: Charlie McCarthy 0-4 (3 frees); Sean O’Flynn 1-0; Tom Gavin, Cillian Murphy, Jamie McAuliffe, Eoghan Hogan, Cathal Donnelly 0-1 each.

A below par Tipperary slumped to a disappointing five point defeat at the hands of Limerick in round one of phase one of the Munster Minor Football Championship on Sunday.

After last year’s good run in the championship where they only missed out on reaching a Munster final following an extra time semi-final defeat, expectations were high facing into this year’s campaign but a poor first half showing had the home side chasing the game and all the while showing little sign that they had the scoring power to undo their rivals.

Incessant rain on an already heavy pitch made life difficult for both sides but the visitors adapted more readily to the conditions and lorded it in the first half as they established a 0-7 to 1-0 lead.

Tipp were struggling in all sectors, taking a hammering on kick-outs, and coughing up possession too easily through handling errors.

Limerick had two points on the board when the Tipp goal came curtesy of some quick-thinking by Cillian Morrissey whose smartly taken free caught Limerick napping and set up Reuben Grace who blasted home an unstoppable goal after eleven minutes.

That was the only time Tipp led in the game, and at that time Limerick were down to fourteen players, wing back Cian Lonergan having been black-carded a few minutes earlier.

Tipperary did not capitalise on their numerical advantage, Limerick hitting three points in four minutes to go 0-5 to 1-0 clear at the start of the second quarter.

Lonergan returned to the fray for the Shannonsiders who added two further points before the break and were looking winners all the way.

Although only four points separated the sides, a huge improvement was required if Tipp were to redeem the situation, and to their credit their second half performance was much better than what went before.

An early Reuben Grace point was encouraging and Cillian Morrissey’s pointed free after 49 minutes narrowed the gap to two points with Limerick yet to score in the half.

A Tipp win was now a distinct possibility but a few efforts for points fell short and in typical fashion the sucker-punch came in the 54th minute when a Tipp defender in possession looked to be fouled but the ball fell to Limerick’s Cian Barry who linked with Kevin McNamara who had just come on, and he set up Sean O’Flynn for the goal that decided the issue.

Tipp did not die down, points from Hugh Carolan and Cillian Morrissey leaving them three points behind (1-4 to 1-7) on the hour mark, but Limerick were the stronger at the finish, adding a brace of points in injury time to set them up nicely for their next outing against Clare.

It was a very disappointing start to the championship for Tipp and with away games to Waterford (next) and then Clare, their chances of making the second phase of the championship are greatly diminished.

They did not appear to have the pace or physicality of their rivals in this contest and defensively allowed their opponents far too much scope. Manager Kevin Muclahy and his backroom team have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it.

Few Tipperary reputations were enhanced on this occasion with Conor Hurley and Reuben Grace best but Cian Cahill, Cillian Morrissey, Ciaran Hennessy and Hugh Carolan also tried valiantly to swing the game their way.

Limerick had big games from Charlie McCarthy, Sean O’Flynn, Jack Moynihan, Cillian Murphy and Jamie McAuliffe.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Danny Cashin (Killenaule); Donal O’Callaghan (Clonmel Commercials), Conor Hurley (Moyle Rovers), Oisin McCarthy (Moyle Rovers); Joe O’Donovan (Moyle Rovers), Nicholas Walsh (Cashel King Cormacs), Ciaran Hennessy (Aherlow); Cian Cahill (JK Brackens), Tadhg Dunlea (Ballylooby/Castlegrace); Eoin O’Connell (Aherlow), Conor O’Meara (Grangemockler/Ballyneale), Adam O’Callaghan (Portroe); Cillian Morrissey (Moyle Rovers), Reuben Grace (Galtee Rovers), Hugh Carolan (Moyle Rovers).

Subs: Colin Maher (Cashel King Cormacs) for O’Donovan (30); Jack Walsh (Roscrea) for O’Callaghan (37); Donncha Hurley (Ballylooby/Castlegrace) for Dunlea (41); Fergal Bradshaw (Moyle Rovers) for Hennessy (45); Conor Williams (Moyle Rovers) for Cahill (50).

Limerick: Dean Ryan; Luke McDermott, Aaron Murphy, Ronan Conneely; Cian Lonergan, Eoghan Murnane, Rory O’Dwyer; Cillian Murphy, Jamie McAuliffe; Cian Barry, Jack Moynihan, Sean O’Flynn; Charlie McCarthy, Eoghan Hogan, Tom Gavin.

Subs: Miguel Azzopardi for Murnane (37); Conor O’Dwyer for Lonergan (39); Ben Hough for Gavin (51); Darragh Doyle for Conneely (57); Cathal Donnelly for O’Flynn (58).

Referee: Gary Twomey (Clare).