Tipperary ease past Limerick by 11-points in McGrath Cup
EASE TO VICTORY: Tipperary's Daithi Hogan in action against Lee Woulfe, left, and Ciaran Uwatse of Limerick. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Tipperary came with a stronger deck than Limerick and proved easy winners in this McGrath Cup opener at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale.
U20 graduates Paddy O’Keeffe (0-4) and Charlie King (0-3) took their opportunities to lay down a marker, while Seán O’Connor added four points before being called ashore.
Tipp led 0-9 to 0-1 at half-time, and though errors crept into their game thereafter, they wound up 11-point winners.
It said something of the intensity of this match that the first free didn’t arrive until the 22nd minute. Indeed, only one free was scored across the 60 minutes as Tipp’s 0-15 total came from play.
With Limerick eyeing a challenge game against Meath this weekend, an entirely new-look team struggled to work the scoreboard. Corner-back Aaron Neville assisted two points and prevented a goal chance, while Sam Colgan made an impact off the bench.
“Limerick were more experimental than we were. That was clear. We still had a vast majority of our players under the age of 21, so we’re a very young side,” said Tipp manager Niall Fitzgerald.
“There was a lot of lads there who have never played championship or even league games with Tipp.
“We're trying to build from the bottom and these young players are going to be very important to us, so it's good that they're getting a bit of experience.
“The first half was good. The second half was very sloppy. A lot of unforced turnovers. We weren't happy with it at all. Look, it's January, it's a run out, and it's good to get games this time of the year.”
Jimmy Lee included two of last year’s Limerick squad in Seán Clancy, the Galtee Gaels midfielder being named as captain for the day, and Rory O’Brien. None of his Tailteann Cup final starting side featured.
First-time county champions, Mungret St Paul’s, were rewarded with the highest representation through Ciarán Uwatse, Tom Lloyd, and Oisín Moss. However, a bout of illness running through the camp limited them to three available subs.
Fitzgerald demonstrated his trust in Tipperary’s youth by populating half his team with those who’d played U20 football under his stewardship over the past three years.
That included a first senior involvement for Holycross-Ballycahill dual recruit Eoin Craddock, who won Munster U20 Hurling and Fitzgibbon Cup titles in 2024.
Still, more of the Tipp team had championship experience. It showed in their greater ability to turn attacks into shots with seven to Limerick’s one inside a dozen minutes.
The Treaty did get the ball forward, but when Fintáin McNamara got in on goal, Jack O’Neill stripped the ball.
Tipp’s first two points came from such turnovers. Craddock immediately settled with a debut score. Cian Smith had the next with a clever reverse run to take the final pass from O’Connor.
After their first miss, Cathal Deely won the next two kick-outs, providing for Smith’s second point and O’Connor’s first.
Limerick gained their only point of the half in the 13th minute. Moss and O’Brien laid the groundwork for Shane Cross to escape along the endline to fist between the posts.
Tipp gobbled up a handful of turnovers to reel off all five points from there to the break, beginning with one from O’Connor. James Morris came forward from centre-back to tap over the next. O’Keeffe kicked over a pair, with the first coming through Craddock and O’Connor in a flowing move. The latter pair combined for a goal chance, although Neville ripped the ball from Craddock’s grasp.
O’Connor booted the last point of the half, tiptoing inside the arc for a one-pointer. Their lead was eight at midway.
Tipp resumed in a similar vein to move 10 clear. Killian Butler picked out King in space for a handpassed point before O’Keeffe was sharp to the breaking ball for his third.
Limerick began to gain a foothold with a sustained period of possession. Cross converted the only pointed free before substitute Colgan picked off a wonderful score after surviving a strong tackle.
King cut onto his left for his second from wing-back before O’Connor landed his third with his final act.
His replacement, Daithí Hogan, made an immediate impact with a speedy give-and-go which resulted in O’Keeffe’s fourth. That duo combined again to lay for another handpassed score by King.
At the other end, Colgan’s confidence was high as his outside-of-the-boot crossfield pass to Neville paid off for an Evan Curry point.
There was no further score for the final 10 minutes.
: S Cross (0-2, 1 free); S Colgan, E Curry (0-1 each).
S O’Connor, P O’Keeffe (0-4 each); C King (0-3); C Smith (0-2); J Morris, E Craddock (0-1 each).
: J Dolan; A Neville, C Uwatse, C O’Connell; T Lloyd, O Moss, L Woulfe; S Quigley, S Clancy (capt); K Mullins, R O’Brien, C Meade; F McNamara, S Cross, P Phelan.
: R McElligott for Dolan (h-t), S Colgan for Quigley (36), C O’Sullivan for Clancy (47).
: S Garland; J Harney, E O’Connell, J O’Neill; C King, J Morris, L Boland; J Higgins, K Costello; E Craddock, C Deely, K Butler; C Smith, S O’Connor, P O’Keeffe.
: B Comerford for Deely (37), B Carey for Smith (45), D Hogan for O’Connor (45), M Russell for Butler (45), N Heffernan for Boland (47), M McFadden for Harney (52).
: B Griffin (Kerry).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
