National Hurling League, Division 1A: Limerick 0-30 Tipperary 1-23
In the grand tradition of the league, there was a little something for everyone. Limerick pulled away in the end, but Tipperary had been good in the first half, and unlike other visits to the Gaelic Grounds in recent years, they got out in one piece. At this time of the year, small mercies are precious.
On a pitch that had the consistency of old custard, Limerick’s power made a difference in the second half. Tipperary are clearly more advanced in their conditioning than other teams in the league, but they don’t have Limerick’s physicality yet, or years of hard seasoning.
Around the middle third their energy levels flagged, and Limerick put on a spurt to go four points clear heading into the final quarter. Unlike last week against Cork, that lead never looked vulnerable. Tipp didn’t score from play after the 44th minute and Limerick had them at arm’s length.
It is hard to tell what fraction of their championship team Limerick fielded, but the forward line especially was teeming with understudies. Ultimately, there might not be a vacancy in the half forward line, but Aidan O’Connor built on a solid performance against Cork with five points from five shots here and he looks like a player who will be trusted again.
One of the absentees from the forward line was Séamus Flanagan, who was omitted from the match day squad. Footage of Flanagan striking Niall O’Leary with the hurley in the Cork match circulated on social media during the week and it looks now as if the CCCC won’t be taking any action. John Kiely characterised Flanagan’s omission, though, as a disciplinary issue.
“Séamus wasn’t togged out,” said Kiely. “It’s an internal matter. We took it on ourselves to deal with it. It’s finished, it’s done, it’s dusted. He missed today’s game, we move on. He regrets it, we move on. It was one of those moments, it was poor from him, but we move on.”
Tipperary led for long periods of the first half but were only a point ahead at the break. Limerick’s spells of dominance, though, were more productive and pronounced.
Cian Lynch was terrific again at centre field and after a poor evening against Cork, Diarmuid Byrnes had a storming game at wing back. Tipp were unable to close him down and he punished them with four long-range points from play and another three from frees.
Behind him Barry Murphy had another impressive audition as an attacking corner back and Adam English strengthened his case to be Will O’Donoghue’s junior partner at centre field. By the end of the league it is easy to imagine that Limerick will have more competition for places than at any time since 2018.
In terms of intensity and ferocity, though, this was nothing like Limerick’s opening league game a week ago. There were 40 shots in the first half with very few restrictions or impediments. It wasn’t unusual for either team to stitch five or six passes together and move the ball to a designated shooting zone. Nobody plays that game better than Limerick.
By the break, though, eight Tipp players had scored from play, including five of their forwards. Seanie Kenneally at full forward gave Dan Morrissey a bellyful and 10 minutes before half-time he scored a goal that would be an ornament on any game.
Darragh McCarthy won a duel under a high ball inside the Limerick 20-metre line and played a lightning pass to Kenneally. There was a menu of simple options available, but Kenneally doubled on the ball first time and sent it flying past Shane Dowling in the Limerick goal.
Kenneally finished the game with 1-3 from play while McCarthy was deadly from frees again, missing just once from 10 attempts. Jake Morris is the leader of the attack now, and picked off four points in another lively performance, but McCarthy and Kenneally are young and spunky, and Tipp need forwards with those qualities.
In the last half an hour of the game, though, McCarthy was Tipp’s only scorer and that formula was never going to trouble Limerick down the home stretch.
“I think we did [struggle with Limerick’s physicality],” said Cahill. “We’ve also tried to put our own stamp on the way we’re trying to play. A lot of teams have laboured in that department, we’re not the first over the last seven, eight, nine years – a lot of teams have struggled in the physical stakes with Limerick.
“But today we moved that ball a little bit better and tried to avoid contact as much as possible and trust our hurling a bit more. Definitely, that’s the route we’ll really concentrate on as the weather gets better and that ball gets drier and faster.”
Another little something.
Limerick: S Dowling, F O’Connor, D Morrissey, B Murphy, D Byrnes (0-7, three frees), K Hayes, C Coughlan, A English (0-3), C Lynch (0-2), E Stokes (0-1), D Reidy (0-3), A O’Connor (0-5), A Gillane (0-4, three frees), D Ó Dálaigh, P O’Donovan (0-3). Subs: E Hurley (0-2) for Hayes 25 mins; M Houlihan for Ó‘Dálaigh 47 mins; H Flanagan for Stokes 66 mins; D Lynch for O’Donovan 58 mins.
Tipperary: B Hogan, R Doyle, E Connolly, M Breen (0-1), S Kennedy, R Maher, B O’Mara (0-1), W Connors (0-1), C Morgan, G O’Connor (0-1), A Tynan (0-3), J Morris (0-4), D Stakelum, S Kenneally (1-3), D McCarthy (0-9, nine frees). Subs: C Bowe for Stakelum 46 mins; B McGrath for Kennedy 46 mins; M Corcoran for Morgan 57 mins; J McGrath for O’Connor 65 mins; J Ryan for Connors 65 mins.
Referee: C Mooney (Dublin).
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