NHL Division 1A: Tipperary 0-21 Limerick 0-36
This was another in a long line of league soufflés that sank in the middle. Limerick clearly had something to say, so the All-Ireland champions were strapped to a chair and made to listen. The visitors made themselves at home in the first half and Tipperary’s posthumous revival in the second had some value but no consequence.
A game that had promised so much died for the last time in the opening minute of the second half when Willie Connors was dismissed on a straight red for an off-the-ball incident under the referee’s nose. The Tipp centre fielder pushed his hurley into Darragh O’Donovan’s faceguard and Colm Lyons had no hesitation in sending him off.
By then Tipp were 13 points behind and any faint hope of a comeback with the aid of the breeze was extinguished. There were spells of spirited resistance from the 14 men remaining, but the deficit never dropped below double figures. Limerick continued to demoralise their opponents with points from all angles, which, in their pomp a couple of years ago, was their favourite poison.
Limerick scored a staggering 31 points from play, delivered by 12 different players. In total, they had 47 shots at the target, though none of them for a goal. Every so often this blind spot materialises in Limerick’s forward play. The only clear goal chance they created was smothered when Conor Stakelum made a brilliant block on O’Donovan after Tipp had been cut open down the middle; other than that, they shot on sight for points.
Tipperary’s Darragh McCarthy is tackled by Limerick’s William O’Donoghue. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho
Even in their wan, dishevelled state, Tipp managed to create three goal chances, all of them in the first half, but none of which they took. Seanie Kenneally, who was the only Tipp forward to show a bit of spunk in the first half, clattered a shot against the crossbar and was fouled for a penalty after making a brilliant, contested catch in first-half stoppage time.
In pursuit of a laser finish in the corner, though, Darragh McCarthy’s shot flew outside the post. A few minutes earlier Nickie Quaid had rushed from his goal to make a terrific save from Darragh Stakelum and Tipp desperately needed to convert both of those chances; in the event, they trailed by 0-20 to 0-7 at the break.
“Yeah, just disappointed really with our fight and spirit I think,” said Tipperary manager Liam Cahill, “which is always disappointing to say. We just really got outfought all through the first half really.” That was the nub of it.
Taken at face value it was Limerick’s best performance of the league so far, but it is impossible to quantify its worth. From the beginning it was an unequal struggle; in the first half, especially, Limerick strangled Tipp. Only a handful of Tipp’s long or mid-range puckouts reached their target, and when Tipp tried to work it out from deeper positions they ran into a sniper’s alley.
Too often, Tipp were forced to deliver the ball into Limerick’s half from deep positions, which has always been Limerick’s preferred means of coercion. All over the field, Tipp were blitzed.
Under minimal pressure, Colin Coughlan’s distribution was terrific, and that was also true of Adam English and O’Donovan at centre field. Peter Casey spent a lot of time in that area too and was just as sharp and productive here as he had been against Kilkenny a fortnight ago.
Limerick’s Aaron Gillane vies for a high ball against Tipperary’s Craig Morgan. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho
The Limerick attack, though, was led by two of last year’s breakthrough players. On the inside line, Shane O’Brien bullied all-comers. Bryan O’Mara couldn’t cope with his power and the siting of Craig Morgan as a screen in front of the Limerick full forward made no difference. O’Brien finished the game with six points from play, just as Aidan O’Connor did.
Limerick have tried O’Connor closer to goal in other games this year, but he is clearly more effective further afield. At centre forward, Aidan O’Connor continued his impressive development.
It took the shape of a rout from the beginning. Limerick had seven points on the board before Tipp managed their first score after 12 minutes, and when Cathal O’Neill landed his first point eight minutes before the break, every one of Limerick’s starting forwards had scored from play. By then, they were 0-16 to 0-5 in front.
Once Connors was sent off, the game went into receivership. Tipp salvaged what they could. The All-Ireland champions, though, could only muster a miserable 10 points from play, six of them from the remarkable Noel McGrath. Jake Morris sparked into life in the second half, but there was nothing that amounted to consolation.
It was the kind of punishment beating that Brian Cody used to target in the league years ago. Limerick have that power still. The message wasn’t just for Tipp.
TIPPERARY: B Hogan; C O’Reilly, E Connolly (0-2, 1f, 1′65), B O’Mara; J Caesar, C Morgan, S Kennedy; W Connors, C Stakelum; S O’Farrell, A Ormond, N McGrath (0-6); D McCarthy (0-7f), J Morris (0-1), S Kenneally (0-1). Subs: D Stakelum (0-1) for O’Farrell (30 mins); O O’Donoghue for Ormond (h-t); J McGrath (0-2f) for McCarthy (51); J Keller for C Stakelum (56); K Ryan (0-1) for Caesar (61).
LIMERICK: N Quaid; M Casey (0-1), D Morrissey, M Fitzgerald; C Coughlan (0-1), W O’Donoghue, K Hayes; A English (0-2), D O’Donovan (0-2); G Hegarty (0-2), A O’Connor (0-11, 3f, 2′65), C O’Neill (0-1); A Gillane (0-2), S O’Brien (0-6), P Casey (0-4). Subs: D Reidy for English (51 mins); T Morrissey (0-2) for Hegarty (51); D Ó Dálaigh (0-2) for Gillane, J Fitzgerald for O’Neill (both 60); D Byrnes for Hayes (63).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).