Munster SHC/Tipperary 2-14 Limerick 2-14: It could have been worse all around. Yesterday's Guinness Munster hurling first-round match at Semple Stadium attracted a modest attendance of 28,353 that was nonetheless better than expected. Limerick let match-winning positions slip twice, but were relieved to draw level in the final seconds.
Tipperary had the frustration of failing to defend their unlikely lead for all of the necessary half a minute. But with the team wretchedly underperforming they can't have too many complaints about having to replay this fixture.
Compared to a year ago, when Tipperary held out for the narrowest of wins in the qualifiers, the teams were unrecognisable. Limerick had coherence, improved individual performances and greater conviction; their opponents had to survive the misfiring of virtually all their big guns. Yet the balance of power shifted by only a point.
Limerick's spirit and improvement were the story of the afternoon and presumably the team will have been brought on by a performance that defied the pre-match consensus, if not the darker forebodings of Tipp sceptics.
For the first 10 minutes, however, Tipperary looked slick and self-assured and raced ahead, 0-4 to 0-1. Eoin Kelly moved to full forward from the start, but Damien Reale followed him in from the corner with Stephen Lucey moving out.
Kelly shimmered for a third-minute point, but that was his last score from play until the second half, when he moved to the 40, with Reale enjoying a good period as the supply into Kelly disintegrated.
Tipperary's early dominance featured a strong display by their centrefields Colin Morrissey and Paul Kelly, whose long-range, dead-ball striking provided a vital four points.
When the decline came it impacted in a familiar location, the half-forward line. Debutant Francis Devanney lost out to Brian Geary's prowess in the air and neither John Devane nor Benny Dunne did much to redress the balance despite a couple of switches.
The influence of Limerick's half backs, winning their own battles and supporting the full backs, made itself felt all around the defence.
Donal O'Grady came into the match at centrefield and by degrees the pressure was reversed. TJ Ryan's switch from full back to full forward was a talking point in Limerick's reconfiguration this year. But he came through shining.
Taking the frees, he had a flawless afternoon from dead balls and ended up with 1-7. His brother Donie worked hard beside him and in the half-forward line Conor Fitzgerald and Lucey, the returned dual contingent, had a great match on Eamonn Corcoran, whose indignity was complete when he was replaced in the second half.
Corcoran wasn't the only one of Tipp's blue-chip players to have an unhappy afternoon. Brendan Cummins spilled a 20th-minute shot from Andrew O'Shaughnessy, and Donnacha Sheehan slipped in the loose ball to put Limerick in front 1-4 to 0-5. That two-point lead was intact at half-time and it was clear Tipperary would have to improve to get a grip on the match.
In fact, the opposite happened. Within minutes of the restart Donie Ryan had been brought down by Paul Curran, the most jittery of Tipperary's full backs, who as a unit lacked composure.
TJ Ryan blasted the ball to the net and the gap was five. Limerick were in the ascendant and Tipp looked to be in freefall. This impression persisted through the third quarter. Ryan pounced in the 47th minute and ran a goal chance for himself, getting the advantage after being fouled but shooting wide.
Ger "Redser" O'Grady had been brought on at half-time almost it seemed out of desperation, but the big Thurles forward at least brought urgency to the job. Unfortunately for him he took some wrong shooting options and posted three wides in fairly quick succession.
But his ability in the air and enthusiasm turned the match in the 53rd minute. Having been moved to full forward, he took a long ball from Morrissey cleanly over the head of Lucey and slid the ball into the net. It was something of a shock to note the margin was down to two.
Seconds later, Tommy Dunne, another replacement, flexed his wrists and snapped over a point to cut the deficit to the minimum.
Eoin Kelly had moved out in the switch with O'Grady and he also benefited from the move, scoring twice in quick succession to complete a six-minute burst of 1-3, which left Tipp a point in front.
Limerick can feel particularly happy with their response. With the match on the edge, they recovered composure and stayed with their opponents before Joe McKenna's substitution policy paid its own dividend.
Pat Tobin flung over two fine points, one after great work by O'Shaughnessy and the other made by Mark Foley's clearance.
The match was in injury-time when Paul Kelly's line ball dipped in over a bunched Limerick defence and John Devane finished to the net for another one-point lead with time nearly up.
Once again Limerick responded and it was Paul O'Grady, who had had a quiet enough game at centrefield, who drove the equaliser.
Most would agree Limerick didn't deserve to lose, but they came close. The replay will be next Saturday evening in the Gaelic Grounds at 6.30pm.
TIPPERARY: 1. B Cummins; 2. M Maher, 3. P Maher, 4. P Curran; 5. D Fanning, 6. D Kennedy, 7. E Corcoran; 8. C Morrissey (0-1), 9. P Kelly (0-5, 4 frees); 10. J Devane (1-0), 11. F Devanney, 12. B Dunne (capt); 14. P O'Brien, 13. E Kelly (0-6, 4 frees), 15. L Corbett (0-1). Subs: 22. G O'Grady (1-0) for Devanney (half-time), 18. T Dunne (0-1) for B Dunne (44 mins), 20. D Fitzgerald for Corcoran (63 mins), 26. M Webster for Morrissey (66 mins), 19. D Egan for O'Brien (71 mins).
LIMERICK: 1. T Houlihan; 3. S Lucey, 2. D Reale, 4. M Foley; 5. O Moran (capt), 6. B Geary, 7. P Lawlor; 8. P O'Grady (0-1), 9. D O'Grady; 10. C Fitzgerald (0-1), 11. N Moran (0-3), 12. A O'Shaughnessy; 15. D Sheehan (1-0), 14. TJ Ryan (1-7, 1-5 frees), 13. D Ryan. Subs: 17. P Tobin (0-2) for Sheehan (61 mins), M Cahill for Fitzgerald (72 mins).
Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).
