Tipp minors into Munster Final after hard-earned Limerick win

GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship Round 5

Limerick 0-12

Tipperary 0-13

Report: Shane Brophy at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Euan Murray (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Limerick: Patrick Kearney 0-7 (6 frees); Jack Cosgrave 0-2 free; Eoghan Maher, Danny Sheehan, Malachy McKenna 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eoghan Doughan 0-6 (5 frees); Cillian Minogue 0-3; Euan Murray, Darragh O’Hora 0-2 each.

Tipperary booked their place in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship final after a hard-earned win over Limerick in a low-scoring contest on Thursday evening.

The one-point win for the Premier youngsters was enough to qualify as combined with Clare’s win over Cork, sets up a second final in three years with the Banner men who handed Tipp’s only defeat in the round-robin section in round 4.

Following that defeat, manager James Woodlock made two changes to the team with Daire English coming in between the posts for Evan Sherlock while there was a first start at wing forward for Darragh O’Hora.

There was also a tactical shift at the start with Euan Murray on the right wing of the attack and he made an immediate impact with a point after fifteen seconds as Tipp, chasing a big margin of victory should Cork have beaten Clare, added a further four points without reply by the ninth minute with three points (2 frees) from Eoghan Doughan (relocated to centre forward) and O’Hora on target.

Tipp were flowing but from there on, the visitors were second fiddle against an already eliminated Limerick side who were playing for pride and they very much did that after Patrick Kearney got them off the mark in the tenth minute and by half time had reduced the deficit to two, 0-8 to 0-6 with Doughan and O’Hora adding to their tallies while Cillian Minogue also pointed, but Tipp failed to score after the 20th minute.

Limerick were on the front foot for the second quarter and remained on top after half time and were level by the 43rd minute (0-9 each) and should have been ahead but for thirteen wides in total.

Their intensity really stifled Tipp, particularly their ability to play quality ball inside, but crucially the visitors never fell behind and managed to force crucial frees which Doughan converted to bring his tally to six.

Euan Murray was moved to a deep midfield role and this switch helped give Tipp a foothold, despite Limerick levelling at 0-11 each on 54 minutes, including one point from Pallasgreen’s Malachy McKenna, grandson of Tipperary great Mackey McKenna.

However, in Murray and his Durlas Og clubmate Cillian Minogue, Tipp had the two best players on the field and Minogue’s second and third points from play proved to be the winning scores as Limerick finished with fourteen men as sub Adam Frewen was sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession in added time.

The Munster Minor Hurling Final between Tipperary and Clare will be played on Monday, 20th May at 7.00pm with the TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, the likely venue.

TEAMS – Limerick: Cathal Dennehy; Denis Blackwell, Daithi Dennehy, Rory Hanly; Gavin Dorgan, Jack Cosgrave (Capt), Gearoid Enright; Eoghan Maher, Patrick Cagney; Paul Murphy, Danny Sheehan, John O’Connor; Malachy McKenna, Patrick Kearney, John O’Keeffe.

Subs: Eoin Brosnan for Cagney (51); Liam O’Connor for Sheehan (57); Adam Frewen for O’Keeffe (60+1).

Tipperary: Daire English (Father Sheehy’s); Shane Ryan (Killenaule), Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross/Ballycahill, Capt), Patrick Ryan (Borris-Ileigh); David Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Owen O’Dwyer (Killenaule), Jake Donelan Houlihan (Nenagh Eire Og); Tiarnan Ryan (Holycross/Ballycahill), Billy O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og); Darragh O’Hora (Solohead), Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall), Euan Murray (Durlas Og); Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Stefan Tobin (Carrick Swan), Cillian Minogue (Durlas Og).

Subs: Aaron Cagney (St Mary’s) for O’Hora (46); Killian Cantwell (Moycarkey/Borris) for T Ryan (55); Paul Cummins (Ballybacon/Grange) for A Ryan (59); Toby Corbett (Upperchurch/Drombane) for Tobin (60+1); Kieran Rossiter (Durlas Og) for O’Brien (60+2); Sean Walsh (JK Brackens) for Rossiter (60+8 blood)

Referee: Shane Scanlon (Cork)