HURLING/CHAMPIONSHIP 2002: Champions Tipperary gave their most impressive display under Nicky English when reaching a third successive Guinness Munster hurling final.
If last year's success has brought on the team, the same interval hasn't been kind to Limerick. Within a whisker of Tipp at the end of the Munster final 11 months ago, Eamonn Cregan's side were demolished yesterday in a manner only hinted at by the scoreline.
For much of the second half, Limerick chased the game and picked off points to the extent that their margin of defeat was only a point greater than the half-time deficit. But at no stage after the interval - nor for most of the first half - did they remotely suggest themselves capable of disputing Tipperary's control of the game.
They lacked composure in vital areas of the field, were unable to restrain Tipperary's rampant attack - with corner back Stephen McDonagh a notable exception - and couldn't pick a way through the champions' outstanding defence in which the half backs again excelled.
The failure of his team to achieve any sort of lift-off left Eamonn Cregan stunned. Changes, switches and substitutions registered no effect as Tipperary established an advantage and comfortably maintained it. This was all the more frustrating given that Limerick had weathered a difficult opening to lead after the first quarter.
Conditions yesterday were excellent, warm and sunny and a big crowd in Páirc Uí Chaoimh to create an atmosphere more in keeping with the Munster championship than the more moderate attendances of recent weeks. Just on the throw-in, referee Aodan MacSuibhne gave yellow cards to Conor Gleeson of Tipperary and his marker Brian Geary for pre-match hostilities.
As is sometimes the case with MacSuibhne's yellow cards, they could have been worse given the actions of the two players.
Matters proceeded sluggishly for a while. By the 14th minute the score was 0-1 apiece - as it had been for nearly 10 minutes. Then John Carroll - a late but not unexpected call-up to the vacancy in attack - pushed Tipp a point ahead.
Immediately Limerick responded with the goal that threatened to open up the match. Paul O'Grady crossed the ball from the right wing and it fell invitingly for Ollie Moran to pull hard and send it flying into the net.
This goal, against the run of the play, set up Limerick for eight minutes in the lead but that was it. It didn't inspire a phase of dominance that might have tested the champions.
Anyway, early patterns still applied. Noel Morris was again providing a welcome physical presence around centrefield - he dominated exchanges there in the final quarter - and Tommy Dunne was doing what he does best, reading the possession and using his apparently effortless technique to pick up ball and shoot it back into the waiting forwards.
Again the half backs were in top form. They had lorded it in the last match against Clare in the second half and yesterday threw up another impenetrable barricade. Limerick's forwards were unable to contest incoming ball with any degree of conviction. as David Kennedy, Paul Kelly and particularly Eamonn Corcoran either latched onto the ball immediately or dug it out with greater effort.
Philip Maher was once more solid and dependable and his corner backs, Tom Costelloe and Donnacha Fahey, were in commanding form. But if the defence demoralised their opponents, it was up front that the real damage was done.
Carroll returned from injury and was slotted into the full forward position where he made a real difference. His physique and ability to show for the ball gave the team a traditional target man after the fashion of the retired Declan Ryan.
Brian O'Meara was also in fine form. A year ago he received one of those toss-up Man of the Match awards for a significant contribution to the winning of the match. Yesterday's performance was better in that it was more sustained.
After a rocky start on Mark Foley, O'Meara recovered well and had a hand in a string of Tipperary scores before half-time.
Most important was the goal, which pushed the team into a lead that was never to be threatened let alone eclipsed. It came from a surging solo run by O'Meara, who carved up the cover - extravagantly tossing the sliotar over one Limerickman and gathering it on the other side - before placing Carroll in front of goal. Carroll swivelled and hammered the ball past Joe Quaid.
Greater than all of these, though, was Eoin Kelly.
Against Clare he hit 1-8 and yesterday followed that with 0-12. Buried among the precisely dispatched frees were four points from play, a couple of them exquisite - latching onto a ball from Tommy Dunne, somehow (as always) creating the sliver of space he needs to take aim and rattle off the shot.
So far he has been the star turn of the championship - with only Paul Flynn coming near in his one outing to date - and it will take great performances from other forwards and opposing backs to change the early trend.
As Tipp went for the kill at the end of the first half, they added points to bring up an interval lead of six, 1-12 to 0-6. A breeze would favour Limerick in the second half but instead of mounting a challenge, they reeled off a succession of wides while the champions calmly pushed their lead to 10.
After that, it was all academic - and not advanced stuff either. Peter Lawlor came up from the back for a couple of points and Mark Keane hit the frees to keep the margin steady. But there was nothing more substantial to console Limerick.
HOW THEY LINED OUT
TIPPERARY: 1. B Cummins; 2. T Costello, 3. P Maher, 4. D Fahey; 5. E Corcoran, 6. D Kennedy, 7. P Kelly; 8. T Dunne, 9. N Morris; 12. B O'Meara, 11. C Gleeson, 14. J O'Brien; 13. E Kelly, 10. J Collins, 15. E O'Neill. Subs: 23. B Dunne for O'Neill (40 mins), 25. P O'Brien for J O'Brien (52 mins), 18. L Cahill for Moran (60 mins).Yellow cards Tipperary: C Gleeson (1 mins), N Morris (65 mins)
LIMERICK: 1. J Quaid; 4. S McDonagh, 3. TJ Ryan, 2. D Reale; 5. P Lawlor, 6. B Geary, 7. M Foley; 8. S Lucey, 9. C Carey; 10. P O'Grady, 11. O Moran, 12. M O'Brien; 13. O O'Neill, 14. B Begley, 15. M Keane. Subs: 18. J Butler for O'Brien (half-time), 19. B Foley for O'Neill (46 mins, 17. D Ryan for Moran (52 mins), 25. C Smith for O'Grady (56 mins).Yellow cards: Limerick: B Geary (1 mins), D Reale (39 mins)
Red cards: None.
