Tipperary reach Munster final after surviving Limerick’s late onslaught
Tipp are into provincial decider with a game to spare
Tipperary 2-13 Limerick 0-16
Tipperary’s three-point defeat of Limerick in miserably wet conditions at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Thursday evening has put them through to the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship final with a game to spare.
Unbeaten in their three outings, their final game will be against Waterford at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field in Dungarvan next Friday evening, May 8, with a place in the final on the following Friday, May 15, already assured.
With one win and two defeats, Limerick must win their final outing away to Cork next Friday to qualify for the knockout stages.
Two Tipp goals after the restart left Limerick facing a mountain to climb. Yet they never threw in the towel and, as they finally found some fluency to their play, they rattled Tipp with a relentless final quarter chase that just stopped short of the finishing post.
In a portent of what was to come, Limerick's first five attacks were turned over without coming into scoring range, which allowed KJ Dunne and Conall Morrison to point off the break. After sending their next counter-attack wide, Oisín Kennedy and Ollie Roche's free put Tipp four to the good in as many minutes.
However, Limerick’s puckout was still finding the target and, after Shane Waters got them off the mark from a free, Eamon O'Sullivan followed up with a strike from play.
Tipp's response slowed down, as a few chances went wide, but they were moving again when Dunne collected a long pass to steal into the square but, after he was pulled down by Conor Ryan, who collected a black card, Ollie Roche's penalty was stopped by Sam Collins, only for Morrison to point off the rebound.
Conor Kennedy's point followed but the concession of a string of fouls prevented Tipp from making maximum use of the extra man, as Shane Waters's free was matched by Morrison, and Shane Ryan's long strike was answered by another Waters free before Conor Kennedy moved Tipp’s lead out to five.
Back to full strength, Limerick increased their share of possession and, in the run-up to half-time, drew three fouls for Waters to punish and reduce the deficit to 0-9 to 0-7 as they headed into the dressing rooms.
Limerick’s mini-revival was wiped out within minutes of the restart when Rian McGrath whipped the fallout from James Finn's bustling solo up the centre to the net. After that both sides reached for the free-takers, as Roche answered Waters' first and Ryan answered the Na Piarsaigh marksman's second converted placed ball.
The next exchange, this time from play, saw Conall Morrison split the posts from out on the sideline before Waters found the target from a scramble. But Limerick's efforts to eat into the margin took a body blow when Tipp’s Ollie Roche collected Ryan's lay-off to blast past Sam Collins from a tight angle and put his side ahead by eight points going into the final quarter.
At that point, however, the hosts were raiding the bench to staunch the flow of scores against them and, when the fresh legs attacked the heavy conditions, possession was retained long enough for O'Sullivan, Diarmuid Crowe and O'Sullivan again to point.
The Tipp defence was being rattled into uncertainty when Waters sent over a free and a '65' and a free to close the gap to three, with five regulation minutes to go.
After sending two attempts at a reply wide of the posts, Tipp managed to break the momentum with a point from substitute Seán Burke, before Limerick wound themselves up for a final heave with a long Waters free just as the watch edged into the four added minutes.
They would have found an equalising goal had Tipp goalie Eoin Connolly not blocked Callum Butler's 20 metre free, but that was as near they got before their final onslaught ran out of time.
Scorers: Tipperary: Ollie Roche 1-3 (0-2 frees), Conall Morrison 0-4, Rian McGrath 1-1, Shane Ryan (1 free), Conor Kennedy 0-2 each, Seán Burke 0-1.
Limerick: Shane Waters 0-12, (9 frees, 1 '65'), Eamon O'Sullivan 0-3, Diarmuid Crowe 0-1.
Tipperary: Eoin Connolly (Carrick Swan); Colm Ryan (Newport), Conor Collins (Galtee Rovers-Saint Pecaun's); Oisín Kennedy (Newport), James Finn (Golden-Kilfeacle), Travis McLoughlin (Cahir); Shane Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Hugo Healy (Kilruane McDonaghs); Conor Kennedy (Clonoulty-Rossmore), Conall Morrison (Moyle Rovers), Éanna Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg); Ollie Roche (Newport), Rian McGrath (Kiladangan), KJ Dunne (Toomevara).
Subs: Ciarán Gantley (Cappawhite) for Éanna Tucker (43 minutes), Seán Burke (JK Brackens) for Rian McGrath (51 minutes), John O'Meara (Mullinahone) for Hugo Healy (56 minutes).
Limerick: Sam Collins (Crecora-Manister); Rowan Collins (Adare), William Ryan (Murroe-Boher), Sam Mitchell (Knockainey); Eoin Hennessy (Patrickswell), Conor Ryan (Monaleen), John O'Riordan (Bruff); Xavier Nelligan (Kilmallock), Jack Roche (Blackrock); Diarmuid Crowe (Doon), Ryan Foley (Patrickswell), Shane Waters (Na Piarsaigh); Gavin O'Brien (Kilmallock), Eamon O'Sullivan (Adare), Rian Horgan (Murroe-Boher).
Subs: Colin Burke (Dromcollogher-Broadford) for Rian Horgan (39 minutes), Danny O'Grady (Granagh-Ballingarry) for Jack Roche (49 minutes), Daire Long (Pallasgreen) for Gavin O'Brien (49 minutes), Jack McCarthy (Ballybrown) for Sam Mitchell (59 minutes), Callum Butler (Patrickswell) for Xavier Nelligan (61 minutes).
Referee: Patrick O'Mahony (Cork).