Limerick complete hat-trick of Munster titles with stunning 15-point comeback against Tipperary

Tipperary led 2-16 to 0-12 at the break before Limerick's second-half blast

Limerick's Kyle Hayes celebrates after scoring a goal. Picture: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan

Limerick 2-29 Tipperary 3-21

Half measures won’t cut it against this Limerick team.

So defective was their first half against Kilkenny in the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final that it ended up costing them. Here, Tipperary produced an even more damning opening-half report for John Kiely, but Limerick simply refused to let it define their afternoon.

Ten points in arrears, what did Kiely say to his men at half time? “No, I can’t, sorry,” with a look to the journalist that said he wasn’t going to entertain any more queries on the matter. He wasn’t about to give away the secret formula.

Limerick are pretty tight when it comes to protecting their principles and messages. With another 140+ minutes to go before the Liam MacCarthy Cup can be retained, Kiely wasn’t going to be a hostage to fortune either. Needless to say, the Limerick that came out of the dressing room a second time looked nothing like the one that were trailing Tipperary in the opening half.

An extraordinary Limerick comeback in this second half and it's summed up here by this Kyle Hayes effort.

Watch now on @rte2 or highlights on #sundaygame from 9.30pm pic.twitter.com/GNClAbpAlB

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 18, 2021

Liam Sheedy hailed his team’s first-half performance as the best Tipperary have produced during his time as manager. John Kiely declared the 18 minutes Limerick generated after half-time as the best they have produced in his five years in charge. In crude terms, that’s what it came down to: Limerick’s quarter was worth more than Tipperary’s half.

Scoring 1-10 to 0-1 in that third quarter, Limerick simply pulverised their neighbours. Kiely had bemoaned his team’s inability to track Tipperary’s ghost runners for their two goals in the opening half, but it was their opponents who looked haunted in the third quarter, seemingly losing all recollection of what had given them a handsome foothold in the game.

Yes, there was some fortune. Aaron Gillane could easily have been sent to the line as he was in a similar position on this field three years ago when he reacted to Cork defender Seán O’Donoghue. Here, he didn’t take too kindly to a foul by Cathal Barrett, and retaliated, but Paud O’Dwyer, after consulting with a linesman, chose to issue a yellow card and throw in the ball.

Ten minutes later and Gillane was shooting for a goal, his strike saved by Barry Hogan but the rebound falling to Seamus Flanagan to push over the goal-line. The energy it provided to the team and their supporters was priceless. Gillane followed it up with a free, and while Jake Morris did bring Limerick’s run of 1-6 without reply to a halt, they added six more scores going into the second water break.

The equalising score in the 52nd minute was a Gillane free, Gearóid Hegarty’s celebration in winning it an indication that Limerick knew they had Tipperary on the rack. Flanagan’s third point of the day a minute later put Limerick ahead for the second time and Peter Casey joined the party for the scoreboard to read 1-22 to 2-17. Limerick were deservedly greeted with a standing ovation by their supporters as they gathered close to the sideline for a minute to take in fluids.

Under a brutal sun, all the conceptions about Tipperary being an ageing team looked accurate as Hayes left players for dust with his solo goal down the left wing in the 54th minute. The purpose of the run, the execution of the finish were so damn convincing that O’Dwyer could have blown the final whistle there and then to confirm Limerick’s Munster three-in-a-row, their first in 85 years.

The majority of Tipperary starters were spent, although an injection of life from the bench made the scoreline more digestible for Tipp, ensuring their losing margin was less than their previous knockout provincial reverses against Limerick.

Leading 2-16 to 0-12 at half-time, Tipperary weren’t thinking along those lines. Dismissed going into this game, they went about defying those beliefs. Before Limerick later redefined the meaning of blistering and breathtaking hurling, Tipp had first coined it in the opening half.

Hungrier and boasting a better touch, they feasted on Limerick’s puckouts while their movement off the ball would have delighted coach Eamon O’Shea, certainly the manner in which Morris and John O’Dwyer burst onto the breaks from long puckouts.

Morris set the tone in the fourth minute when a long puckout sent Seamus Callanan’s way came into the young Nenagh man’s path and he bulged the net. Jason Forde was looking unmarkable and showed great hands in the 11th minute to put Tipperary four points up.

