Tipperary beat Limerick to set up Waterford final
By Declan Rooney
Last Updated: 21/06/16 12:56pm
The 2016 Munster hurling decider will be a repeat of last year's encounter as Tipperary got the better of Limerick 3-12 to 1-16 in the provincial semi-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
The reigning Munster champions hammered Limerick by 16 points at this same stage last season but this was a lot closer, and after this victory Michael Ryan's men will have a chance to recapture the title that followed against Waterford on July 10.
Limerick scored first but trailed from the sixth minute and despite John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer getting a straight red card, Tipperary went on the rampage - they had two first-half goals from Michael Breen and one from Seamus Callanan.
Tipperary led 3-5 to 0-11 at half-time and even though substitute Tom Morrissey scored a late goal for Limerick, Tipperary advanced.
Limerick got the opening point through a Shane Dowling free, but Tipperary had two attacks in the sixth and ninth minutes and they resulted in two goals from Breen.
The Ballina clubman raced through and after he fumbled a pass to Callanan, he followed up to score the first goal. Callanan then had a shot saved by Nicky Quaid, but the Limerick goalkeeper failed to clear and Breen lashed home the rebound.
That gave Tipperary a 2-0 to 0-1 lead, Barry Nash and Callanan swapped scores, and Dowling slotted a second free before O'Dwyer saw red.
He was caught by Richie English, and after the retaliation was spotted by referee James McGrath, Tipperary were down to 14 men in the 14th minute.
Dowling and Declan Hannon combined to bring Limerick back within one. And it was Breen who got Tipperary's next score in the 24th minute, although Cian Lynch responded.
But Callanan looked dangerous, he scored a free and in the 28th minute he caught a pass from Noel McGrath and fired Tipperary's third goal.
Limerick needed to score next and they hit four-in-a-row, with Gearoid Hegarty and James Ryan joining Dowling on the scoresheet.
Callanan hit two points before half-time, as Tipperary took a 3-5 to 0-11 lead into the break, but with just two scorers in the first-half they needed to find more from elsewhere.
Noel McGrath altered that statistic straight away at the start of the second-half, but Dowling kept Limerick in touch.
Diarmaid Byrnes had an effort ruled out by Hawk-Eye but a disputed point from Callanan was given the all clear shortly after that, and John McGrath extended Tipperary's lead.
Hannon and Dowling kept Limerick in touch, but Noel McGrath hit his second and third points as Tipperary began to move clear.
Dowling completed a nine-point personal tally before the end but with Callanan hitting 1-6, Morrissey's late strike had little consequence.
Tipperary: D Gleeson; C Barrett, J Barry, M Cahill; S Kennedy, R Maher, Padraic Maher (0-1); B Maher, M Breen (2-1); D McCormack, Patrick Maher, N McGrath (0-3); J O'Dwyer, S Callanan (1-6, 0-3f, 2 '65), J McGrath (0-1).
Subs: N O'Meara for McCormack (60), D Maher for R Maher (64), J Forde for Patrick Maher (69), K Bergin for B Maher (71), D Quinn for Breen (71).
Limerick: N Quaid; T Condon, D Morrissey, R English, D Byrnes, G O'Mahony, S Hickey; J Ryan (0-1), P Browne, G Hegarty (0-1), S Dowling (0-9, 8f), B Nash (0-1); G Mulcahy, D Hannon (0-2), C Lynch (0-1).
Subs: T Morrissey (1-0) for Ryan (48), K Downes for Nash (55), J Fitzgibbon (0-1) for Hegarty (58).
Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath).
