Tipp fall to Limerick in league semi-final

GAA: Allianz National Hurling League Division 1 Semi-Final

Limerick 1-28

Tipperary0-25

Report: Shane Brophy at the TUS Gaelic Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

SCORERS – Limerick: Aaron Gillane 0-7 (6 frees), Diarmuid Byrnes 0-6 (5 frees); Peter Casey 1-2; Declan Hannon, Cathal O’Neill, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey 0-2 each; Barry Murphy, Donnacha O Dalaigh, Colin Coughlan, Barry Nash, William O’Donoghue 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-14 (11 frees); Alan Tynan 0-4; Gearoid O’Connor 0-3; Seamus Kennedy 0-2; Noel McGrath, Jake Morris 0-1 each.

Tipperary’s National Hurling League campaign was ended on Saturday night as Limerick produced a strong second half performance to win out by six points.

Limerick made the brighter start and were two points to the good in as many minutes before Jason Forde pointed a free on three minutes, one of eight points in the first half, three from play for the Tipp sharpshooter.

The sides went point for point thereafter until the eighth minute when Forde connected with a dart of a Barry Hogan puckout to point. Jake Morris and Seamus Kennedy pointed from play as Tipp used the ball well with Forde and the outstanding Alan Tynan pushed Tipp three clear on eighteen minutes.

That extended to five by the 22nd minute with Kennedy, Gearoid O’Connor, and Tynan, his third of the half. Tipp were really hurting Limerick on breaking ball but the home side always threatened with Peter Casey and three points from Diarmuid Byrnes keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

Tipp didn’t have the same scoring threat late in the half, relying on two Forde frees to bring their tally to 0-16 in the half as they led by four at the break.

The strong rally from Limerick came swiftly as their half back line took over and by the 45th minute they were level at 0-18 each with Diarmuid Byrne’s free-taking Tipp’s indiscipline in the middle third.

Limerick pushed on and went four clear when they struck for the decisive goal on 57 minutes when a long ball into the square was caught by Peter Casey over Johnny Ryan and he kicked to the net.

The home side eventually opened up a nine point lead but Tipp didn’t throw in the towel and reeled off the next five points, although they relied heavily on Forde frees in the second half, six of their nine points, with Tynan and O’Connor (2) getting the scores from play with Barry Murphy and Cian Lynch rounding off the win for Limerick.

For Tipp, focus now shifts to the Munster Championship and the first round game away to Clare in four weeks’ time.

TEAMS – Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Colin Coughlan; Barry Murphy, William O’Donoghue; Cathal O’Neill, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Peter Casey, Aaron Gillane, Donnacha O Dalaigh.

Subs: Gearoid Hegarty for Murphy (blood 51-53); Gearoid Hegarty for O’Neill (60); Conor Boylan for Morrissey (62); Richie English for Finn (64); Seamus Flanagan for Gillane (70+1); Micheal Houlihan for O’Donoghue (70+2 inj).

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen, Johnny Ryan; Dan McCormack, Bryan O’Mara, Ronan Maher; Conor Stakelum, Alan Tynan; Seamus Kennedy, Noel McGrath, Gearoid O’Connor; Jason Forde, Patrick Maher, Jake Morris.

Subs: Enda Heffernan for Stakelum (51); Mark Kehoe for Maher (51); John McGrath for Morris (56); Conor Bowe for Kennedy (64).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Limerick).