No chance for Limerick against rampant Tipp

Tipperary 6-19 Limerick 2-07

Rampant Tipperary tore Limerick to shreds to set up an All-Ireland SHC final meeting with champions Kilkenny.

A six-goal mauling has left the Treaty men with much soul-searching to do, and an uncertain future as they search for solutions to the many failings which emerged in front of a Croke Park crowd of 43,808.

Now Liam Sheedy’s side will face into the Liam McCarthy Cup decider with confidence against a Kilkenny side going for a fourth title on the trot.

They were clinical in front of goal, and following a brief Limerick revival midway through the second half, Tipp killed the game off mercilessly with a Lar Corbett hat-trick.

Tipperary opened up the Limerick defence three times in the opening quarter to strike for goals.

First Eoin Kelly slipped in behind Stephen Lucey to fire home the opener on five minutes.

Top scorer Lar Corbett, the only Tipp attacker not to register in the opening half, crossed from the right for Noel McGrath to finish to the net from close range in the 15th minute.

And two minutes later, Pat Kerwick took advantage of slack defending to drill home a third.

Trailing by 3-2 to 0-2, Limerick appeared to have totally lost their way, and there appeared to be no way back against a well drilled Tipperary side.

Dominant centre back Conor O’Mahony blasted over a couple of long range frees, and there were further points from Kelly, McGrath and Seamus Callinan.

Gavin O’Mahony, Niall Moran and David Breen were on target for Limerick, but by the halfway stage Tipp were firmly in control, ahead by 3-8 to 0-4.

Limerick needed to turn the game in their favour in the early stages of the second half,

but it was Tipp who turned the screw with four quick points to increase the margin to 18, with Kelly, McGrath, Callinan and Kerwick all adding to their tallies.

There was some respite for Limerick when goalkeeper Brian Murray netted from a 47th minute penalty after Andrew O’Shaughnessy had been fouled, and seven minutes later substitute Brian O’Sullivan drilled home a second goal from Donal O’Grady’s pass.

But normal service was restored moments later when Corbett was sent through by Noel McGrath to blast home the best goal of the day.

Corbett followed up with his second three-pointer to open up a 19 points gap with 10 minutes to play, and completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute.

Tipperary: B Cummins, P Stapleton, P Maher, P Curran, D Fanning, C O’Mahony (0-3, 2f), B Maher, J Woodlock, S McGrath, P Kerwick (1-2), S Callanan (0-3), J O’Brien (0-1), N McGrath (1-3), E Kelly (1-6 (0-6f), L Corbett (3-1).

Subs: B Dunne for S McGrath (54), G Ryan for Woodlock (61), M Webster for Kerwick (62), P Kelly for E Kelly (64), W Ryan for Corbett (67)

Limerick: B Murray (1-0, pen), D Reale, S Lucey, M O’Riordan, S Hickey (0-1), B Geary, M Foley, D O’Grady, G O’Mahony (0-2, 1f), J Ryan, N Moran (0-1), P Browne, D Breen (0-1), P McNamara, A O’Shaughnessy (0-1,f).

Subs: J O’Brien for Moran (31), Ollie Moran for (h-t) for Browne, B O’Sullivan (1-1) for Ryan (48), M O’Brien for McNamara (56), S Walsh for Lucey (61)

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly)