Tipperary’s Munster hurling crown withstood Limerick – and adversity – on Sunday to stay on track for a repeat clash with Waterford in three weeks time.
On a day of soft rain it took a hard, gritty display from Tipperary to defy the numerical odds and hammer out a win that felt more emphatic than the final two-point margin would suggest. Not since Benny Dunne in ’09 has Tipperary suffered a sending off in an important championship tie. Seven years ago it proved costly against Kilkenny; this time ‘Bubbles’ misdemeanor, thankfully, had less serious fall-out, though his absence in the final might yet prove very damaging.
That red card, after a mere fourteen minutes of action, left Tipperary’s crown looking vulnerable indeed. There was a lot of hurling still to be done while short-staffed and if Limerick opted not to deploy a sweeper at the beginning they now had one by default.
In the circumstances it took a special effort from the Tipperary fourteen to defy the odds and leave their print on this sporting occasion. As a hurling spectacle it won’t overload the memory but for Tipperary it was a job done, much like the opening bout against Cork.
We’re into a Munster decider and hasn’t it all been remarkably low-key? Against Cork all the focus was on rebel frailties and again on Sunday Tipperary got through without embellishing the occasion, so that expectations remain in check. It’s just as well because we tend to be a flighty lot.
It was a strange first half, one not lacking in incident. The opening minutes were nervous enough from Tipperary, those short puck-outs very ill-advised in these treacherous conditions. However, the game was still in the settling-down phase when the first major breach came at the Killinan end.
It was an opening goal that left Limerick cringing. Michael Breen made the initial drive but his hand-pass attempt to Callanan was poor and the visitors should have cleared before Breen followed up with the whip in for a goal that was a messy one to concede.
The Limerick defence had scarcely drawn breath from that setback when Breen struck again. This time Callanan’s shot was saved by goalie, Nickie Quaid, but it squirted up in the air and the marauding Breen pounced for the tap in.
The day was brightening for Tipperary but suddenly, out of nothing, a dark cloud appeared. ‘Bubbles’ flick-back was retaliation, but that doesn’t condone its stupidity. He’s been living on the brink in games, a point commented on here previously, and he needs to control that wayward tendency. A forward of his class is going to be a target and he has to learn to deal with that attention.
Suddenly the whole complexion of the afternoon had changed. There used to be a time when an extra-man was useless to teams because they were unaccustomed to sweepers. Nowadays every side has had some exposure to a loose player doing a job, so an extra body should be more beneficial. Strangely Limerick failed to take full advantage and indeed there were times in the second half when Tipperary seemed to have an extra defender.
After the sending off, Tipperary went a worrying spell without a score while Limerick chipped away at the lead. However, the third Tipperary goal rebalanced the game once again and this time it was an item of real beauty. The visiting defence looked vulnerable as John McGrath flicked across to his brother Noel. The hand-pass from Noel was swift and precise and Callanan showed every forward how to finish an open chance. It was copybook stuff and it re-established Tipperary’s supremacy, which stood at three points at half time.
Our half time feelings were mixed. Hitting three goals was a plus and there was the significant backing of the wind to come. On the reverse side, though, we’d scored a mere two points from play in that first period and there was another entire half to endure while a man short.
Last week I highlighted the work rate of Kilkenny in crushing Dublin’s resistance. Probably the most encouraging aspect of our display on Sunday was a similar work ethic. It’s no secret that Michael Ryan and company have put an emphasis on work rate since early spring with the stats man logging every input by individuals. There’s evidence that such a policy is bearing fruit.
Given the numerical disadvantage we needed everyone doing overtime on Sunday and it was that busyness plus our superior hurling knowhow which ultimately Limerick couldn’t handle. The second half was a victory for Tipperary’s application to the task
As the second half progressed our fears about Limerick abated. They were getting no traction in the game whatsoever. Ultimately they’d score a mere two points against a fourteen-man opposition and it was interesting to hear T.J. Ryan afterwards putting the blame primarily on the shortcomings of their attack.
Tipperary for their part kept chipping away at the points, none better than Noel McGrath who really must be the most economical player in inter-county hurling. We kept Limerick at arms’ length for the duration of that half, the lead fluctuating from four to five to six points. There was a sense in which Tipperary seemed content to hold what they had, though I’d have loved if they drove on and really ‘buried’ the game. It’s still perhaps a lingering issue with Tipperary that we don’t have that ruthless streak to really put away an opponent.
There were missed chances including a string of wides from frees, all drifting to the left side of the posts; did nobody notice that the wind seemed to be carrying to that side? Callanan under-hit a free too and we had a few chances of points, which were lost when players tried to work their way in for goals. On another day we’d need to be more clinical on these.
The concession of that late goal to Limerick irked me. The most important phase of any game is the final five minutes and that’s surely where you need maximum concentration and emphasis. We had plenty of players back defending at that point and they really should have smothered Tom Morrissey’s attempt.
Thankfully, the goal came very late, but imagine if it arrived five, even ten, minutes earlier. Then we’d have to endure a jittery finish where there was no guarantee that a reinvigorated Limerick wouldn’t find the rescuing scores. Again the lesson has to be learned to close down shop in those final minutes when you’re protecting a lead of whatever size.
In the end the consensus saw it as a reasonably emphatic Tipperary win despite the tight closing margin. In that second half particularly we had ground out a win through intensity of endeavour, something which bodes well for the future.
On ‘The Sunday Game’ Cathal Barrett got the nod for man-of-the-match. Like the defence in general he’d done well after a slightly shaky start. For me, however, it was quite puzzling that Michael Breen wasn’t even nominated for the individual award. Did Cian Lynch have a greater impact on the game than Michael Breen? Surely not.
For me the big story in Tipperary so far this year is our midfield. Brendan Maher and Michael Breen bring a type of dynamism to the area that we used to get only in spasms from Shane McGrath and James Woodlock. Ironically both Maher and Breen have taken some time to find their niche in the team but by now they’re developing into a really formidable partnership.
Another plus on Sunday was the return of ‘Bonner’ Maher to action. He’ll never be your top scorer but his tearaway style will unhinge defences. There was one first half burst on Sunday where it took several covering Limerick players to crowd him out and the only missing ingredient was support from Tipp colleagues. He offers a great contrast to the likes of the McGrath brothers and ‘Bubbles’. Dan McCormack doesn’t impress everyone but his work rate, often unseen, obviously influences the management.
Callanan on Sunday mixed the brilliant with the bad. The goal was sublime, he was central to the second major too and was an obvious threat every time the ball fell his way. But on the debit side of the balance sheet there were wides, that mis-hit free, a ball into the goalie’s hand and on a tighter day these could be critical. I’m greedy in my assessment of Callanan. Because I think he has the ability to ‘skin’ any full back in the game I’m impatient with even minor lapses. I want his confidence back where it was last August.
Our defence has got lots of praise and rightly so though Ronan Maher had one of his quieter days and was replaced after a second half knock. Seamus Kennedy is solidifying his role at wing back and Paudie remains a huge player. Gleeson in goal made a fine save in the build up to the goal and could hardly be faulted for the return that passed him.
Overall then it’s a case of mission accomplished, our rite of passage to the final secured, but something entirely different awaits on July 10. For Limerick, not coping with fourteen-man Tipperary was disappointing. They now have a visit to Mullingar in the qualifiers, an obstacle they should successfully negotiate before tougher assignments follow.
