Desperate Tipperary effort sees Limerick come away with the spoils from U20 opener

Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 Hurling Championship - Round 1

Limerick 2-13

Tipperary 0-17

By Michael Dundon

With expectations high of retaining their title, Tipperary suffered a major setback when losing to Limerick in the opening round of this year’s oneill.com Munster under 20 hurling championship at Semple Stadium on Tuesday last.

Thirteen players who featured in last year’s campaign, which yielded the Munster title but ended with defeat by Offaly in the All-Ireland final, were in the Tipp starting line-up. 

READ NEXT: CONFIRMED: Venue confirmed for mouthwatering league final between Tipperary and Cork

Bookmakers were quoting Tipp at twelve to one on to win, but on the night, Tipp could not cope with Limerick’s pace and aggression, the Shannonsiders emerging as unquestionably deserving winners.

Indeed, the margin of victory ought to have been greater. Limerick spurned two goal chances , hitting the post with one, and shot eleven wides while Tipperary’s wide count was three, statistics which in themselves reflect the visitors’ superiority. 

Tipp never really threatened the goal they needed to ignite their defence of their crown and were it not for the excellence of Darragh McCarthy’s free-taking and his accuracy from open play, the story could have been much worse.

The upshot of this setback is that, with three teams to come out of Munster for the All-Ireland series, Tipp have no more wriggle room. In the second round they are away to Cork this Wednesday night and then face Clare in Six-mile-Bridge a week later, two huge games that must be won to stay in the championship frame before they welcome Waterford to Thurles for the last round. 

It is an enormous challenge but it is a situation for which Tipp have only themselves to blame. It is a situation that will severely test the side's character but fortunately they have it in their own hands to put this disappointment behind them by winning their remaining games.

From an early stage it was evident that Limerick were fired up for the contest. They brought a pace and intensity to their game that Tipp struggled to cope with. Three points up in five minutes, Limerick were flying and it took Tipp until the 25th minute to draw level (0-6 each), and when Adam Daly put the home side ahead a minute later, the expectation was that Tipp would drive on, having survived the early Limerick surge.

Not so, however. Limerick had by no means shot their bolt, finishing with two Tadhg Boddy points to be on equal terms, 0-8 each at the break. 

Darragh McCarthy hit three of the Tipp points with Adam Daly landing two more from surging runs from midfield. Conor Martin, Paddy McCormack and Cathal English were the other marksmen with Tipp fortunate to be on level terms after a disappointing opening half.

A brace of Darragh McCarthy points at the start of the second half suggested that Tipp had come to terms with the Limerick challenge but in the 34th minute the Tipp defence, porous all through, was ripped open as Mathew Fitzgerald goaled for Limerick. 

McCarthy was Tipp’s go-to man and he responded with three points to leave the sides on level terms, 0-13 to 1-10 at the three-quarter stage.

Still, Tipp fans waited for their favourites to take charge. Points from McCarthy and Conor Martin put them two clear but the woodwork denied Limei4rck a goal before Hugh Flanagan pointed a free in the 56th minute and then the decisive score as the Tipp defence was exposed when Mark O’Brien blasted home Limerick’s second goal, for a 2-13 to 0-16 lead on the hour mark.

To their credit, Tipp did not fold and threw everything they had at Limerick but a Darragh McCarthy free in the 61st minute was their only reward. Their disappointment was compounded by the loss of team captain Sam O’Farrell to a second yellow card in the last minute.

It was a performance that will give manager Brendan Cummins and his backroom team much food for thought but with little time to come up with a winning formula as they face Cork this week. 

This Tipp group was highly thought of, and deservedly so, but for this game, they never backed their many qualities with the hunger and energy necessary to succeed in the Munster competition. Few reputations were enhanced. 

Darragh McCarthy’s progress continues apace with Adam Daly, Aaron O’Halloran, Adam Ryan and Conor Martin all working hard on a very disappointing evening for the players, management and supporters.

Limerick will draw great confidence from this showing and clearly are a force to be reckoned with despite the bookmakers’ odds. They were strong, athletic and working to a predetermined strategy that reaped dividends. 

Their disappointment will be that they did not win by more and with players of the calibre of Aidan O’Connell, Hugh Flanagan, Robert O’Farrell, Eoin Brosnan and John Murray they will look to the remaining game with justified optimism.

ALSO READ: IN PICTURES: Tipperary crowd turns out to roar senior hurlers to late victory in Thurles!

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan (Knockavilla Kickhams); Jack Quinlan (Fethard), Aaron O’Halloran (Carrick Swans), Podge O’Dwyer (Killenaule); Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Sam O’ Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg), Jack O’Callaghan (Portroe); Paddy Phelan (Upperchurch Drombane), Adam Daly (Knockavilla Kickhams, 0-2); Cathal English (Father Sheehys, 0-1), Conor Martin (Cappawhite, 0-2), Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs); Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara, 0-11, 0-6f, 0-1 65), Paddy McCormack (Borris-Ileigh, 0-1), Senan Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash).

Subs used: Robbie Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill) for Butler (HT); Joe Egan (Moycarkey Borris) for O’Callaghan (35); Ciaran Foley (Borrisokane) for Martin (56).

Limerick: Fionn O’Brien (Bruree), John Murray (Patrickswell), Sean Casey (Bruff), Dan Scully (Dromin/Athlacca) Eoin Brosnan (Na Piarsaigh), Aidan O’Connell (Doon), Darragh Langan (Monaleen), Matthew Fitzgerald (Monaleen), James Finn (Na Piarsaigh), Robert O’Farrell (Kildimo/Pallaskenry), Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane), Donal Coughlan (Doon), Tádhg Boddy (Dromin/Athlacca), Ruairí O’Connor (Feenagh/Kilmeedy), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret/St.Pauls) (Captain). 

Subs used: Conor Bickford for Brosnan (temp, 17 mins-21 mins); Dara Ferland (Monaleen) for Coughlan (39); Mark O’Brien (Mungret/St. Pauls) for O'Connor (48); Sean Duff (Mungret St Paul's) for Finn (53); Barry Adams (Ballybrown) for Boddy (57).

Referee: Kevin O’Regan (Cork)