Final quarter brilliance sees Limerick beat Tipperary

A sensational scoring spell in the final quarter saw Limerick earn a 3-21 to 0-23 win over Tipperary at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Limerick scored 1-5 without reply between the 61^st and 67^th minutes saw John Kiely’s men storm from behind to win by seven points. Conor Boylan and Aaron Gillane got the goals late on.

The victory is their third in a row in the Round Robin Munster Senior Hurling Championship and maintains their 100% record. They play Clare in Ennis next week in the final fixture.

Ger Browne got the scoring underway for Tipperary in the second minute but Limerick immediately responded through Darragh O’Donovan. 

Noel McGrath and Aaron Gillane then swapped points before a long range Diarmaid Byrnes free saw Limerick in front for the first time. 

Tom Morrissey then put the Munster and All-Ireland champions two to the good with a trademark point from the left wing but Tipp brought it back to the minimum when Browne scored his second of the game.

Things got even better for Limerick after eight minutes when Gillane caught a Byrnes long delivery and fired past Barry Hogan from close to leave the score at 1-4 to 0-3.

Browne and McGrath brought Tipperary back to two points of Limerick but two quick fire Gillane frees restored Limerick’s four point advantage.

Things slowed for Limerick after that as the Premier hit the next six scores to lead 0-11 to 1-6 after 29 minutes. McGrath popped over four of them and there was one each for Browne and Jake Morris.

Limerick stopped the rot with two fine scores from Cathal O’Neill but Barry Heffernan and another from McGrath kept Tipperary two to the good.

Graeme Mulcahy and McGrath then fired over a point apiece that left the score at 0-14 to 1-9 at half time.

McGrath and Gillane fired over frees on the resumption before Gearoid Hegarty brought Limerick to within a point.

Tipperary stretched into a three point lead with efforts from Jake Morris and Paul Flynn but Darragh O’Donovan and Morrissey made it a one point game again.

That lead was at two points heading into the final 10 minutes but it was here that Limerick brought things to a different level.

Two Diarmaid Byrnes points levelled the game before David Reidy put Limerick ahead for the first time since the 22^nd minute.

An excellent Declan Hannon point from play and a Gillane free then saw Limerick into a 1-20 to 0-20 advantage.

Limerick then hit the killer blow when Seamus Flanagan found an unmarked Boylan on the 14 metre line. 

The Na Piarsaigh man lost control of the ball but then dived to flick the ball past the onrushing Barry Hogan and into the back of the net.

Gillane then buried a third goal when he collected O’Donovan’s pin point delivery to put Limerick nine points to the good and seal the victory.

Scorers – Limerick: Aaron Gillane 2-5 (4f), Tom Morrissey 0-4, Conor Boylan 1-0, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-3 (2f, 1’65), Darragh O’Donovan and Cathal O’Neill 0-2 each, Graeme Mulcahy, Gearoid Hegarty, Barry Nash, David Reidy and Declan Hannon 0-1 each 

Scorers: Tipperary: Noel McGrath 0-13 (9f, 2 ’65s, 1 s/l), Ger Browne and Jake Morris 0-3 each, Mark Kehoe, Barry Heffernan, Paul Flynn and Robert Byrne 0-1 each 

Limerick: Nickie Quaid (Effin); Sean Finn (Bruff), Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), Barry Nash (South Liberties); Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Declan Hannon (Adare, captain), Dan Morrissey (Ahane); Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh); Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s), Cathal O’Neill (Crecora Manister), Tom Morrissey (Ahane); Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock).

Subs: Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh) for O’Neill (40), David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca) for O’Donoghue (54), Conor Boylan (Na Piarsaigh) for Mulcahy (58), Richie English (Doon) for D Morrissey (68), Oisin O’Reilly (Kilmallock) for Hayes (69).

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Cathal Barrett, Barry Heffernan, Craig Morgan; Dillon Quirke, Ronan Maher (captain), Seamus Kennedy; Paddy Cadell, Michael Breen; Conor Stakelum, Noel McGrath, Ger Browne; Jake Morris, Mark Kehoe, Paul Flynn.

Subs: Robert Byrne for Cadell (35), Conor Bowe for P Flynn (48), Dan McCormack for Browne (63), Alan Flynn for Stakelum (69). 

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).