All-Ireland Minor Hurling Final: Tipperary 1-21 Limerick 0-17
MANAGER Liam Cahill claimed that All Ireland success for his rampaging Tipperary minors was the ultimate response to those who branded him “dishonest and a hypocrite” earlier in the year.
Tipp were beaten in both the hurling and football minor finals last year, prompting Cahill to make the decision not to accommodate dual players this season.
It was a controversial move and it was ironic that Colin English, having initially committed to the football set-up, returned to hurling midseason and was man of the match with a 0-4 tally.
Focusing exclusively on hurling clearly paid off for this year’s group, who beat Limerick by 17 points in the Munster final and broke the Shannonsiders’ hearts all over again yesterday.
The margin wasn’t anything near as big, and Limerick boss Pat Donnelly said he was happy that his team gave it everything this time, but there was still only going to be one winner.
Tipp were just a point up at halftime after blasting eight wides but outscored their neighbours by 1-12 to 0-9 after the break and Jake Morris’s 35th minute goal was crucial.
Manager Cahill took the opportunity afterwards to hit out at those who were critical of his policy regarding dual players.
“It was unbelievable heartbreak last year because, to be honest, people said you did superbly well bringing an average team to an All-Ireland final but last year’s team wasn’t average – it was made average by players wanting to play everything,” said Cahill.
“That’s why the two buses here at minor grade left down the N7 with no silverware – because they were burnt out from playing everything and that’s being honest about it.
“I make no apologies for it. I know I had my critics in the local media in particular, I was branded as being dishonest and a hypocrite and naive and it hurt at the time.
“But when you’re in a job like this in Tipperary you have to get on with it and I felt what I had to do was right, it was right for the players involved, it was right for everybody. We had to kick on and do what we had to do and thankfully it worked out.”
English and captain Brian McGrath played superbly, though Morris was a huge figure in the game, scoring 1-3 and also escaping punishment for a flashpoint just moments after his goal.
He appeared to strike Limerick defender Josh Adams in the midriff with his hurl following an altercation, though no action was taken. Asked if Morris was lucky to stay on the field for the remaining 25 minutes or so, Limerick chief Donnelly nodded. “Oh, without a shadow of a doubt,” said Donnelly.
“I know the linesman didn’t see it, he was away from it. If he had seen it, he’d have been gone, he’d have been sent off. He did strike, right in front of me.
“But there’s no sour grapes over that. The linesman didn’t see it, maybe the umpires had seen it and perhaps it’s something that can be looked at again but that didn’t turn the game.
“I think if we’re to be fair, Tipperary were that bit better than us. I have no complaints with the effort we put in. We gave it everything we had, I’m delighted with the performance.
“I said it after the Munster final that I didn’t think we were that far behind Tipperary and we proved that today at least.”
Tipp were hot favourites, not just because of their Munster final performance but after demolishing Galway in the All-Ireland semi-finals with a seven-goal barrage. But they narrowly edged a tense, error strewn first half 0-9 to 0-8 and only really got into it after the break.
A 1-1 burst of scoring comprised of an English point and Morris’s goal when he latched onto Mark Kehoe’s hand pass into space, opened up a five-point lead.
Brian Ryan kept Limerick in the game with pointed frees and further points from Ryan, Kyle Hayes, Ciaran O’Connor and Paul O’Brien reduced their deficit to three.
But scores always came easier to Tipp and Limerick would rue Hayes’s failure to hit the net after a probing run in the 43rd minute.
Tipp finished the last 15 minutes strong and outscored Limerick by 0-9 to 0-5 to win their 20th title with plenty to spare.
Tipperary: C Barrett; J Cahill, M Whelan, T Murphy; B McGrath (0-2, 0-1 free 0-1 65), K O’Dwyer, C Flanagan; P Cadell, G Browne (0-1); R Doody, J Morris (1-3), C English (0-4); L Fairbrother (0-5, 0-4 frees), M Kehoe (0-2), C Darcy. Subs: S Neville (0-3) for Doody (27), G Dunne for Murphy (37), D Walsh (0-1) for Darcy (42), D Quirke for Flanagan (51), C Stakelum for Browne (62).
Limerick: M O’Kelly; B Nash, C Nicholas, R Connolly; J Boylan, J Adams, F Hourigan; C O’Connor (0-1), D Carroll (0-1); M O’Grady, A Barrett, B Ryan (0-11, 0-8 frees, 0-1 65); C Boylan (0-1), K Hayes (0-1), C MagnerFlynn. Subs: P O’Brien (0-1) for Magner-Flynn (34), J Flynn for Carroll (37), D Woulfe (0-1) for Barrett (42), M Bourke for Adams (
