Picking over the coals of a Munster Final mauling

Where do you start analysing this one?

Outside of losing another player to a serious injury or picking up a suspension, this heavy defeat was the worst case scenario for Tipperary.

Even playing at their best, there was always the likelihood Tipperary could lose to a very good Limerick side but few would have countenanced the chasm there was between the teams by the end with the twelve point margin proving to be kind on the Premier County as but for the outstanding Brian Hogan between the posts and some wastefulness from the Shannonsiders in the final quarter, this could have been an awful lot worse.

And on another day, Tipp could have finished with thirteen men with John O'Dwyer connecting high on Diarmaid Byrnes, pulling that split second late to a high ball which connected with the Limerick man, a mircocosm of the game as a whole where Limerick were that split second quicker to everything.

Ronan Maher's challenge which forced Peter Casey from the field late on is less clear cut as the Tipp defender dispossessed Limerick's man of the match but the follow through with the shoulder could have been seen as red to many referees.

After eighteen minutes when Seamus Callanan fired home his fifth goal in as many championship games, Tipp led 1-6 to 0-4 and all looked to be going to plan, admittedly without getting into any really flow.

However, that goal inadvertantly energised the Limerick side who not only went up one gear but two from there and by half time, Tipperary were taking on water at a large rate and it was hard to see how they could stem the flow.

 

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