Tipperary minor hurlers into Munster Final after edging titanic battle with Limerick

Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship - Round 5

Tipperary 0-13

Limerick 0-12

Tipperary booked their passage into the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Final after winning a hard-edged round 5 dogfight against Limerick in Rathkeale on Thursday evening.

To say this game was a hard watch was an understatement as the hosts dragged the fancied Premier lads into the trenches, bringing a ferocious challenge to James Woodlock’s side who didn’t reach the pitch of previous rounds but just about managed to get the job done.

Scores were at a premium throughout this contest with Limerick packing their half and middle third and their hard work and application scuppered a more skillful Tipp team who had to dig into their reserves of courage to take on the challenge, with the game more or less in the balance the entire 60 minutes after Tipperary started like a train after the throw-in.

Euan Murray set the tone from the off with a point inside a minute that was followed by four more up to the eighth minute with Eoin Doughan contributing the bulk of those scores with three (two frees) while Darragh O’Hora picked off a nice early sighter to give Tipp a 0-5 to nil lead.

It took Limerick ten minutes to register their first score of the game which came from a Patrick Kearney point from play and the Adare player had the Limerick interest firmly up and running when he pointed a free two minutes later, and from here, there was rarely never more than one score between the teams until the final whistle blew.

The sides took turns pointing two in a row thereafter as Tipp hit points from Eoin Doughan and a second from Darragh O’Hora but Limerick were gradually starting to make their aggression and hunger tell and only trailed by two at the break with Patrick Kearney the scorer-in-chief as Danny Sheehan’s point in the 15th minute made him the only other Limerick scorer in the half. 

Tipperary were ahead 0-8 to 0-6 at the break with Cillian Minogue hitting their last score of the half in the 20th minute.

Limerick were without a win in this year’s competition and this would be their last game of 2024 at this grade and they played like they had pride at stake; the Treaty started the half with a quick point from Eoghan Maher to cut it to one.

Euan Murray was one of the few Tipperary players coming up with possessions around the middle third and he showed real class to point a lovely effort from the sideline a minute later to re-open the two-point lead.

However, Limerick were on top now and had levelled the game with two long-range Jack Cosgrave frees with James Woodlock’s players creaking under the Limerick pressure being applied.

In fairness, Tipperary had to work that bit harder for their frees on the night and they managed to manufacture two scorable placed balls for Eoin Doughan to convert, but it did little to deflate the home team who were getting chances at goal but left some efforts behind them which Shane Dowling will no doubt rue after the loss.

Still, a classy score from Malachy McKenna and yet another Patrick Kearney free had the sides level once more as all the momentum seemed to be flowing with Limerick, but the Premer youngsters dug in, and along with fresh legs from the substitutes bench they steadied the ship to hit a mini-purple patch at just the right time in the final ten minutes.

Cillian Minogue was the main man when the game was there to be won for Tipperary as the Durlas Óg player pilfered two beautiful scores to open up a two-point lead once again, and only for some poor decision-making in the final third let on, Tipp could have been further ahead but left scores on the table in this period which kept Limerick in the contest.

With the game ticking into added time, Limerick shot themselves in the foot when substitute Adam Frewan received his marching orders after picking up two yellow cards within a minute and despite Limerick cutting the gap to one point in the 65th minute, Tipp made the extra man count and managed to hold on for the win after a titanic battle.

Tipp required a Clare win along with their own win in Rathkeale and with the news coming through that Clare had secured victory against Cork in Pairc Úi Chaoimh, Tipp could relax in the knowledge that there is plenty to work on with Clare the opposition in the final on May 20th.

Scorers: Tipperary: (0-6, 0-5f), Cillian Minogue 0-3, Euan Murray, Darragh O’Hora 0-2 each.

Limerick: Patrick Kearney (0-7, 0-6f), Jack Cosgrave 0-2f, Eoghan Maher, Danny Sheehan, Malachy McKenna all 0-1 each

Tipperary: Daire English (Fr. Sheehys); Patrick Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), Shane Ryan (Killenaule); Jake Donnellan Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg), Owen O’Dwyer (Killenaule), David Ryan (Arravale Rovers); Tiarnan Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Darragh O’Hora (Solohead); Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Euan Murray (Durlas Óg), Billy O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg); Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall), Stefan Tobin (Carrick Swans), Cillian Minogue (Durlas Óg).

Subs used: Aaron Cagney (St. Marys) for O’Hora (40); Killian Cantwell (Moycarkey Borris) for T Ryan (50); Paul Cummins (Ballybacon Grange) for A Ryan (54); Joe O’Dwyer (Burgess) for Tobin (56); Kieran Rossiter (Durlas Óg) for O’Brien (57); 24 for Rossiter (blood sub, 64).

Limerick: Cathal Dennehy (Glenroe); Dennis Blackwell (Ahane), Daithi Dennehy (Glenroe), Rory Hanly (Ballybricken/Bohermore); Gavin Dorgan (Monagea), Jack Cosgrave (Ahane), Gearoid Enright (Kilmallock); Eoghan Maher (Monaleen), Patrick Cagney (Feohanagh/Castlemahon); Paul Murphy (Castletown/Ballyagran), Danny Sheahan (Na Piarsaigh), John O’Connor (Ahane); Malachy McKenna (Pallasgreen), Patrick Kearney (Adare), John O’Keefe (Murroe/Boher).

Subs used:  Eoin Brosnan (Na Piarsaigh) for Cagney (45); Liam O’Connor (Glenroe) for Sheehan (52); Adam Frewan (Glenroe) for O’Keefe (55). 

Referee: Shane Scanlon (Cork)