HOLDERS Limerick were eventually 0-26 to 3-16 winners over Tipperary in Saturday night’s National Hurling League tie at a rain-sodden Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork.
The outcome is likely to have earned Limerick a place in the semi-finals, with Galway next up at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.
After a below-par opening half display, Limerick were 1-7 to 0-9 in arrears at the break.
In the closing half, however, the Shannonsiders were at their best and reeled off some terrific points through the likes of Colin Coughlan, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Diarmaid Byrnes, Mike Casey, and Aaron Gillane, while scores from all four substitutes (Tom Morrissey/Graeme Mulcahy/Séamus Flanagan/Adam English) were also important to the outcome.
For several members of last year’s All-Ireland winning side it was their first outing of 2024, and one of those, two-time Player of the Year Cian Lynch, was hugely influential and centre-forward and earned the Man of the Match accolade.
Limerick’s half-back line of Byrnes, Cathal O’Neill, and Coughlan were superb throughout.
Winning manager John Kiely, however, wasn’t happy to have leaked three goals, two of which arrived in the closing 10 minutes and threatened the result.
“That’s just not us, we don’t make those mistakes,” Kiely told RTÉ afterwards.
“It’s something for us to go back and learn from in the week going ahead. Of all the sides going (Tipperary), you don’t gift up possession in that manner in that part of the pitch because they will punish you like they did tonight.”
Limerick: Nickie Quaid, Fergal O’Connor, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey, Diarmaid Byrnes, Cathal O’Neill, Colin Coughlan, William O’Donoghue, Barry Murphy, Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Conor Boylan, Aaron Gillane, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Peter Casey.
Substitutes used: Tom Morrissey, Graeme Mulcahy, Seamus Flanagan, Adam English.
