Nerveless Conor Sweeney helps guide Tipp to Munster final

Extra-time winner puts Tipperary into Munster final

Nerveless Conor Sweeney saved Tipp from the sideline in injury-time. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Munster SFC semi-final: Tipperary 1-15 Limerick 2-11

For Tipperary, opportunity taken. For Limerick, opportunity lost.

Thirteen months after the 2020 Munster SFC draw pitted Cork and Kerry against one another at the provincial semi-final stage for the first time in eight years, it is Tipperary who have capitalised on the draw’s uneven nature to secure just the county’s fifth Munster final appearance over the past 75 years.

Having risen above Clare, Waterford and Limerick to emerge from the weaker half of the draw, Tipperary head into the Munster final with a plateful to work on and improve.

The likely return from injury of Steven O’Brien and Philip Austin will strengthen their hand on November 22, not to mind the two-week lead-in after playing four games in 20 days, but manager David Power didn’t need telling that the display churned out on Saturday, while packed full of heart, determination and resolve, will be nowhere near sufficient against Cork.

Barren scoring spells of 19 and 20 minutes respectively cannot be replicated, nor can the frequency at which they were turned over in possession or simply kicked it away.

Moreover, the step up from the challenges presented by Clare and Limerick in recent weekends will be as sharp as it will be steep.

Understandably, what lay in front of the Tipperary camp was not of immediate concern in the minutes after Saturday’s dramatic extra-time affair. To have something to work on and toward is far more desirable than the deep sense of ‘what if’ which hung over the Treatymen as they gathered in a circle following the final whistle.

As the clock ticked into the fifth minute of second-half injury-time, Tipperary appeared on their way out of the championship and Limerick destined for a first Munster final in 10 years. And even when a Tipp free was won on the Mackey Stand sideline between the 20 and 45-metre lines, extra-time was anything but inevitable given the difficulty of the kick facing Conor Sweeney.

But the Premier captain held his nerve with a kick for the ages and 25 minutes later, the men in blue and gold were celebrating back-to-back Munster championship wins for the first time since the famous 2016 victory over Cork advanced them to that summer’s provincial decider.

“Many a year Tipperary would probably have lost that game,” said Power.

“We didn't start well, we were seven down at half-time. The writing was probably on the wall. We were too lethargic, we were going too lateral with the ball. After half-time, they gave it a right rattle.

Limerick's Iain Corbett and Michael Quinlivan of Tipperary. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

“You can't buy that there today, you can’t train that. That's huge character building. We have got things to work on but isn’t it great to be actually talking about that. That type of game is a typical game that Tipp football would have been losing. That is a massive win for Tipperary football.” Well-worked Sean McSweeney and Cillian Fahy goals either side of a Tommy Griffin point propelled Limerick seven to the good on 32 minutes and they took this advantage with them into the second half.

There was, however, a significant shift in dominance upon the restart, the visitors reeling off 1-6 without reply — Liam Casey with the goal — to move into a 1-11 to 2-6 lead come the second water break.

Darragh Treacy’s 58th-minute point was Limerick’s first of the half, with two further white flags from Hugh Bourke (free) and Cian Sheehan edging the hosts back in front as five minutes of injury-time was signalled. Sweeney’s masterful effort in the fifth of those additional minutes forced extra-time.

The sides were level on two further occasions before substitute Brian Fox, a veteran of 13 seasons, popped up in the 90th minute to float over the winner. Limerick's Seamus O’Carroll claimed a mark in the ensuing play, but he was off target with his effort.

“It is devastating for the boys,” said Limerick boss Billy Lee. “At the end of the day, we thought we had everything covered until Brian Fox kicked a super point at the end.”

Game in 60 seconds

IT MATTERED: Limerick’s tame third-quarter protection of their seven-point interval lead allowed Tipp back into the game far easier than should have been the case. Beyond that, this semi-final boiled down to two kicks at the end of 90-plus minutes of football. Tipperary’s Brian Fox was on target with his 90th minute effort; Limerick’s Seamus O’Carroll, a minute later, was not.

CAN'T IGNORE: Conor Sweeney’s outrageous injury-time equaliser with the outside of the left boot. Standing on the Mackey Stand sideline, in between the 20 and 45-metre lines, Sweeney showed remarkable skill and nerve to bring the game to extra-time. He judged the swirling breeze to perfection.

GOOD DAY: What a transformation there has been in Tipperary’s results post lockdown. Having managed just one win from five outings last spring, the Premier men have now racked up four consecutive victories in a 20-day period.

BAD DAY: How close Limerick went to securing a 10th competitive victory of 2020 and bridging the 10-year gap to the county’s last Munster final appearance. Alas, it was not to be. Overall, it has been a year of progression for Billy Lee’s panel.

BEST ON SHOW: Jimmy Feehan, Bill Maher and Robbie Kiely were the pick of a heavily worked Tipperary defence, while Conor Sweeney’s accuracy further forward was so, so crucial. For Limerick, midfielder Tommie Childs was the starting point for so many of their attacks.

SIDELINE SMARTS: David Power got the greater return from his bench with Liam Boland kicking two points and Brian Fox producing the winner.

PHYSIO ROOM: The Tipp trio of Jack Kennedy, Emmet Moloney and Kevin Fahey departed with calf injuries. Manager David Power gave the injured Steven O’Brien and Philip Austin “a good chance” of being available for the provincial decider. Neither togged on Saturday.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Was Limerick’s Huge Bourke fouled within the large parallelogram as he bore down on the Tipperary goal in the second-half of extra-time? Referee Maurice Deegan didn’t think so. Limerick manager Billy Lee made no issue of the incident after the game.

WHERE NEXT: Tipperary will contest the county’s first Munster final appearance in four years on Sunday, November 22. David Power is of the understanding the game will be in Thurles, irrespective of who their opponents are, given Tipp were away on the last occasion they played Kerry (2016) or Cork (2002) in a Munster final.

Scorers for Tipperary: C Sweeney (0-7, 0-5 frees); L Casey (1-0); J Kennedy (0-2 frees), L Boland (0-2 each); K Fahey, M Quinlivan, R Kiely, B Fox (0-1 each).

Scorers for Limerick: S McSweeney (1-2); C Fahy (1-1); H Bourke (0-2, 0-2 frees), D O’Sullivan (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘45); D Treacy, K Ryan, T Griffin, C Sheehan (0-1 each).

Tipperary: E Comerford; A Campbell, J Feehan, C O’Shaughnessy; B Maher, K Fahey, R Kiely; Conal Kennedy, L Casey; J Kennedy, Colman Kennedy, E Moloney; J Lonergan, C Sweeney, M Quinlivan.

Subs: B Fox for Lonergan, L Boland for Colman Kennedy (both HT); R Quigley for J Kennedy (59); K O’Halloran for Moloney (66); T Fitzgerald for O’Shaughnessy (70); Colman Kennedy for Quigley (77); P Feehan for Fahey (82).

Limerick: D O’Sullivan; S O’Dea, B Fanning, P Maher; T McCarthy, K Ryan, G Brown; D Treacy, T Childs; C Fahy, I Corbett, A Enright; S McSweeney, T Griffin, H Bourke.

Subs: P De Brún for Enright (HT); D Neville for McSweeney, C Sheehan for Griffin (51); R Childs for Brown (56); S O’Carroll for K Ryan (66); M Donovan for McCarthy (78); D Lyons for Fahy (80+2); S McSweeney for Maher (ET HT).

Referee: M Deegan (Laois).