Gallant Tipperary minors give their all but are denied by a decisive late goal

A gallant Tipperary side were in the game right up until the last kick but were second best in the end as Limerick stormed the defence and buried the all important goal with two minutes left to seal the win in phase 1 of the Munster Minor Football championship in Mallow this Thursday evening.

Tipp were without the injured Ronan O'Brien tonight, who kicked 1-3 when the sides met in the round robin at Rathkeale, while Limerick captain Aidan O'Shea missed that game in Rathkeale but had an absolute stormer tonight. Essentially that was the difference tonight as Limerick take home the Darryl Darcy cup. 

It finished up 1-9 to 1-6 but Tipperary were so close in this game throughout. As Tipp gained momentum in the second half and looked like they might get out of Mallow with a win, the Limerick trio of  Darragh Hogan (Mungret St Pauls), Evan Curry and the peerless Aidan O'Shea had other ideas. Curry fired at the Tipp goals late on but was denied. The ball was loose though and when it broke nicely for Darragh Hogan, the industrious midfielder took a second to steady himself and then kicked past Peter Boland for the decisive goal. That was the winner. Ronan O'Connell added a point in added on time but the goal closed the door on glory for Tipperary. 

It was gripping stuff all evening. Right from the off Tipp took control with two settling points from Tadgh White and Liam Freaney. The pattern of earlier games looked to have settled into this one. Tipp had beaten Limerick, Clare and Waterford enroute to tonight's final but they hadn't encountered a player of Aidan O'Shea's ability before. 

He dictated the pace and angles of Limerick's attack all night. Just back from a neck injury and only approaching one hundred percent, he called the shots. Limerick hit six points in a row to respond to Tipps opening two points. Cathal Woulfe and Padraic Murphy hit first before Cian Costello put them one up. Then Andrew Lyons hit two and Callum Buckley hit the score of the game with a fine strike to rouse the Limerick crowd. O'Shea had a hand in everything. As the half closed Tipp responded as centre forward Liam Freaney and the roving Jamie O'Keefe points left the scoreline Limerick 0-6 Tipp 0-4 at half time. 

O'Shea had bossed Tipp though, and tactically Limerick negated the influential Tipp half back line. Tipp threw everything at it in the second half. Charlie Grace entered the fray and he immediately made an impact. Tipp went for goals early on and Limerick keeper Sam Guerin dived well to block a goalbound Whyte effort. Tipp went again and Charlie Grace kicked a sweet goal from an acute angle to a big applause. The Ballina forward kicked a point then just after. 

The ball going in then dried up as Curry and O'Shea got a grip on things again. Curry and Buckley struck for Limerick who looked menacing on the break. Charlie Walsh responded but the key score arrived when the towering Curry set up another attack and when the ball bobbled free to Darragh Hogan he rifled it to the net. 

Tipp did their best to respond but went from two down to three and ran out of time. In the other championship game this evening Cork beat Kerry so now  Tipp play Cork while Limerick will now play Kerry in the Munster semi-final.

Afterwards Tipperary manger John McNamara shared his thoughts with Tipperary Live: "Sometimes there is no shame in defeat and certainly tonight it was the case. A little bit of a bounce of a ball went against us but the effort that every single player that went onto the field, that was asked of them, they gave it. Disappointment - definately - but we will regroup and we are looking at Cork now next Thursday. Our heads will be back up by the weekend."

Scorers - Tipperary: Charlie Grace 1-1, Liam Freaney 0-2, Tadgh Whyte (1 free), Jamie O'Keeffe and Charlie Walsh (1 mark) 0-1 each.

Scorers - Limerick: Darragh Hogan 1-0, Callum Buckley 0-2, Cathal Woulfe, Padraic Murphy, Cian Costelloe, Andrew Lyons (1 free), Ronan O'Connell, Adam Murphy and Evan Curry (1 free) 0-1 each. 

TIPPERARY: Peter Boland (Moyle Rovers); Ronan Myles (Ardfinnan), Cillian Ryan (Ballina), Shane Flanagan (Newport); Jamie O'Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials), Billy Tierney (Clonmel Commercials), Michael Connellan (Clonmel Commercials); Michael O'Reilly (Moyle Rovers), Sean Lewis (Arravale Rovers); Louis Coughlan (Moycarkey Borris), Liam Freaney (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), Cillian Fahey (Clonmel Commercials); Joey Quinn (Loughmore-Castleiney) Tadgh Hayes (Moneygall), Mark Neville (Fethard).

Subs: Charlie Grace (Ballina) for Neville (h-t), Shane Ryan (Ardfinnan) for Fahey (h-t), Charlie Walsh (Fethard) for Whyte (48 mins), Tom Ryan (Moycarkey-Borris) for Freaney (57 mins)

LIMERICK: Sam Guerin (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); Cian O'Sullivan (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Callum Buckley), Cian Costelloe (Cappagh-Rathkeale); Liam Óg Glynn (Ahane), Cathal Woulfe (Fr Caseys), Cillian Meade (St Senans);) Darragh Hogan (Mungret St Pauls), Evan Curry (Athea), Andrew Lyons (Newcastle West), Padraic Phelan (Pallasgreen), Padraic Murphy (Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan); Adam Murphy (Fr Caseys), Aidan O'Shea (Cappagh-Rathkeale), Tommy Glynn (Na Piarsaigh).

Subs: Eoghan Beston (Galbally) for Lyons (43 mins), Ronan O'Connell (Fr Caseys) for Murphy (64 mins), Rory Mullins (Mungret St Pauls) for Hogan (64 mins).

REFEREE: James O'Regan (Cork)