Kearns looks for improvement

Liam Kearns lingers in the afternoon sun and smiles wistfully at the talk of his team living dangerously. As if the championship was about how you win more than that you win. Still, he reveals problems in the Limerick performance that'll need attention.

"Three goals," he starts, "sure you just can't give those away and expect to win easy. And sure it could have been four. We were on top in almost every sector for the entire game but every time they attacked in the first 10 minutes they looked like getting a goal.

"So, of course, that's something we'll have to look at. But I thought our forwards did okay, but again we missed some goal chances."

If Limerick were playing Cork or Kerry next then Kearns mightn't sound so philosophical. Time is still on their side but it's far from a straight road ahead: "We know we won't win anything in Munster with that display.

"Still their three goals were the only scores they got from play in the first half. So I'll give my lads some credit. I told them at half-time to hold their heads and keep taking their points and it would come right. But we did live dangerously, and I told them we mightn't recover from a fourth goal. In fairness they didn't allow that, and once the man was sent off then that gave us an extra edge we used well. Still, it gives us plenty to work on."

Andy Shortall was dealt the other end of the stick, how Tipperary could enjoy such a handy lead and let it slip.

"Three goals had given us a nice cushion, and something to fight for. And I'd have hoped we could have pushed on and won the game. But Limerick were that bit more competitive, and that's the difference between Division One and Two . . . Still we had our chances there at the end that, had we a little bit more composure, we might have used better."