Tipperary v Limerick: Three key moments

There were several big moments in Thurles. 

Tempers flare between Tipperary’s Eoghan Connolly and Shane O'Brien of Limerick. Pic: James Crombie

The final free 

John Kiely wouldn’t give his verdict on the three throw-ball calls that went against Limerick from the 58th minute onwards until he watched back the tape. Those accounted for two of Tipp’s final four scores.

The last of those arrived when William O’Donoghue claimed the puck-out following the Treaty’s lead score. Held up in possession, the centre-back’s attempt to offload was adjudged to be illegal by Thomas Walsh.

Darragh McCarthy put in a brilliant debut but his accuracy had erred with two of his previous three frees. He took his time to make sure there would be no mistake with the most important one of all.

John McGrath’s second goal 

Limerick have made a healthy habit of overhauling Tipp whirlwinds in the third quarter. Even after John McGrath’s first goal in the 41st minute, Tipp didn’t lead again until his second, seven minutes from time.

It capped a flowing five-pass move started by his older brother Noel’s interception. The sliotar passed through Bryan O’Mara, Jake Morris, Conor Bowe, and O’Mara again before McGrath billowed the net.

On an afternoon of controversial handpasses, John Kiely questioned Bowe’s offload in the build-up.

“If you go back two key passes out, that's one that definitely needs to be looked at,” he said.

Shane O’Brien’s big plays 

If any seeds of doubt had been planted by the Premier picking off five points in a row before half-time, they were settled by Shane O’Brien’s 38th-minute strike.

The full-forward was a standard-bearer and not just for his 1-4. Three times he stripped Ronan Maher of possession for his teammates to tap over points.

For the goal, O’Donoghue rose highest to claim the Tipp restart and O’Brien caught Colin Coughlan’s long delivery without breaking stride to round Michael Breen and thread the sliotar home from a narrow angle.