Tipp scrape past Limerick with penalty

Limerick 1-10 Tipperary 1-11

Four players, three from Limerick, were shown yellow cards as Tipperary secured a dramatic Allianz NFL Division 3 win over the Shannonsiders at Kilmallock this afternoon.

Barry Grogan was the hero for the winners when he slotted home a penalty two minutes from the end. He had raced into a one-on-one situation with Limerick goalkeeper Sean Kiely and was tripped.

Grogan kept his nerve to shoot low past Kiely, whom many believed should have received more than a caution from Laois referee Eamon Kinsella.

After 28 minutes, Kinsella yellow-carded Limerick’s John Galvin and Eamonn Hanrahan of Tipperary to the annoyance of players on both sides.

Limerick later had corner backs Johnny McCarthy and Lorcan O’Dwyer shown yellows.

But Limerick have only themselves to blame for this setback. With the aid of a very strong wind in the first half, they led 1-7 to 0-4 at the interval with the goal being punched to the net by Ian Ryan after 30 minutes.

Grogan scored two Tipperary points in the first half with John Tierney and Philip Austin getting their other scores.

Ger Collins had the first point of the second half for Limerick who then went 26 minutes without a score as Tipp clawed their way back with points from Grogan, Tierney, Sean Carey, Philip Austin, Grogan (from a ‘45’), Austin again and finally Grogan tied the game with eleven minutes remaining.

Finally, Limerick had their second score of the half when Eoin Hogan edged them back in front - 1-9 to 0-11 - and Ian Ryan had a chance to increase the lead but missed a 21-yard free from almost in front of the posts.

With both sides using several substitutes, the excitement mounted as the Premier county outfit held the upper hand but were still in arrears on the scoreboard.

But when a defensive lapse allowed Grogan to find space unmarked, it yielded the penalty which put his side in front.

With the second last kick of the game and his side two points in arrears, Ian Ryan opted to kick a point from a free for Limerick.