TIPPED IN THE BUD
Treaty champs end Premier winning run
LIMERICK powered past Tipperary in the second half to move clear at the top of Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League.
Though it was only a one-point win in the end, the result was never really in doubt coming down the stretch.
Limerick had moved five points clear before 1-1 in garbage time from Tipperary boosted their scoring difference if nothing else.
Although forced to move the game from the TUS Gaelic Grounds, the result maintains Limerick’s fine record at the new Supervalu Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
In eight outings since the refurbished ground opened in 2017, they have lost just once – when Cork beat them by a point in last year’s League opener.
They aren’t assured of a semi-final spot just yet though as they need a result against Galway next Saturday to be sure of that.
But the All-ireland champions’ defence of their title remains very much on course with a fourth win from as many outings.
With this their first serious test since last year’s All-ireland final and the closest to their recognised line-up that they’ve fielded this year, they were slower to find a rhythm than Tipperary. The standard wasn’t particularly high in a tame enough first half played in admittedly difficult conditions.
Indeed, there were more missed shots than those converted in the first half – 18 in total – with Limerick more wasteful with 11 misses, five of them from Diarmaid Byrnes who had two wides and dropped another three short.
Meanwhile, Gearoid O’connor continued his good form as he took Byrnes for 0-3 in the opening 35-plus minutes, as well as sending in the sideline ball from which Jason Forde netted the game’s opening goal in the 31st minute.
Mike Casey was caught under the ball from the crossfield delivery, allowing Forde to collect, turn inside and bat past Nickie Quaid.
It put them five points up but Limerick had their best spell from there to half-time as Byrnes finally got off the mark and Gillane converted a couple of frees before Gearoid Hegarty got his first of the evening to leave them trailing by just 1-7 to 0-9 at the break.
There was little in the way of goal openings bar Forde’s strike, though Tipp were fortunate not to concede a penalty
in the 14th minute after Michael
Breen appeared to bring Gillane down just inside the area though referee Liam Gordon awarded only a free.
The Limerick half-back line took hold of the game in the second half, with Colin Coughlan having a storming third quarter and Cathal O’neill locking down the middle.
They were central to Limerick going ahead for the first time in the 49th minute and the lead had stretched to three nine minutes later when Coughlan was dispossessed by Patrick Maher, freshly off the bench, who had the legs to evade the covering defenders and level the game at 0-18 to 2-12.
Once again, Limerick’s response to a Tipp goal was to hit four points unanswered from Gillane and Byrnes (both frees) along with subs Graeme Mulcahy and Tom Morrissey (free), which was effectively the winning of the game for them.
Their lead was a comfortable five points in injury time when a point from Forde and a Jake Morris goal cut it back to one.
But with more than the allotted six minutes having elapsed, there was no further action as the scoreboard somewhat flattered Tipp in the end.