Despite a series of wides, that remained Tipperary’s leading margin at the first water break, 1-8 to 0-7, and on the resumption, John O’Dwyer had beaten Nickie Quaid again. Once more it came from a Barry Hogan puckout that was broken down before the onrushing O’Dwyer seized his chance.

It was Limerick who then looked shellshocked and found themselves 10 behind on the half-hour mark after Tipperary hit them for a string of four scores, Forde providing two. Gillane and Dan Morrissey were introduced by the break, but the 10-point difference remained on the turnaround.

Before Kehoe’s consolation goal, Limerick had transformed this game to the tune of 18 points. They will more than settle for 15, but it was on the back of a similarly emphatic ending to their 2019 Munster final against Tipperary that they were caught by Kilkenny.

Schoolmaster Kiely won’t consider that lesson has been learned until they are looking forward to an All-Ireland final on the evening of August 7, but it appears the homework has been done.

The 60-second report

IT MATTERED

To go into the second half water break two points up having been 10 points down 18 minutes earlier was the winning of the game for Limerick.

CAN’T IGNORE

The almighty power of Limerick’s third quarter. It was a crushing reversal of fortune for Tipperary.

GOOD DAY

2019 will have taught Limerick not to get ahead of themselves having beaten Tipperary in a Munster final but this special group created a bit of history in completing the provincial three in a row.

BAD DAY

Another knockout championship defeat for Tipperary against Limerick. Mark Kehoe’s additional time goal put a better complexion on it but the theory that Limerick have their number isn’t going to go away anytime soon, it would seem.

PHYSIO ROOM

Richie English was replaced as a temporary substitute but didn’t return to the field. On an energy-sapping day and given how much Wexford’s Leinster semi-final took out of them two weeks later in a qualifier, Tipperary will hope their efforts here don’t cost them in the future.

SIDELINE SMARTS

On their own puck-out in the first half, Tipperary hit long and worked off the breaks in their full-forward line to great effect. After half-time, it was a role reversal as the All-Ireland champions tore into the puck-outs.

BEST ON SHOW

Jason Forde raced into an early lead for this acknowledgement only for Cian Lynch to take a hold of the game in the third quarter when Limerick ran rampant. Tom Morrissey was well and truly back in form with five points from play and this was Jake Morris’s best display for Tipperary yet.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

A gruelling day for the players as it was for Paud O’Dwyer who did contribute to the spectacle but the Aaron Gillane decision was a glaring one and did partly influence what was to follow.

NEXT UP

Limerick’s All-Ireland semi-final takes place on Saturday, August 7. Tipperary can face all but Clare, providing they win their next qualifier, in their All-Ireland quarter-final the weekend after next.

Scorers for Limerick: T. Morrissey (1 free), A. Gillane (4 frees) (0-6 each); S. Flanagan (1-3); P. Casey (0-5); D. Byrnes (0-4, 2 frees, 1 65), G. Hegarty (0-3); K. Hayes (1-0); C. Lynch, D. Reidy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde (0-11, 3 frees, 1 65); J. O’Dwyer (1-2); J. Morris (1-2); M. Kehoe (1-0); D. McCormack, S. Callanan, S. Kennedy, W. Connors, R. Maher, M. Breen (0-1 each).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; S. Finn, R. English, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), K. Hayes; W. O’Donoghue, D. O’Donovan; G. Hegarty, C. Lynch. T. Morrissey; P. Casey, G. Mulcahy, S. Flanagan.

Subs for Limerick: A. Gillane for G. Mulcahy, T. Morrissey for R. English (temp) (both 31); D. Reidy for D. O’Donovan (65); C. Boylan for T. Morrissey (66); P. Ryan for S. Flanagan (68); R. Hanley for C. Lynch (70).

TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; P. Maher, C. Barrett, B. Heffernan; S. Kennedy, B. Maher, R. Maher; D. McCormack, A. Flynn; M. Breen, J. Forde, N. McGrath; J. Morris, S. Callanan (c), J. O’Dwyer.

Subs for Tipperary: W. Connors for A. Flynn (52); M. Kehoe for N. McGrath, N. O’Meara for J. O’Dwyer, N. O’Meara for D. McCormack (all 56); B. McGrath for B. Heffernan (59).

Referee: P. O’Dwyer (Carlow).