Defensive strength key to Tipp’s winning start

GAA: Dalata Hotel Group Munster Under 20 Football Championship Phase 1 Round 1

Limerick 0-6

Tipperary 3-8

Report: Stephen Barry at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Paddy O’Keeffe (Tipperary)

Scorers – Clare: Evan Curry (2pt), Diarmuid Hynes (2 frees) 0-2 each; Tom Lloyd, Tom Ryan (free) 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Daithí Hogan 2-2 (0-1 free); Paddy O’Keeffe 1-2; Charlie King, Jamie O’Keeffe, Joe Higgins, Ben Carey (free) 0-1 each.

A controlled Tipperary performance sent under 20 manager Niall Fitzgerald home happy from Rathkeale with an eleven-point victory over Limerick in the opening round of phase 1 of the Munster Championship on Saturday.

Daithí Hogan bagged goals off of both feet and Paddy O’Keeffe added another to get their campaign off to a flying start ahead of home games against Clare this Saturday (FBD Semple Stadium 2.00pm) and the following Saturday against Waterford (Clonmel Sportsfield). The top two will progress to join Cork and Kerry in Phase 2.

Tipp’s defence was just as impressive as their forwards, holding Limerick to five scores and just two from play.

“We’re happy with it. It’s a good start to the campaign,” said manager Fitzgerald.

“Overall, in the first half, we did well against the wind. We managed it really well. If anything, we could’ve been a bit more efficient and could’ve been a point or two further up at half-time.

“Lads get excited with the wind and the first ten minutes of the second half was our poorest period of the game.

“Throughout the game, we defended quite well and that really set us up. That was the foundation.”

It was an attacking turnover from O’Keeffe that created the first goal so when Fitzgerald was asked about the combined 3-4 contribution from the Moyle Rovers clubman and St Patrick’s star Hogan, he gave equal praise to their work rate.

“They’re two livewires. They’re really dynamic players,” said Fitzgerald.

“I was delighted to see them getting on the scoreboard because they worked really hard for the team as well as that.”

This game was played a day after Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee announced a series of planned tweaks to the new rules, although they were not applied here. That led to some sideline confusion over how many players Limerick had to keep forward in their attack when they had a player sin-binned during the second half.

“You’d have to wonder how can you start a championship and change the rules in the middle of it,” Fitzgerald said.

“It hasn’t been clarified for us yet, but it would seem to me to be ridiculous to change the rules mid-championship.

“They do need some tweaking but for the most part, the changes have been really positive for the game.”

At minor level, this group delivered a Darrel Darcy Cup victory over Limerick before exiting at the Munster semi-final stage against Cork, who went on to lift provincial silverware.

They took a few minutes to get going here as the Treaty-men set out to use the wind at their backs. Their first three attempts were all kicked from outside the 40-metre arc as Evan Curry landed the third of those. It would be the only orange flag all day.

A floated ball in almost evaded keeper Robbie McGrath but he clawed it away and Tipp began to get a better grip on proceedings. It took nine minutes for their first shot as captain Charlie King linked with Hogan and O’Keeffe before the Ballina man took the return pass to point.

Tom Lloyd cancelled that out, but the hosts wouldn’t score again for the final twenty minutes of the half. Tipp got a handle on the Limerick kick-out and reeled off the next 1-4. The first two points were assisted by Tommy O’Connor for Paddy O’Keeffe, who shimmied into space to end a flowing move, and Jamie O’Keeffe, who kicked a big score into the breeze. A fine Emmet Bonner turnover led to Tipp’s midfielders combining as Joe Higgins burned off his marker for the lead score.

The opening goal arrived in the 22nd minute as the Premier pressed up on Limerick across the 45. Paddy O’Keeffe turned over Tommy Ryan and the big full-forward’s clever movement found a pocket of space as Ben Carey and Dylan Cotter kept the move going. O’Keeffe received the return ball before squaring for Hogan to finish.

When Pádraic Phelan didn’t hand the ball back after fouling Killian Butler, Chris Maguire advanced the ball 50 metres for a Hogan tap over. With McGrath coming forward from goal, Tipp held the ball for three minutes as they managed the clock for a 1-5 to 0-3 half-time lead.

Despite the wind advantage, Tipp were sluggish on the resumption as a Diarmuid Hynes free gave Limerick the opening point of the second half. Even after Tom Ryan was black-carded for checking Butler’s support run, the only score during the subsequent ten minutes was a Carey free, won by Paddy O’Keeffe. The fourteen-men of Limerick created a goal chance before Ryan’s return, but Hynes lashed his shot straight at Robbie McGrath.

Tipp began their decisive move in the 47th minute. McGrath came forward to slip a pass to Cotter, who laid on for Paddy O’Keeffe to swerve a shot off the crossbar, down off the goal-line, and back up into the roof of the net. That made it 2-6 to 0-4.

Tom Ryan kicked a tap-over free after Bonner was penalised fifty metres for kicking the ball away. The corner-back responded in the next play with a brilliant block on Luke Walsh. Limerick’s malfunctions were encapsulated by quickly taken 45 which missed its intended target and rolled all the way back to their own 45. A terrific turnover by Eoin O’Connell then led to a lovely Daithi Hogan point.

Fitzgerald was slow to go to his bench. When he did, they made an immediate contribution. From Billy Tierney’s block, one substitute Shane Ryan found another with a smart pass to JP Mbokha Tansia. The Ballina clubman’s first touch was to juggle past two defenders before flicking the ball up into Hogan’s hands. He did the rest with a mirror-image low finish, this time off his right boot.

Darragh O’Connor took a mark from the kick-out as Paddy O’Keeffe also showed his ability with both feet by kicking a curler off his left.

Tipp broke the three-versus-three structure to hand Hynes the final point.

Elsewhere, Waterford were winners over Clare in the other first round game.

TEAMS - Limerick: Cian McGrath (5); Cian O’Sullivan (6), Cathal Mangan (5), Paddy Downey (6); Tom Lloyd (7), Tommy Ryan (5), Jack Butler (8); Brian O’Callaghan (7), Pádraic Phelan (5); Evan Curry (7), Tom Ryan (5), Bobby Smith (5); Diarmuid Hynes (Capt 6), Mícheál Fahy (5), Tadgh Hourigan (5).

Subs: Barry Griffin (5) for Smith (HT); Luke Walsh (5) for Fahy (HT); Michael Kilbridge (5) for Downey (41 inj); Aidan O’Shea (6) for O’Callaghan (47); Calum Boyle (5) for Phelan (57).

Tipperary: Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers 7); Billy Tierney (Clonmel Commercials 7), Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney 8), Emmet Bonner (Galtee Rovers 7); Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers 7), Charlie King (Ballina, Capt, 8), Jamie O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials 7); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials 7), Darragh O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials 7); Dylan Cotter (Thurles Gaels 7), Ben Carey (Ballylooby/Castlegrace 6), Thomas Charles (Clonmel Commercials 6); Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s 8), Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers 8), Tommy O’Connor (Kilsheelan/Kilcash 7).

Subs: Shane Ryan (Ardfinnan 6) for T O’Connor (52); JP Mbokha Tansia (Ballina 7) for Higgins (56); Cillian Ryan (Ballina NR) for King (59); Dayle Hogan (JK Brackens NR) for Charles (59); James Power (Clonmel Commercials NR) for P O’Keeffe (59).

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare).