Limerick today surprisingly ended Tipperary’s reign as Munster Senior Hurling champions, in front of a large crowd, at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick City. Eamon O’ Shea’s side were beaten by a final score of 1-18 to 1-15 in their provincial Semi-Final clash.
Limerick started well with Captain Donal O’Grady opening the scoring, quickly answered by Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan, with a point apiece in the first minute.
Within the first half however Tipperary’s Pa Bourke misses a 65 & Seamus Callanan misses a free, while Limerick point over another six points with an added goal in the eighteenth minute from Sean Tobin. By the twenty second minute, with the goal at his mercy Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan misses a golden opportunity and by the half time whistle Tipperary had only managed six more points leaving a half time score board reading Limerick 1-07 (10 points) to Tipperary’s 0-07.
The second half saw Tipperary come back with a vengeance matching point for point, with Callanan & O’Dwyer determined to demonstrate that the game was far from over. Nickie Quaid was proving inspirational in goal for Limerick, but Tipperary’s John O’Dwyer finds the top corner of the net, to score Tipperary’s first and only goal leaving the score in the fiftieth minute Tipperary 1-13 (16 points) to Limerick’s 1-10 (13 points). All looked down to the wire.
Tipperary, despite their three point lead now failed to reply adequately to the next five points from Limerick, the latter which put them in front. A poor response from Tipperary, in the last fifteen minutes in particular, ensured that Limerick never relinquished their three point lead, leaving a final score of Limerick 1-18 (21 points) – Tipperary 1-15 (18 points).
Limerick now go on to a Munster Final date with either Cork or Clare, while Tipperary must now lick their wounds & regroup, ready for the qualifiers.
However, there was some good news for Tipperary in the Intermediate Semi-Final with Michael Ryan’s men, now through to the Intermediate Semi-Final, beating Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds, in the afternoon’s curtain raiser, by 0-20 to 0-15.
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