Don’t tell Liam Cahill that Tipperary are back. The Premier chief was in no mood for people getting carried away after a Thurles thriller with Limerick ended in deadlock, 2-23 apiece.
“The currency here in Tipperary will always be silverware,” Cahill said, “but the timing of this is different and we have a lot of work to do. Today is a stepping stone. The one narrative we don't want coming out is that Tipperary are back, because that's ridiculous.
“There's so much youth in that room, so much experience that's going to have to be replaced at a later stage.
“God knows, maybe not next year, but they're not going to stay around forever. So there's still a lot of work to be done in that regard.”
The sides were level 12 times as John McGrath’s second goal edged the hosts ahead with seven minutes remaining before Hawk-Eye ruled out an Adam English equaliser entering four added minutes.
Diarmaid Byrnes and Aaron Gillane’s free nudged Limerick ahead but Darragh McCarthy kept his nerve for an eighth point to level in front of a 32,295 crowd.
Limerick were punished for three throw balls, against Tipp’s one, by referee Thomas Walsh from the 58th minute onwards. That included the equalising free against William O’Donoghue.
“I can't contradict because I'd have to watch it,” said Treaty manager John Kiely. “There was definitely one pass that I would be concerned about in the lead-up to the Tipperary goal.
“If you go back two key passes out, that's one that definitely needs to be looked at.”
Five months after rupturing a cruciate ligament, Nickie Quaid made a sensational return between the posts.
The All-Star goalkeeper’s remarkable comeback took half the time many other athletes need to recover.
“He's been in full training for the last three weeks,” said Kiely. “So when he's able to play in-house games and do everything that he would have been doing all along, it had to be considered.
“Just delighted that he got through it, it'll be a huge confidence builder for him. You can't replicate a Championship match in training. You try to. So this'll be a huge, huge plus for him and something that he can build on. He’s back now and that’s it.
“His puck-outs were excellent. I thought he had a super, super game.”
That wasn’t John Kiely’s only Easter surprise as All-Star half-back Kyle Hayes was relocated back to his previous home at centre-forward.
He put in a busy shift while Shane O’Brien was the standout player, scoring 1-4 and stripping Ronan Maher of possession three times for his teammates to tap over points.
Limerick’s resources run so deep that their bench was scheduled to feature six All-Stars. Tom Morrissey received a late call-up to replace Cathal O’Neill and Peter Casey was the only other to appear off the bench.
Cahill, meanwhile, handed out Championship debuts to Robert Doyle, Joe Caesar, Sam O'Farrell, and McCarthy.
Four days after lining out for the county U20s, McCarthy looked to the manor born. He scored Tipp’s first three points before Limerick jumped ahead in the 18th minute.
Gillane’s brilliantly disguised pass to Adam English allowed the roaming midfielder to sweep the sliotar under Barry Hogan.
Tipp ended the half with five points in a row, including three thumping Eoghan Connolly frees. Two were dispatched from inside his own 45 to lead 0-16 to 1-10 at the break.
Limerick have made a healthy habit of overhauling Tipp whirlwinds in the third quarter. O’Brien crowned his haul by rounding Michael Breen to fire them ahead with a 38th-minute goal after O’Donoghue caught a Tipp puck-out.
Three minutes later, Tipp were back ahead as John McGrath stepped onto his left for a lethal finish to lead by one, 1-17 to 2-13.
Limerick struck the next three in a row, including a Gillane brace, and they weren’t headed again until the 63rd minute. McGrath’s second goal came from a flowing five-pass move started by his older brother Noel’s interception.
“It'd have to be a good point, wouldn't it?” concluded Cahill of the draw. “My God, what a gutsy performance. Four young championship debutants playing a team seasoned like Limerick, loaded with a bench of numerous All-Stars.
“Having said that, it's only the first round of the Munster Championship. There's nobody getting carried away.
“We have to turn the page very quickly now for seven days' time down to Cork.
“It's a ten-point deficit from the League final. Some people in Tipperary will think there's more than that. That's fine too but we'll go down and we'll represent the jersey with everything we've got again.”
Tipperary: B Hogan; R Doyle, E Connolly (0-04, 4f), M Breen; J Caesar, R Maher, B O’Mara (0-01); C Morgan (0-01), S O’Farrell; A Tynan (0-01), J Morris (0-04), D Stakelum; D McCarthy (0-08, 5f), J McGrath (2-01), J Forde (0-01).
Subs: N McGrath (0-01) for Caesar (42), C Bowe for Forde (50), S Kennedy (0-01) for D Stakelum (52), C Stakelum for Tynan (68), S Kenneally for J McGrath (70).
Limerick: N Quaid; M Casey, B Murphy, B Nash (0-01); D Byrnes (0-03, 2f), W O’Donoghue, C Coughlan (0-01); A English (1-02), C Lynch (0-01); G Hegarty (0-01), K Hayes (0-02), T Morrissey (0-01); A Gillane (0-07, 4f), S O’Brien (1-04), D Reidy.
Subs: A O’Connor for Morrissey (50), P Casey for Hegarty (58).
Referee: T Walsh (Waterford).
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