CHAMPIONS HELD
Limerick battle hard to grab draw with Tipp in League opener
AN EVENING from early summer that couldn’t have been further removed from when this pair last collided in a Munster SFC semi-final clash played in monsoon conditions just last November. On that occasion, Limerick showed the character, mettle and talent of champions, using it as a springboard to a flawless season when John Kiely’s men won every trophy on offer.
Last night, on a fast, dry sod at LIT Gaelic Grounds, they came through a very different type of test to rescue a share of the points in this opening round of the Allianz Hurling League.
The only symmetry was the empty stadium and the subdued feel that comes with a behind-closed-doors encounter, particularly after four months of lockdown when both sides were coughing out any dirty petrol. The cavernous surrounds also contributed to the low-key feel to the action, when the shouts of the players echoed around the ground. No wonder Limerick manager John Kiely afterwards said he hoped crowds would be back far earlier than the July date signposted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin during the week.
And yet the game built to an absorbing ending, as Limerick had to dig deeper than they’ve had to for a long time.
When Jason Forde stroked over his 13th point of the game with a quarter of an hour to go – his peerless ball-striking, particularly from placed balls was a distinguishing feature of the game – Tipperary were 0-19 to 0-14 and in sight of putting a dent in Limerick’s aura of invincibility.
But the holders rose to the challenge, almost nonchalantly reeling their rivals in with five successive points, Peter Casey one of the big names sprung from the bench to help turn the tide with two classy points from play.
A buoyant Kiely was just delighted to be back on the field, playing down any notion of being upset at not continuing the winning streak of 2020.
‘Sure it’s five months off after Christmas and the New Year. with lockdowns and every sort of thing. We’re all at the bottom of the mountain. And we all have to climb the same mountain over the next few weeks,’ said the Treaty boss
That winning mentality?
‘I hope we won’t lose that. But definitely we’re all at the foothills of the same mountain for the next couple of months.’
He does hope that supporters will be back through the turnstiles soon, their absence badly missed as the game built to its own climax.
‘Things are changing fast. What they’re saying about July now, in two weeks’ time that could be thrown out the window. Let them at that. That’s above my pay grade! I’m sure they’ll be under plenty of pressure to try and get people into these places and get their 20 quid off them as quick as possible, before we’re all broke!
‘If there was a crowd here, it would have been great. And you can imagine after us being (five) down and coming back, the crowd would have been great. But sure what can we do? We just have to grind it out the next few weeks. Hopefully we will get people back in the stadia. And instead of it being five per cent, hopefully it will be 25 per cent. We’ll stay on the positive track, please God.’
And yet, even with household names and Hurler of the Year talents like Gearóid Hegarty and Cian Lynch on the bench, they showcased that familiar game plan that is built around controlled possession in the middle third until they have the time and space to play a diagonal ball into space to favour the forward.
With David Dempsey dropping deep and leaving the space inside for Adrian Breen and Seamus Flanagan, the pair had chalked up five points from play of Limerick’s dozen points on the board by the break, by which time the sides were level.
Flanagan clipped three quality scores, one over his shoulder running away from goal that was unblockable. Barry Heffernan switched on to him after Brian McGrath had initially moved from wing-back to the full-back line and while it was double scores early on,
Limerick leading 0-6 to 0-3, Tipperary worked their way back into it.
Forde was the scorer in chief, from play and from placed balls, but Ronan Maher was one of those determined to make a stand, cracking over a point from play from wingback to level it at 0-8 apiece and then landing a monster free.
While All-Star Diarmaid Byrnes was a regular launch pad for Limerick attacks from wing-back, Tipperary slowly figured things out around the middle third, finding various ways to play around Kyle Hayes at centre-back.
Dan McCormack, Niall O’Meara and Michael Breen were constantly on the move and all chipped in with scores, Breen’s point leaving it level at the interval.
Tipperary outscored Limerick 0-4 to a single Adrian Breen point in the first 10 minutes of the half and when Willie Connors threatened to steal in for a goal, Kyle Hayes came across and cut out any chance of a green flag, a nudge in the back bringing the Tipp forward to ground.
At 0-19 to 0-14 with a quarter of an hour to go, it was there for Tipperary only for Limerick to show plenty of character to tie things up, David Reidy levelling it from a free from distance in the final minute of normal time.
Limerick: N Quaid; A Costello, S Finn, R English; D Byrnes, K Hayes, B Nash; W O’Donoghue (B O’Grady 67), D O’Donovan (C Lynch 46); T Morrissey, D Reidy, C Boylan (G Hegarty 56); A Breen (D O’Connell 60), S Flanagan, D Dempsey (P Casey 46).
ScorerS: D Reidy 0-8 (6fs), S Flanagan 0-4, A Breen 0-3, P Casey 0-2, D O’Donovan, W O’Donoghue, D Byrnes (f) 0-1 each
YeLLow card: R English 43, W O’Donoghue 52 TipperarY: Barry Hogan; C Barrett, B Heffernan, B McGrath; B O’Meara (Padraig Maher 68), S Kennedy, R Maher; A Flynn (M Kehoe 62), M Breen; D McCormack, J Forde, N O’Meara (D Quirke 52); W Connors (C Darcy 60), Patrick Maher (N McGrath 52), J Morris.
ScorerS: J Forde 0-14 (11fs, 1 65), R Maher 0-2 (1f), W Connors, N O’Meara, D McCormack, M Breen 0-1 each. referee: C Lyons (Cork)