Brilliant Limerick see off Tipperary for place in National Hurling League final

Peter Casey got the games only goal in the 57th before late points from Barry Murphy and Cian Lynch sealed the result.

Limerick booked their place in the National Hurling League final with a powerful win over Tipperary in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

An exceptional third quarter saw John Kiely’s men outscore their opponents 1-11 to 0-2 to take control of the contest and seal their place in a first league final since 2020.

Peter Casey got the games only goal in the 57th minute that had Limerick six clear before a late Tipp comeback brought them within one score but late points from Barry Murphy and Cian Lynch sealed the result.

The visitors led by four at the break in a rip-roaring first half where the sides exchanged 26 scores to leave it 0-12 to 0-16.

Cathal O’Neill opened the scoring with juts 30 seconds on the clock with sa fine effort after being picked out by a Nikcie Quaid puck out. O’Neill doubled his account five minutes later to restore Limerick’s lead following a brace of Jason Forde frees.

Forde levelled for the third time with his first from play but Declan Hannon was equal to it with a long-range strike. But Forde was to the pitch of the game immediately taking his tally to four inside ten minutes and giving Tipp their first lead.

Donnacha O’Dalaigh and James Morris exchanged scores with Aaron Gillane then restoring parity with his first free. Three quickfire points was Tipp’s response as they moved 0-9 to 0-6 in front for the first bit of daylight.

Diarmaid Byrnes briefly replied but he was met with scores by Seamus Kennedy, Gearoid O’Connor and Alan Tynan who had his third. Peter Casey and Gillane stemmmed the tide to reduce the margin to 0-9 to 0-12 with 25 minutes played.

Kennedy and Forde pushed Tipp five clear once again with a double. Byrnes and Forde exchanged frees to maintain the gap heading into the final five minutes of the half. Tom Morrissey got off the mark to reduce it to a four-point game. Again Byrnes and Forde swapped placed balls to end the half with Tipp four in front.

Gillane began the second half scoring before Cian Lynch got off the mark to thunderous applause. Morrissey briefly reduced it to a one-point game but Forde and Tynan hit back for the visitors. Two Gillane frees made it 0-17 to 0-18 eight minutes into the second half. Further scores from Gillane and Byrnes had Limerick back in front on 46 minutes, the former putting them into the lead.

That was in the midst of a five in a row for Limerick as O’Connor eventually broke the Tipp duck on 50 minutes. Byrnes, Colin Coughlan and Hannon were on target to give Limerick their first four-point cushion before Forde made it a one score game.

But their response was emphatic, Peter Casey collecting Coughlan’s dropping shot and kicking to the net under the pressure in the Tipp square for a 1-23 to 0-20 advantage.

William O’Donoghue and Barry Nash got in on the act with inspirational scores that had Limerick nine clear with ten to play. Forde and O’Connor led the Tipp fightback with four on the bounce heading into injury time.

But that was as good as it got with Limerick returning to the final for the first time in three years.

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane (0-7, 6frees), Diarmaid Byrnes (0-6, 5frees), Peter Casey (1-1), Cathal O’Neill, Declan Hannon, Cian Lynch, Barry Murphy and Tom Morrissey (0-2), Donnacha O’Dalaigh, Colin Coughlan, William O’Donoghue, Barry Nash (0-1)

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid, Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Colin Coughlan; Barry Murphy, William O’Donoghue; Cathal O’Neill, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Peter Casey, Donnacha O’Dalaigh.

Subs Used: Gearoid Hegarty for Murphy (blood) (50), Murphy for Hegarty (53), Hegarty O’Neill (59), Conor Boylan for Morrissey (62), Richie English for Finn (65), Seamus Flanagan for Gillane (70)

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