Tipp deny Clare as Dublin record first loss

GAA HURLING ROUND-UP : Seamus Callanan and Willie Ryan were in inspired form as Tipperary made it three league wins in a row…

GAA HURLING ROUND-UP: Seamus Callanan and Willie Ryan were in inspired form as Tipperary made it three league wins in a row with today's victory over rivals Clare at Semple Stadium, while Anthony Daly's Dublin side suffered their first defeat of the campaign against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

Callanan made his first league appearance of the year, while captain Ryan returned after injury to play key roles in the defending champions’ 0-23 to 0-16 victory in Thurles. They are now the only undefeated side in the top flight.

Clare were consigned to their third straight defeat and only a depleted Cork side are below them in the division. Callanan contributed (0-9), Ryan (0-7) as the hosts led 0-12 to 0-10 at the break

After trailing early in the game the Bannermen rallied with successive points from Barry Nugent, Niall Gilligan, Colin Ryan and Tony Griffin.

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With Ryan accounting for the majority of Tipp's first half scores, Callanan, Noel McGrath, Thomas Stapleton and Paul Kelly also found their range in the second period.

Clare defender Gerry Quinn responded with a fine free from inside his own half, before losing Griffin to a yellow card and Caimin Morey replacing him. Brian O'Connell was called into action after Diarmuid McMahon also saw yellow.

The visitors introduced Shane Maher for the yellow-carded Benny Dunne but it was business as usual for the champions as points from Callanan, Stapleton, John O'Brien and substitute Lar Corbett opened a six-point gap.

Jonathan Clancy, Ryan and Barry Nugent added some well-taken points for Clare, but any hopes of a comeback were quashed when a penalty effort from Ryan was saved by Tipp goalkeeper Brendan Cummins.

At the Gaelic Grounds Dublin narrowly went down 1-11 to 0-12 against Limerick after Niall Moran’s poaching goal proved the difference.

Moran found himself in the right place at the right time to tap home the game's only goal several minutes after the break. He was instrumental in the closing stages too as his late point was the final score of an error-strewn game.

Limerick hit 10 wides against Dublin’s eight in the first hour, However, Justin McCarthy's side had just enough accuracy to chalk up their second win in three league games.

The visitors had the run of the ball for large periods of the opening half but forwards David O'Callaghan and Liam Rushe were kept at bay by the Limerick defence.

Alan McCrabbe was able to convert four points from frees for the visitors in opening half hour but they were matched by Limerick free-taker, Andrew O'Shaughnessy.

The sides were locked, 0-06 to 0-06, at the break before Limerick made the ideal start with Moran’s fortuitous goal.

Graham Mulcahy played the ball into the danger area and Dublin keeper Alan Nolan lost sight of the ball before Moran found the net from a rebound.

Bryan O'Sullivan went narrowly wide with a subsequent point attempt for the Shannonsiders and Dublin rallied for the next 12 minutes, scoring four points without reply.

McCrabbe, Simon Lambert, Rory Trainor and midfielder John McCaffrey all tagged on scores as Daly's men moved into a narrow 0-10 to 1-6 lead.

Moran put the sides level for the sixth time before he and McCrabbe exchanged scores.

O'Shaughnessy then handed the hosts a 1-9 to 0-11 buffer as McCrabbe missed two frees for Dublin, which left Moran to settle the tie from 40 yards out.

Elsewhere there were Division One wins for Galway who won away against Cork, 4-16 to 1-11, while Kilkenny lost away to Waterford, 2-17 to 1-16.

Division 1
Limerick 1-11 Dublin 0-12
Cork 1-11 Galway 4-16
Waterford 2-17 Kilkenny 1-16
Tipperary 0-23 Clare 0-16

Division 2
Antrim 4-16 Wexford 4-12
Laois 3-12Carlow 2-11
Offaly 4-20 Kerry 0-08
Westmeath 4-10 Down 4-18

Division 3A
Armagh 1-13 Kildare 1-12
Derry 1-13 Meath 1-17
Wicklow 0-16 Mayo 2-15

Division 3B
Roscommon 3-20 Donegal 1-11
Tyrone 0-13 Longford 1-09
Louth 2-14 London 3-18

Division 4
Sligo 0-15 Fermanagh 2-11
Cavan 2-14 South Down 1-09
Monaghan 0-13 Leitrim 0-12