Clinical Tipp inflict defeat on Limerick in Munster U20 'B' football final

LIMERICK suffered defeat in the Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 ‘B’ Football Championship final on Saturday night, falling to a 2-15 to 2-2 loss to Tipperary in Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale.

Little has the cliche of a ‘game of two halves’ been more apt - Limerick did all the scoring in the first half, while Tipp were the only team to trouble the umpires after the break.

But the ‘Premier’ making far more hay in the period where they had the elements - kicking 2-15 in the second 30 minutes after John O’Grady’s side only managed 2-2 in the opening stanza.

Limerick got off to a dream start hitting the back of the net after just 50 seconds.

Slack Tipp defending close to their own goal saw Barry Griffin win possession. The Monaleen man laid it off to Callum Kiely who made no mistake with the finish.

Tipperary had a lot of the ball in the first quarter but, playing into a big wind struggled to get their shots away and weren’t able to trouble the scorers.

Once Limerick regained the initiative, they made them pay.

They ball in the back of the net a second time in the 17th minute as Aidan O’Shea got the final touch after Kiely’s initial effort went across the face of the goal.

Points from Michael Mulcahy and the energetic Conor O’Longaigh either side of this gave the home side a 2-2 to no score lead 18 minutes.

Despite the rain easing off, O’Longaigh’s effort was the last score of a slow-paced opening half.

Limerick should have had a bigger lead at the change of ends, having kicked nine wides in the 30 minutes, compared to two for Tipperary.

It was the sixth minute of the second half before the ‘Premier’ County opened their account - Dylan Cotter with a fine effort to raise an orange flag.

Oran Gahan then reduced the deficit before Tipp captain Liam Freaney got into the game.

In the space of three minutes, he raised a green, an orange and a white flag to single-handedly haul his side in front.

Three more points from the Kilsheelan-Kilcash man stretched their advantage.

Now in complete control, Tipp added scores from Shane Ryan, Darragh Brosnan, Jamal Yousif put the result beyond doubt.

The cream on top came in injury time as Ciaran Kelly blasted home a goal to cap off an impressive second half for the winners, who left Rathkeale with the cup and a 13-point win.

SCORERS:

Limerick: Callum Kiely, Aidan O’Shea 1-0 each; Conor O’Longaigh, Michael Mulcahy 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Liam Freaney 1-6 (1 x 2pt, 2f); Ciaran Kelly 1-2 (1f); Shane Ryan (1f), Dylan Cotter 0-2 each; Oran Gahan, Darragh Bresnan, Jamal Yousif 0-1 each.

TEAMS:

LIMERICK: Cian Purcell (Kildimo/Pallaskenry); Cian O’Sullivan (Kildimo/Pallaskenry), Matthew O’Connor (Fr Caseys), Danny McCarthy (Fr Caseys); Paudie Hennessy (Camogue Rovers), Andrew Kearney (Monaleen), Conor Ó Loingsigh (Mungret/St Pauls); Aidan O’Shea (Cappagh), Evan Curry (Athea); Barry Griffin (Monaleen), Liam Glynn (Ahane), Cian Costelloe (Cappagh); Callum Kiely (Claughaun), Padraic Phelan (Pallasgreen), Michael Mulcahy (St Senans).

Subs: Samuel Colgan (Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan) for Padraic Phelan (43 mins); Cillian Meade (St Senan’s) for Liam Glynn (51 mins); Darragh O’Carroll (Cappagh) for Callum Kiely (56 mins); Conor Mangan (Mungret-St Paul’s) for Cian Costelloe (58 mins)

TIPPERARY: Peter Boland; Jack McGonigle, Gavin Neville, Emmet Bonner; Paddy Chapman, Jamie O’Keeffe, Jack Kearney; Sean Griffin, Dylan Cotter; Sean Bourke, James Power, Oran Gahan; Charlie Walsh, Shane Ryan, Liam Freaney.

Subs: Darragh Bresnan for Oran Gahan (41 mins); Killian Smith for Charlie Walsh (51 mins); Jamal Yousif for Sean Bourke (56 mins); Ciaran Kelly for Shane Ryan (59 mins); Dayle Hogan for Dylan Cotter (59 mins).REFEREE: Gary Twomey (Clare).

REFEREE: Gary Twomey (Clare).