Limerick footballers provide first shock of the summer

Tipperary on the back foot from the off at Semple Stadium as goals prove crucial

Limerick’s Iain Corbett celebrates at the final whistle in Thurles. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Limerick’s Iain Corbett celebrates at the final whistle in Thurles. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Limerick 3-11 Tipperary 1-10

Three second half goals put Limerick into a Munster semi-final on June 1st against Cork as they nudged their way past the disappointing challenge of Tipperary in Semple Stadium.

Tipperary were strong favourites against their Division Four opponents but were on the back foot from early on as Limerick ran at them and found plenty of gaps.

The scores were level at the break and it was Limerick who moved up a higher gear thereafter - team captain Iain Corbett scored their opening goal with a bullet shot after marauding run upfield to take a Tommie Childs pass. Cillian Fahy then followed up with another in the 56th minute with a fine shot after a high catch.

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Michael Quinlivan did reply in kind for Tipp in the 64th minute, with a well-drilled shot to the bottom left corner of the net, but by then they had given themselves too much to do. And it was the visitors who had the final say, when substitute Peter Nash scrambled home a close-range ground shot four minutes later, to kill off the contest and provide the summer's first shock.

Limerick: D O'Sullivan, B Fanning, S O'Dea, P Maher, C McSweeney, I Corbett (1-2), G Brown, D Treacy, T Childs, A Enright (0-2), C Fahy (1-2), M Fitzgibbon, S McSweeney (0-1), S O'Carroll (0-1, free), J Lee (0-3). Subs: P Nash (1-0) for J Lee (62'), S Keeley for A Enright (69'), P De Brun for M Fitzgibbon (69')

Tipperary: E Comerford, A Campbell, J Meagher, S O'Connell, K Fahey, R Kiely, E Moloney, S O'Brien (0-1), L Casey (0-1), J Keane, P Maher, B Fox, C Sweeney (0-4, three frees), M Quinlivan (1-2), L McGrath (0-2, two frees). Subs: L Boland for P Maher (HT), B Maher for R Kiely (HT), J Kennedy for J Keane (49'), D Brennan for K Fahey (57'), D O'Meara for B Fox (65'), J Feehan for J Meagher (70').

Referee: James Molloy (Galway).

Attendance: 2,165