Second half comeback not enough as Limerick fall to Tipperary

LIMERICK must beat Cork next week to reach the top three of the Munster U20 hurling championship following a 1-15 to 0-16 loss to Tipperary this Friday evening in Semple Stadium, Thurles.

Diarmuid Mullins side were 1-9 to 0-2 down after a poor first half but fought back to within a point in the closing stages. However, Tipperary held on for the victory. Limerick play Cork in a must win game in a week's time.

Tipperary made a fast start to the game with two Jack Leamy points and one from Peter McGarry seeing them into a three-point advantage with seven minutes on the clock.

Limerick eventually opened their account thanks to Shane O'Brien but had to wait another 20 minutes to register another score as the Premier took firm control.

Eddie Ryan was a constant menace for Brendan Cummins' side and his first of three points in the half had them back into a three point lead before a Leamy free saw Tipperary four to the good.

Limerick were misfiring all over the field and hit 10 first half wides. They sent over four in a row before Ryan extended Tipperary's lead to five points on 21 minutes.

Two Leamy frees saw Tipperary;s lead increase to seven as the half drew to a close. However, things got even better for them when Sean Keaneally plucked Joe Caesar's high delivery out of the sky. He rounded Evan O'Leary and fired low past Josh O'Reilly and into the bottom right corner.

Ryan tacked on another point for Tipperary in first half added time before Patrick O'Donovan got Limerick's second point of the opening 30 minutes from a free to leave the score at 1-9 to 0-2.

Limerick started the half with O'Donovan hitting the target for a second time and a Con Hayes free then cut Tipperary's lead to eight points.

Tipperary managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over with Keaneally, Leamy and Darragh Stakelum popping over points, while O'Donovan kept Limerick in touch from placed balls.

The Effin sharpshooter continued to torment Tipperary and his efforts brought Limerick to within three points heading into the final 10 minutes.

Oisin O'Farrell did get that lead back to just one in added time but Leamy's seventh of the game edged the contest in Tipperary's favour.

Scorers - Limerick: Patrick O'Donovan 0-9 (7 frees), Oisin O'Farrell 0-2, Shane O'Brien, Con Hayes, Adam Fitzgerald, Cian Scully and Ronan Lyons 0-1 each

Scorers - Tipperary: Jack Leamy 0-7 (5 frees), Eddie Ryan 0-3, Sean Keaneally 1-2, Peter McGarry, Darragh Stakelum and Damien Corbett 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Josh O'Reilly; Joe Fitzgerald, Ronan Lyons, Evan O'Leary; David Fitzgerald, Cian Scully, Ethan Hurley; Adam English, Barry Duff; Fintan Fitzgerald, Patrick O'Donovan, John Kirby; Shane O'Brien, Adam Fitzgerald, Sean O'Neill.

Subs: Con Hayes for English (30 mins, inj), Mikey Gavin for Kirby (h-t), Oisin O'Farrell for F Fitzgerald (h-t), Liam Dennehy for O'Neill (51 mins).

TIPPERARY: Jason O'Dwyer; Danny Slattery, Robert Doyle, Luke Shanahan; Cathal Quinn, Joe Caesar, Conor McKelvey; James Morris, Darragh Stakelum; Sean Keanneally, Eddie Ryan, Jack Leamy; Peter McGarry, Tony Cahill, Darragh McCarthy.

Subs: Damien Corbett for McCarthy (45 mins), Ben Currivan for McGarry (45 mins), Stephen Ferncombe for Ryan (56 mins), Michael Corcoran for McKelvey (58 mins), Conor O'Brien for Slattery (61 mins).

REFEREE: Nicky Barry (Waterford)