ROUT OF THIS WORLD
Ignore the score.. Tipp were battered into submission by the Treaty men
TIPPERARY may have been in front approaching the last 10 minutes but make no mistake about it – this was a six-point drubbing.
As is often the case with inexperienced teams, Limerick struggled to make their superiority count for much of the game, but they finished with a flourish to outscore Tipp 1-5 to 0-1 in the closing stages. Indeed, it could have been a rout in the end, with Limerick spilling a succession of wides after going six ahead. Tipperary managed just 2-5 from play and only five scores in all in the second half. Jason Forde’s goal kept the visitors in touch but Limerick were the better side by some distance.
Limerick’s half-back line of Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon and Dan Morrissey dominated in the final quarter especially as Tipp lost their way badly amid several forlorn attempts to work a goal.
The fact they could only secure possession from five of their 17 second half puckouts was particularly telling.
In all, it was an underwhelming game that looked like it might take off approaching half-time before the weather took a turn for the worse and whatever chances there were of a spectacle seemed to go with it.
Limerick always had more spark about them though and their inside line had the Tipp full-back line in trouble from an early stage.
Premier boss Michael Ryan carried out extensive surgery to that sector, with Alan Flynn the only one retained from the League final loss to Kilkenny as Seamus Kennedy and Donagh Maher were brought in but at no stage did they inspire confidence as a unit.
Graeme Mulcahy hit four