Tipperary beat the wind and Limerick to claim Munster U20 B trophy
Tipp ran out 13-point winners with late substitute Ciarán Kelly tagging on 1-2 in stoppage time. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Tipperary captured the Munster U20 B trophy by scoring 2-15 without reply in the second half of a game dictated by the gale at Mick Neville Park.
Such was the strength of the wind that the Premier also didn’t register any flag in the first half. They did limit Limerick to 2-2, though. Upon the change of ends, Liam Freaney did the heavy lifting with 1-6 on the trot as they bypassed that total by the 42nd minute.
From there, Tipp ran out 13-point winners with late substitute Ciarán Kelly tagging on 1-2 in stoppage time.
They advance to an All-Ireland B semi-final against the fourth-ranked Connacht representatives.
The game worked out like a cricket match as Limerick, who won the toss, looked to set a target for Tipp to catch. The Premier mustered three shots in the first half, and the Treaty totalled two in the second, none of which were scored.
Home prospects were boosted by a giveaway goal after 50 seconds. Barry Griffin poached upon a loose pass and fed Callum Kiely to sweep low to the net.
Tipp didn’t get the ball beyond halfway until the fourth minute. From there, they managed to kill the clock until the quarter-hour mark.
But the Tipp blockade was broken as Limerick rattled 1-2 between the 16th and 18th minutes. Dylan Cotter got off a fine block, but the ball fell for Michael Mulcahy to exploit the space for a point.
From the kick-out, the Treaty worked the ball forward through Cian Costelloe and Conor Ó Longaigh to Kiely. He dragged his shot across goal, but Aidan O’Shea dived in to poke home.
Costelloe and Ó Longaigh combined again for the latter to point for 2-2 to no score. They almost added a third goal as Ó Longaigh brilliantly picked out O’Shea, who fired wide.
Tipp dug in and could’ve scrambled a late goal from Limerick errors. Seán Griffin hadn’t time to react before the ball ricocheted wide and they couldn’t punish again when the ball ran loose in the square.
Trailing by eight, Tipp didn’t make any inroads until the 36th minute. Yet by the 42nd, they were ahead.
Emmet Bonner did well to recycle off the turf to Cotter for a morale-boosting two-pointer. Oran Gahan then sprinted away for a white flag.
The game turned on a six-point swing in the 40th minute. Liam Glynn was denied by a Peter Boland save and Tipp countered. Bonner capitalised on a loose pass and booted long for Charlie Walsh, who slid in to lay off for Freaney. The captain picked out Shane Ryan and made the run to take the return pass to finish.
From the kick-out, Freaney leathered the levelling two-pointer for 2-2 to 1-5. And the captain completed what the GAA has termed a ‘tricolour’ of green, white, and orange flags with a one-pointer, claiming a long ball and tapping over.
Two Freaney frees added to Tipp’s cushion before adding another from play. By that juncture, the Kilsheelan-Kilcash forward had strung together 1-6 without reply.
He turned provider for the next score, slotted by Shane Ryan, and would later lay on the 63rd-minute goal for Kelly.
C Kiely, A O’Shea (1-0 each); M Mulcahy, C Ó Longaigh (0-1 each).
L Freaney (1-6, 1tp, 0-2 frees); C Kelly (1-2, 0-1 free); D Cotter (tp), S Ryan (1 free) (0-2 each); O Gahan, D Bresnan, J Yousif (0-1 each).
: C Purcell (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); C O’Sullivan (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), M O’Connor (Fr Casey’s), D McCarthy (Fr Casey’s); P Hennessy (Camogue Rovers), A Kearney (Monaleen), C Ó Longaigh (Mungret St Paul’s); A O’Shea (Cappagh), E Curry (Athea); B Griffin (Monaleen), L Glynn (Ahane), C Costelloe (Cappagh); C Kiely (Claughaun), P Phelan (Pallasgreen, capt), M Mulcahy (St Senan’s).
Subs: Samuel Colgan (Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan) for Phelan (44), C Meade (St Senan’s) for Glynn (52), D O’Carroll (Cappagh) for Kiely (57), C Mangan (Mungret St Paul’s) for Costelloe (59).
: P Boland (Moyle Rovers); J McGonigle (Rockwell Rovers), G Neville (Fethard), E Bonner (Galtee Rovers); P Chapman (Aherlow), J O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials), J Kearney (Ballyporeen); S Griffin (Upperchurch-Drombane), D Cotter (Thurles Gaels); S Bourke (Aherlow), J Power (Clonmel Commercials), O Gahan (St Patrick’s); C Walsh (Fethard), S Ryan (Ardfinnan), L Freaney (Kilsheelan-Kilcash, capt).
Subs: Darragh Bresnan (Arravale Rovers) for Gahan (42), K Smith (Clonmel Commercials) for Walsh (52), J Yousif (Clonmel Óg) for Bourke (56), C Kelly (Arravale Rovers) for Ryan (60), D Hogan (JK Brackens) for Cotter (60).
: G Twomey (Clare).
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