Tipperary humiliate Limerick in biggest semifinal win in 25 years

Although their coach, Justin McCarthy, sounded a note of caution when he reminded everyone that this was “amateur sport” and that his players shouldn’t suddenly become fall-guys, Limerick really were brutal this time.
Desperately ragged at the back and powerless in attack, they were humiliated by a Tipp side which certainly had its stellar moments, but which won’t have learned too much in advance the Sept. 6 showdown with reigning champions Kilkenny.
Admittedly, Limerick didn’t come into the game entertaining high hopes, yet there was a reasonable presumption that they would make a fight of it, but in the end, no one could have anticipated the chasm in class and application that separated the opponents right from the early stages.
Tipp didn’t have to work that hard for the three goals they plundered through Eoin Kelly, Noel McGrath and Pat Kerwick in the opening 17 minutes, and armed with a 3-8 to 0-4 advantage at the changeover, the result was a foregone conclusion.
Even the mini-shoots of a Limerick revival proved to be deceptive. A penalty from goalkeeper Brian Murray and a second goal by sub Brian O’Sullivan in the second half hinted at respectability, however, Tipp upped the pace once more and Lar Corbett proceded to terrorize the defense with a hat-trick in the space of 10 minutes. It was that emphatic and that easy.
“Disappointing, yes. We missed a few chances and then we were on the back foot after 20 minutes,” said McCarthy. “By half-time the game was as good as over, but you have to admire the team that beat us. They played outstanding stuff. Our lads are amateur players, they gave their all, I’m not going to blame anybody.”
Still, the normally reliable Stephen Lucey won’t want to be reminded of how he missed John O’Brien’s through ball which led to the first goal by Kelly, and Gavin O’Mahony, who had been so impressive in the quarter-final against Dublin, hit seven wides including five from placed balls.
Meanwhile, Murray should probably have saved Kerwick’s ground shot for the third goal, and to compound all Limerick’s mistakes in various areas of the pitch, there was to be no glittering cameo from Andrew O’Shaughnessy who has failed to find his best form this summer.
After that early torrent of Tipp scores, there was little let-up in terms of pressure. With Declan Fanning, Conor O’Mahony and Brendan Maher snuffing out any threat from the Limerick forwards, the winners did mostly as they liked.
Limerick’s standing as one of the best four counties in the championship was shown up for the charade it was. With Cork, Galway and Waterford having to fight it out on the other side of the draw, they arrived at the semi-final stage without ever being battle-hardened.
Their two goals midway through the second half might have prevented an early exodus by many among the 43,000 paying customers, but the response from Tipp as Corbett tore through a ramshackle rearguard for his hat-trick only accentuated the gulf between the teams.
After their semi-final defeat by Waterford last year, there was some redemption for Tipp even if this landslide won’t have prepared them for the challenge of Kilkenny. “There was a lot of hurt in our dressing room this time last year, and our aim coming up was to qualify for an All Ireland final,” said manager, Liam Sheedy. “Unfortunately for Limerick, they had one of those days and I feel for Justin and the lads. It’s happened to me a few times as a manager where just nothing happens for you and it doesn’t work out.”
While Sheedy agreed that some of the Tipp play was impressive, an improvement was necessary to take on Kilkenny. “I don’t need to tell you, they haven’t been beaten in four years and they’re the benchmark for everyone else. If we were to play them as we did against Limerick, in terms of our aggression and our workrate, it wouldn’t be enough.”
That view was echoed by Corbett who was also thinking ahead to Kilkenny and his county’s first All Ireland final appearance since 2001. “We’re under no illusions, that sort of workrate won’t win an All Ireland. Kilkenny are doing it year in year out. We have to up it again. We gave them a run for their money in the league final and I think we’re stronger since then. I’m looking forward to it.”
He’s not the only one.
On the camogie front, a young Kilkenny side caused a major upset when they beat favorites Galway by 1-13 to 1-11 in last weekend’s All Ireland semi-final at Nowlan Park. Kilkenny’s opponents in the decider will be reigning champions Cork who put in a strong second half performance to see off Wexford by 2-13 to 1-10.