Defeat puts severe dent in Tipperary footballers' promotion hopes
Ten-point margin of victory flattered Limerick in Rathkeale
Like the ancient mariner, I suspect Tipperary football manager, Philly Ryan, came away from Rathkeale on Saturday night a sadder but wiser man.
Sadder because after defeat to Limerick, his team’s chances of promotion this year have all but disappeared. But he’s also wiser because he now knows that if Tipperary can attack with more purpose in the final third of the field then they have the players who are capable of competing at this level and above.
Make no mistake about it, Limerick were deserving winners and yet you could not be regarded as a dreamer if you felt that Tipperary might have won this game. But as we know, the football gods have a cruel sense of humour.
Tipp were without the services of their inspirational captain, Steven O’Brien, and then lost their talisman Sean O’Connor midway through the first half. To compound their misfortune, centre back Luke Boland was forced to retire with injury early in the second half. All three players are as essential to the Tipperary football team as onions are to black pudding so playing without them obviously wasn’t going to help the cause.
Of course, it would be dishonest to blame injuries and misfortune as the only reason for this defeat, and if this young Tipp team are to progress to the next level, they will need to overcome their stage fright in the final third of the field.
From back to front, they transition the ball as quickly and as good as any Tipperary team over the past 20 years. But too often when they get to the edge of the big arc, they hesitate and go over and back across the field. Under the new rules of Gaelic football, if you stop to lean on your shovel you will be left behind.
This game started in frantic fashion. Limerick won the throw-in and five slick passes later, Robbie Childs opened the scoring with a well-taken point.
From the resulting kickout Tipperary worked the ball up the field before Conor Fahey found Sean O’Connor in a parcel of space in front of the Limerick goal. His initial effort was stopped by Limerick goalkeeper Josh Ryan, but as Michael Freaney was about to dispatch the rebound he was tripped by Killian Ryan and referee Andrew Smith spread his arms to indicate a penalty, which O’Connor duly posted to the front of the net.
The Tipperary management felt that the foul by Ryan fell into black card territory and I suspect that if they took their appeal to the Court of Human Rights they would have a strong case.
Iain Corbett replied with a two-pointer to level the scores but two minutes later a mix-up in the Limerick defence led to Tipperary’s second goal. Darragh O’Hagan was fouled on the 20 metre line. Goalkeeper Josh Ryan advanced from his goal as if intent on taking the free but as he was on his journey, wing back Tony McCarthy decided to take a quick one, which was intercepted by Michael Freaney, and the Kilsheelan/Kilcash man wasted no time in lobbing the ball to a empty net from 35 yards.
There were just six minutes gone in the game and Tipp led 2-0 to 0-3. Proof if ever it was needed that Gaelic football is no longer boring.
Corbett replied almost immediately with a point. Then in the 10th minute a slick Limerick move, which was a hallmark of their play all afternoon, saw Emmet Rigter slot home a goal from close range to put Limerick a point ahead.
Cian Smith, a man who all afternoon gave the impression that he could find Lord Lucan with a kick-pass, put Tipp ahead again with a fine two-pointer in the 12th minute.
The hectic pace of the game continued for the remainder of the first half with Limerick points from Naughton (two), Clancy, Childs and O’Siochrú. Tipp replied with a point from Smith and another from O’Connor shortly before he was forced to limp off. When referee Andrew Smith signalled it was time for the Jaffa Cakes, Limerick were ahead by 1-13 to 2-6.
The second half opened in a similar hectic manner. Luke Boland’s last action of the game was to open the second half scoring with a point. This was almost immediately cancelled out by a point from Limerick’s Tommie Childs.
In the 47th minute, Michael Barlow sent a high, speculative ball into the box. Standing under it was Limerick ‘keeper Josh Ryan and Tipperary wing forward Michael Freaney. The pressure from Freaney was enough to force Ryan to spill the ball and the young forward gratefully tapped the ball into the net. It was the fourth goal in five games for Freaney, who is having a marvellous debut season in the blue and gold.
With just over 20 minutes left and the game ebbing and flowing from end to end, supporters from both sides were fastening their seatbelts for a rollercoaster finish. Alas, all they got was a spin on the tea cups. From the kickout, Paudie Feehan looked to be taken out of the game as he attacked Josh Ryan’s kick. Limerick gathered possession and following another free- flowing move, substitute Peter Nash smashed the ball to the net from close range.
With O’Connor, Boland and Fahey now all off the field injured, Nash’s goal was the pin that popped the air from the Tipperary ballon. Points from Killian Ryan, Danny Neville, James Naughton and substitute Tadhg Ó Siochrú eventually saw Limerick run out 2-21 to 3-8 winners. Their win was no doubt deserved and their play at times was a joy to watch, but walking away from Mick Neville Park you couldn’t help thinking that the ten-point margin flattered the home side.
Scorers for Limerick: J Naughton 0-7 (4 frees); E Rigter 1-1; I Corbett 0-3 (1 two-pointer); P Nash 1-0; T Childs, R Childs, D Ó Siochrú 0-2 each; S Clancy, K Ryan, T Ó Siochrú, D Neville 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tipperary: M Freaney 2-0; S O’Connor 1-2 (1-0 penalty; 0-2 frees); C Smith 0-4 (1 two-pointer free); M Barlow, L Boland 0-1 each.
Limerick: J Ryan; C Woulfe, C McSweeney, M McCarthy; F Cotter, I Corbett (captain), T McCarthy; D O’Hagan, P Maher; R Childs, J Naughton, S Clancy; D Ó Siochrú, E Rigter, K Ryan.
Subs: T Childs for Clancy (29); P Nash for D Ó Siochrú (45); D Neville for R Childs (47); T Ó Siochrú for O’Hagan (58); D Buckley for Corbett (62).
Tipperary: S Ryan; M McFadden, J Feehan, E Moloney, K Costello, L Boland, M Stokes; C Deely, M Russell; C Fahey, M O’Shea, M Freaney; C Smith, M Barlow, S O’Connor.
Subs: P Feehan for O’Connor (inj – 35); T Condon for Fahey (half-time); B Comerford for Boland (inj – 48); J Nevin for Deely (53); M Lyons for O’Shea (62).
Referee: Andrew Smith (Meath).