Both sides taking the positives from another Munster classic

A late free denied Limerick a victory that had looked for so long beyond them and now leaves them requiring a win against Cork to keep their four-in-a-row hopes intact

FULL STRETCH: Diarmaid Byrnes of Limerick has a clearance blocked by Seamus Kennedy of Tipperary during the Munster SHC round 4 match at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

TIPPERARY 0-25 LIMERICK 0-25 

In this merciless Munster championship, the draws have a thousand fathers and the opposing managements were forthcoming with their claims to the shared points.

Substitute John McGrath dusted himself off after a William O’Donoghue foul to seal Tipperary a point and one foot in the knock-out stages of the All-Ireland series. In doing so, McGrath compensated for the placed ball he missed to go a point up late on against Cork 15 days earlier.

A 50-50 call, the free denied Limerick a victory that had looked for so long beyond them and now leaves them requiring a win against Cork to keep their four-in-a-row hopes intact. And yet it was a mark of their class that they were able to fashion an advantage through Tom Morrissey in additional time.

A frenzied finish in keeping with this manic competition, Barry Nash was dismissed for a second bookable offence in additional time just after Limerick had earned a free. Nash appeared to confront Dan McCormack after Seán Stack had made the initial decision.

What Liam Cahill was red carded a couple of minutes later for is uncertain, although he had taken great exception to a couple of decisions such a sideline ball going Limerick’s way prior to McGrath sending over the free for Tipperary’s second successive draw.

Seeing his team eat into a half-time deficit, 0-12 to 0-15, and go ahead in the 40th minute, John Kiely was putting on a defiant face, insisting his team were getting better all the time. Taking off underperforming Cian Lynch, Gearóid Hegarty and Seamus Flanagan earlier in the second half point to difficulties and yet they were within a whisker of a win.

“Happy with the result,” said Kiely who reported Limerick had 24 scoring opportunities to Tipperary’s 14 in the second half. “Could have got the win. We probably feel we could have got the win too based on the number of scoring chances we had versus the number of scoring chances we converted. Definitely more than 40-odd scoring chances. Just didn’t convert enough of them but at the same time really happy with the performance.

“I thought the performance was another incremental improvement on the last day, which was another incremental improvement again on the previous day. Our trajectory is in the right direction. We have had three really good performances on an improving scale.” 

Those early withdrawals of Hegarty, Lynch and Flanagan were a credit to the Tipperary markers McCormack, Bryan O’Mara, who repeated his fine 2022 Fitzgibbon Cup final performance against Lynch, and Cathal Barrett.

Tipperary selector Declan Laffan, happy that the team remain the only unbeaten county in Munster, was delighted with the outcome of those assignments. “They did (go well) today but ye all know yourselves in sport, the next day they mightn’t. You always have to be on guard.

“I thought Dan McCormack did brilliant on Gearoid Hegarty, Bryan O’Mara on Cian Lynch, the inside back line, I think pretty much all of them worked to be fair. Today they worked, another day they mightn’t.” 

Having been outplayed for so much of the first half, it was a credit Limerick that they were only three points in arrears at the turnaround. Cathal O’Neill sent over three points, Gillane was being productive with the little ball that came his way and Tom Morrissey was continuing his rich vein of form.

At the other end, the ball was sticking better. Jake Morris had four points to his name by the 22nd minute as Limerick’s defence were fluffing their lines. Morris appeared to be in for a goal chance in the 24th minute only for Seán Stack to blow Patrick Maher unfairly for a throw ball.

Tipperary were never more than three points ahead but hit that margin on eight occasions in the first half. In the second, they were never more than two up but were keeping ahead of Limerick with some fine scores by substitute Conor Bowe.

Limerick’s replacements were also making their presence felt, Peter Casey and Graeme Mulcahy contributing scores. It was Mulcahy’s second offering that brought Limerick level for the eighth time in the fourth minute of additional time before Morrissey appeared to have sent over the crucial score only for McGrath to intervene.

Laffan had nothing but praise for his fellow Loughmore-Castleiney man. “Ah look, it took balls of steel to stand up there after the last day and kudos to him, fair play to him. Really proud of him. Tremendous for him personally.” 

For the fifth time in championship, Cahill may not have got the better of Limerick but it’s he and Tipperary who are up the better grid position going into the finale of this enthralling championship.

“We would dearly like to stay in the championship for as long as we possibly can,” Kiely said. “Our opportunity to stay in it comes next Sunday so we’ll get our pieces right during the week and we’ll try and be the best team we can be and hopefully improve yet again from this week to next week like we have been doing over the last number of games and hope that will be enough to get us where we want to be.” 

Scorers for Tipperary: G. O’Connor (0-9, 8 frees); J. Morris (0-5); M. Kehoe, C. Bowe (0-3 each); N. McGrath (0-2, 1 sideline); R. Shelly (free); S. Callanan, J. McGrath (free) (0-1 each).

Scorers for Limerick: A. Gillane (0-6, 3 frees); C. O’Neill (0-5); D. Byrnes (3 frees), T. Morrissey (0-4 each); S. Flanagan, G. Mulcahy (0-2 each); D. Hannon, P. Casey (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: R. Shelly; R. Maher, C. Barrett, M. Breen; D. McCormack, B. O’Mara, E. Connolly; A. Tynan, S. Kennedy; C. Stakelum, N. McGrath (c), J. Morris; P. Maher, M. Kehoe, G. O’Connor.

Subs: S. Callanan for P. Maher (temp, 12-14); S. Callanan for A. Tynan (46); C. Bowe for P. Maher (53); B. McGrath for C. Barrett (temp 60-f-t); J. Ryan for C. Stakelum (inj), S. Ryan for G. O’Connor (both 69); J. McGrath for N.McGrath (70+5).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; M. Casey, D. Morrissey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), K. Hayes; D. O’Donovan, W. O’Donoghue; T. Morrissey, C. Lynch, G. Hegarty; A. Gillane, S. Flanagan, C. O’Neill.

Subs: P. Casey for C. Lynch (50); C. Boylan for G. Hegarty (57); G. Mulcahy for S. Flanagan (60); D. Reidy for C. O’Neill (64); R. English for M. Casey (65).

Sent off: B. Nash (70+2, second yellow).

Referee: S. Stack (Dublin).