Tobin turns up the heat on Tipp

THE hottest day of the year so far — 27 degrees the air temperature in Limerick city yesterday — was matched in the Gaelic Grounds with a Munster SHC semi-final that had all the elements of fire, intensity and passion that we’ve come to expect from these two great rivals.

And, of course, it had the drama. It just wouldn’t be this pair in the Munster championship without the drama.

Last year it was Eoin Kelly’s virtuoso display, his 14 points inspiring Tipp’s comeback from a poor start.

Yesterday it was Limerick’s turn and even though they didn’t win, in the end it felt like they had, and it certainly sounded like it as their huge support in the 26,246 crowd hailed their heroes on the final whistle.

Substitute Pat Tobin was the one who notched the equalising goal but all who had played their part for Limerick were acclaimed afterwards.

The replay takes place in Thurles next Saturday at 7pm, and there is no doubt about which side goes into that with tails up.

Before a whistle was blown Tipp were forced into two changes; full- back Paul Curran didn’t make it, nor did full-forward Lar Corbett at the other end. Into their places stepped Declan Fanning at full-back, youngster Pa Bourke replacing Corbett up front, going to the right corner of the attack, with Eoin Kelly moving to full-forward.

To counter that, Limerick assigned team captain Damien Reale to do a man-marking job on the dangerous Kelly, with Stephen Lucey moving to the corner on Willie Ryan, Seamus Hickey picking up Bourke.

The initial exchanges were pretty even, Limerick taking an 0-5 to 0-3 lead after 14 minutes, courtesy of a fine brace from centre-forward Ollie Moran, his brother Niall also on the mark, along with Barry Foley and Andrew O’Shaughnessy. Midfielder James Woodlock and free-taker Ryan (2) replied for Tipperary.

Then came Tipp’s goal; a long free by Benny Dunne (needlessly conceded by Niall Moran, who would go on to make full amends) broke around the Limerick 13-metre line, ended up in the grateful paw of wing-forward John Carroll coming through on the charge. John doesn’t miss those — 1-3 to 0-5.

If that wasn’t bad enough for Limerick, a few minutes later Reale conceded an even more needless free, chopping late as Kelly was in the act of striking, to leave Ryan with another simple tap-over point.

Worse, however, Reale was already on a yellow card, having tangled with Kelly in an off-the-ball incident, and this latest transgression saw him receive his second yellow — sent off.

It looked costly; it looked like Tipperary were about to take full and punishing advantage of the extra man as they quickly went into a four-point lead, 1-6 to 0-5, despite playing into the breeze. But that was when the Limerick fight-back started.

Inspired by the mighty Moran at centre-forward, the home side battled back and another brace from Ollie, plus two fine strikes by the dangerous Andrew O’Shaughnessy inside, along with a beauty from Barry Foley, saw them go into the break just two points behind, 1-9 to 0-10.

Of huge significance for Limerick during this period was their dominance of the puck-outs, both their own and Tipperary’s, with the Moran brothers, Mike O’Brien (now at midfield), Peter Lawlor (at wing-back), Brian Geary and the evergreen Mark Foley all doing well.

In the second half this should have been Tipp’s game. An extra man at the back — Declan Fanning doing an amount of tidying up — huge, booming puck-outs from Cummins; they had so much in their favour and should have taken advantage. Yet everywhere, against the tenacious tackling of the fired-up Shannonsiders, they struggled. Nowhere was this more evident than inside; 14 points last year, there was going to be no repeat from Eoin Kelly yesterday.

With Reale gone, up stepped Seamus Hickey and his man-marking job on Kelly was a major factor in frustrating the Tipp attack.

Others took up the slack for Tipp, Darragh Egan doing well on the left wing, Lar Corbett with two fine points after his half-time introduction, while the two midfielders, Woodlock (2) and Shane McGrath also chipped in with points!.

Ultimately, however, and perhaps unfairly, given that it ended in a tie, the real story yesterday was Limerick.

The second half was more or less a continuation of what had happened in the first. Limerick were having to fight like hell just for parity, but fight they did, to a tie in the ninth minute of the half (0-14 to 1-11), to a tie again in the 25th minute (0-19 to 1-16) after again falling three behind, and finally to a tie at the end, having yet again fallen three behind.

On the earlier occasions Limerick had fought back with points, one more hard-earned than the rest against a Tipp defence in which Conor O’Mahony was always prominent, in which Diarmuid Fitzgerald did well to limit O’Shaughnessy.

The worry, however, from Limerick’s point of view, was that all the extra work being put in by the players in such extremes of heat would eventually tell, and they would have to fold.

Into the final five minutes, Tipp now those three points ahead, it looked over. And then it came, a bolt from the green.

A huge free by Brian Gavin into the Tipp danger-area; a huge leap by Ollie Moran, layoff to the lurking Pat Tobin; goal. The subsequent explosion of noise was surely heard in every corner of the county. There was still a few minutes left and Stephen Lucey had to be alert to prevent the winner for Tipp, but fittingly, it ended in a tie.

The right result, without argument, even if it’s not yet a final result. Next Saturday? Doubtful that Limerick will be two to one against again!

Scorers: Limerick: A O’Shaughnessy 0-6 (0-4 frees); O Moran 0-5; P Tobin 1-1; B Foley 0-3; N Moran 0-2; M O’Brien 0-2; M Fitzgerald 0-1. Tipperary: W Ryan 0-7 (0-6 frees); J Carroll 1-1; D Egan 0-3; J Woodlock 0-2; E Kelly 0-2; L Corbett 0-2; R O’Dwyer, S McGrath, 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: B Murray; S Lucey, D Reale (c), S Hickey; M O’Riordan, B Geary, M Foley; P Lawlor, D O’Grady; M O’Brien, O Moran, N Moran; A O’Shaughnessy, S O’Connor, B Foley.

Subs: P Tobin (O’Connor inj 27); Maurice O’Brien (Lawlor 48); M Fitzgerald (O’Grady 56); D Ryan (B Foley 62); P O’Dwyer (M Foley 66).

TIPPERARY: B Cummins; E Buckley, D Fanning, D Fitzgerald; E Corcoran, B Dunne (c), C O’Mahony; S McGrath, J Woodlock; J Carroll, R O’Dwyer, D Egan; P Bourke, E Kelly, W Ryan.

Subs: L Corbett (Bourke 35); H Moloney (Dunne 60); M Webster (O’Dwyer 63); L Cahill (Ryan 70+1).

Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).