Tipperary's dismal season comes to an end with another heavy defeat
Limerick beat Tipp by 17 points at TUS Gaelic Grounds
Limerick 5-27 Tipperary 0-25
The curtain came down on Tipperary’s disappointing, unsuccessful season with another heavy defeat this afternoon, this time at the TUS Gaelic Grounds at the hands of Limerick.
The home team won by 17 points and the harsh reality is that they didn’t need to hit top gear to do so, in front of an attendance of 29, 069.
To their credit, Tipp were competitive in the first half and at the midway stage just four points separated the teams. However, the second half was much more one-sided.
The second half was just two minutes old when Eoghan Connolly hauled down Kyle Hayes, which had the double whammy of earning the Tipp player a black card and Limerick a penalty. Diarmuid Byrnes duly dispatched the penalty to the net to enhance Limerick’s advantage.
They were streets ahead of their opponents but to their credit Tipp never threw in the towel. They kept the scoreboard somewhat respectable with scores from Darragh McCarthy’s free, Sam O’Farrell, Conor Stakelum, Stefan Tobin and Jake Morris.
However, Limerick piled on even more misery with further goals from Aidan O’Connor in the 43rd minute and Aaron Gillane eight minutes later, as they strolled towards the final whistle. That all meant that Tipp’s season petered out to a tame conclusion.
While Tipp bade farewell to the championship for another year, it could also be the swansong for the careers of some of Tipperary’s great servants, who could well have reached the end of the line in their inter-county careers.Time will tell.
Their bid to retain the MacCarthy Cup may have floundered in the provincial championship, but Liam Cahill and Tipperary will always be remembered for last year’s glorious achievement in a season when their chances of doing so were never rated that high. They will rise again.
When Aaron Gillane’s low shot flew past Rhys Shelly for Limerick’s first goal after just 13 seconds, it looked as if Tipp were in for a torrid afternoon, and that it would be a case of damage limitation.
However, despite conceding a very soft second goal after seven minutes, Tipp did well to claw their way back into the game to the extent that they were just four points behind at half-time.
That second goal summed up Tipp’s season, as Aidan O’Connor’s 65 went straight to the net, with Rhys Shelly possibly distracted by the presence of Aaron Gillane.
At that stage Limerick were purring. They were finding ample space in the Tipp half of the field and could have had another goal, only for Bryan O’Mara to produce a tremendous block to divert a shot by the unmarked Aaron Gillane.
Limerick were nine points ahead by the 11th minute when Mike Casey scored, as Tipp were struggling to make any impression. Each of their scores registered barely a murmur from the sparse Tipp support, but their team got to grips with Limerick as the half progressed.
Tipp’s resistance was led by players such as Oisín O’Donoghue, Eoghan Connolly and Ronan Maher in defence, Conor Stakelum at midfield and Stefan Tobin, who was putting himself about in attack.
Stefan Tobin and Darragh McCarthy, from a free, had points before Noel McGrath had another, and when Jake Morris scored when he was located by Rhys Shelly’s puckout, they had four without reply.
A rising shot by Stefan Tobin that flew over the bar in the 25th minute (2-9 to 0-10) was followed by an accurate long range free from Eoghan Connolly, a score that prompted a few anxious shouts from Limerick followers.
When Connolly converted another free, from his own half, in the 28th minute, there was only a goal between the teams (2-9 to 0-12), a margin that remained the same when Peter Casey and Darragh McCarthy (free) traded scores.
Limerick led by 2-12 to 0-14 at the break thanks to Diarmuid Byrnes’ late score from a free.
Tipperary: Rhys Shelly, Robert Doyle, Ronan Maher (captain (0-1), Keith Ryan, Eoghan Connolly (0-4, 2 frees) Bryan O’Mara, Seamus Kennedy, Conor Stakelum (0-3), Alan Tynan, Oisín O’Donoghue, Jake Morris (0-3), Noel McGrath (0-2), Darragh McCarthy (0-7 frees), John McGrath, Stefan Tobin (0-3).
Substitutes: Sam O’Farrell (0-1) for Alan Tynan (42 minutes), Joe Caesar for Seamus Kennedy (45 minutes), Michael Breen for Noel McGrath (50 minutes), Paddy Mc\Cormack (0-1) for John McGrath (54 minutes), Jamie Ormond for Darragh McCarthy (61 minutes), Brian McGrath for Keith Ryan (temporary).
Limerick: Nickie Quaid, Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey (0-1), Diarmuid Byrnes (1-3, 1-0 penalty 0-2 frees), William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes, Adam English (0-1), Darragh O’Donovan (0-1), Gearóid Hegarty (0-2), Aidan O’Connor (2-7, 0-5 frees, 1-0 ‘65), Cathal O’Neill (0-2), Aaron Gillane (2-0), Cian Lynch (captain 0-2)), Peter Casey (0-1).
Substitutes: Barry Nash (0-1) for Mike Casey (half-time), Tom Morrissey (0-4) for Adam English (48 minutes), David Reidy for Peter Casey (48 minutes), Shane O’Brien (0-2) for Aaron Gillane, Colin Coughlan for Kyle Hayes (61 minutes).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).