GAELIC GAMES:The parched grass howled for a drop of rain and the championship begged for a game like this. In the Gaelic Grounds yesterday Limerick and Tipperary fashioned a draw from circumstances which were unlikely from the moment in the 20th minute that Limerick's captain was dismissed for his second bookable foul on Eoin Kelly.

At that instant when Damien Reale, normally a model and an inspiration in the Limerick defence, suffered a rush to the head and chopped down on Kelly's hand, Limerick had just yielded the early momentum of the game. Having scored three unanswered points to go two ahead, they had just been sucker-punched.

A Benny Dunne long ball found the hand of the barrel-chested John Carroll, who moved towards the Limerick goal with the intent and heft of a second-row forward bursting for the line. This muscularity was counterpointed by the elegance of his finish to the corner of the Limerick net. The sun was high in the sky. Limerick's goose it seemed was barbecued.

We settled back for another game which would interest us but ultimately disappoint us. Indeed, Tipperary scored the next three points as the game lurched towards the mercy of the half-time break. Kelly, still in recovery mode after a recent injury, was oddly quiet, and Willie Ryan was taking the frees for Tipp as they ploughed on.

Limerick have not quite been - to quote Anthony Daly when referring to his Clare side - the whipping boys of Munster, but in the years since the bulging promise of their under-21 successes they have underachieved in such glorious and consistent fashion they might as well have been. Yesterday they gave evidence they have had enough of the jokes and the eyeball-rolling which accompany any discussion of their chances. Yesterday they regrouped and hurled like a serious team.

Ollie Moran, who has lived through the promise and the failure to deliver on it, was enjoying the freedom offered by his marker, Benny Dunne, and Ollie's second point of the afternoon sparked something in Limerick. They added another three points to Moran's to level.

Then they took a breather and went in two points down and annoyed with themselves.

"At half-time we were well aware that we were up against it," said their young corner back Séamus Hickey. "We knew it was heart and determination that would get us back into it. We weren't happy with our first half. To let them lead us by two points? We were disappointed.

"We let Tipp stay with us too long in the first half when we should have pulled away. Their goal - John Carroll struck it well - that put us up against it."

The second half was an explosion of hurling, the scores dropping into our notebooks faster than we could record them. Limerick rat-a-tatted three, a Tipp free being the only response.

Then Darragh Egan swapped scores with Mike O'Brien in the space of seconds. Tipperary gunned three. Moran added another for Limerick. We gasped for breath. Ten points in as many minutes. No wides.

Deficient in personnel, Limerick upped the workrate. Moran had five points from play scored before Tipperary looked to the bench for a new marker. The bench doesn't heave with defensive talent right now, and with Paul Curran expected to be absent next Sunday again, Tipp know where the work needs to be done.

The game hit a little lull before taking off again for the final 12 minutes or so. Tipperary took most of what Limerick had to offer and then, showing some grit themselves, scored three quick points, the last of which, from Lar Corbett after a fine catch and quick swing, had the impact of a knock-out punch.

Or so we thought at the time.

Seventieth minute. Big Brian Geary launches a high one into the blue skies and down into the hand of, you guessed it, Ollie Moran. Pat Tobin is out on the left. Loitering. With intent.

"Ollie won a great ball after it came in from Brian's free," said Tobin. "There were two Tipp lads hanging out of him. He won it and handpassed it out to me. I don't know if it was the best goal I ever scored but it's up there as the most important one.

"I knew I had a yard on my man because he went towards Ollie when Ollie went to palm the ball. The boys said the goal was like slow motion. I looked into the corner and put it there."

Brendan Cummins's net rippled, a rare sight. The board flashed a minute added on. 26,246 people stood on their toes and bellowed. Everyone wanted a win. Nobody felt either side deserved to lose. The whistle blew.

"Half the job is only done," said Tobin, Limerick's hero. "The other half is for next Saturday in Thurles."

Be there if you have any interest in hurling or romance.