Good evening, ladies and gents. A place in next weekend’s National Hurling League final against Wexford or Kilkenny is at stake this evening as Tipperary and Limerick meet in Thurles. We’ll keep you updated here throughout the evening from the first of the 2018 semi-finals.

An important update to get us started:

This game was due to begin at 7pm, but due to extra-time currently being played in the curtain-raiser — Presentation College Athenry v St. Kieran’s College in the Croke Cup final — throw-in between Tipperary and Limerick has now been pushed back to 7.20pm.

No word of any changes to either side yet. Here’s how they’re due to line out…

Tipperary: Darragh Mooney; Alan Flynn, James Barry, Michael Cahill; Barry Heffernan, Padraic Maher, Tomas Hamill; Seamus Kennedy, Ronan Maher; Sean Curran, Billy McCarthy, John McGrath; Michael Breen, Jason Forde, Willie Connors.

Limerick: Nicky Quaid; Sean Finn, Seamus Hickey, Richie English; Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Dan Morrissey; Colin Ryan, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Barry Murphy.

Before we get going at 7.20pm, let us know who you think will come out on top:

The Croke Cup final ended in victory for St Kieran’s, by the way, which you can read about here.

Fifteen minutes until throw-in between Tipperary and Limerick.

Looks like both teams will start as selected, believe it or not.

These two teams will kick off their championship campaigns against one another at the Gaelic Grounds on 20 May, but for now it’s all about a place in next weekend’s National League final.

Off we go…

Tipperary 0-1 Limerick 0-0

1 – John McGrath gives Tipp an early lead after a Seamus Flanagan effort for Limerick dropped short into the paw of Tipperary goalkeeper Darragh Mooney.

Tipperary 0-1 Limerick 0-0

3 – Tom Morrissey with a wide for Limerick.

Tipperary 0-2 Limerick 0-0

3 – Jason Forde doubles Tipp’s lead with a lovely score from wide on the left.

Tipperary 0-2 Limerick 0-1

4 – Aaron Gillane’s long-range free gets Limerick up and running.

Tipperary 0-2 Limerick 0-1

6 – Gillane has a go from wide on the right for Limerick but it goes well wide.

Tipperary 0-3 Limerick 0-2

7 – Outstanding score by Ronan Maher for Tipp from a sideline cut. Seamus Flanagan responds immediately fro Limerick.

Tipperary 0-4 Limerick 0-2

8 – John McGrath gets his second for Tipp.

Tipperary 0-4 Limerick 0-2

12 – Savage intensity in the opening stages of this one. Both teams desperate for one more competitive outing before the championship.

Tipperary 0-4 Limerick 0-3 

13 – Gillane again for Limerick and he reduces the gap to the minimum before a Diarmuid Byrnes long-range effort drops short.

Tipperary 0-4 Limerick 0-4

16 – Crucial intervention by Alan Flynn for Tipp as he intercepts Gillane’s pass to Barry Murphy for what would surely have been a Limerick goal. Gillane converts the resultant 65.

Tipperary 0-5 Limerick 0-4

18 – Brilliant Barry Heffernan score puts Tipp back in front.

Tipperary 0-6 Limerick 0-4

19 – Jason Forde increases Tipp’s lead with a free.

Tipperary 0-7 Limerick 0-4

21 – Tipp lead by three now thanks to a superb Willie Connors point.

Tipperary 0-8 Limerick 0-4

22 – Tipp are motoring nicely now. Michael Breen with a lovely score from out on the right.

Tipperary 0-8 Limerick 0-5

24 – Gillane with a free for his fourth point of the game.

Tipperary 0-9 Limerick 0-5

25 – Jason Forde slots over a free for Tipp after he was pulled down by Richie English while racing through on goal.

Tipperary 0-9 Limerick 0-6

26 – Fine score by Gearoid Hegarty for Limerick.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-6

26 – Tipp hit right back through Ronan Maher.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-6

28 – Four wides for Limerick so far, none for Tipperary.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-6

28 – That’s now five wides for Limerick as Gillane misses the target.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-7

31 – Kyle Hayes reduces the gap for Limerick as the break approaches.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-8

32 – Another one for Limerick, this time via Seamus Flanagan after a nice pass by Gearoid Hegarty.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-8

33 – Ronan Maher has another good effort from a sideline cut but this one is wide.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-9

33 – Lovely play by Limerick finished off by Kyle Hayes. One-point game.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-9

35 – Gillane with a free from halfway for Limerick but it goes narrowly wide.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-9

35 – Or maybe not. Here comes HawkEye.

Tipperary 0-10 Limerick 0-10

35 – In fact it was a point by Gillane. Limerick are level. Two minutes to be added on at the end of the first half.

Tipperary 0-11 Limerick 0-10

35 – After a long-range Diarmuid Byrnes free goes wide, Ronan Maher goes up the other end to put Tipp back in front.

Tipperary 0-12 Limerick 0-10

35 – Outstanding point by Breen on the stroke of half-time for Tipperary.

Half-time: Tipperary 0-12 Limerick 0-10

It’s still all to play for after a very enjoyable first-half in Thurles. Tipp’s slightly better accuracy in front of the posts the only difference so far. We’ll be back shortly for more.

Tipperary 0-12 Limerick 0-10

The second half is underway.

Tipperary 0-13 Limerick 0-10

36 – Jason Forde converts an early free for Tipp.

Tipperary 0-14 Limerick 0-10

37 – And another free from Forde.

Tipperary 0-14 Limerick 0-11

38 – Gillane strikes back with a free for Limerick.

Tipperary 0-14 Limerick 0-11

There were changes on both sides at half-time. Brendan Maher replaced Tomas Hamill for Tipp. For Limerick, Paul Browne is on for Colin Ryan.

Tipperary 0-14 Limerick 0-13

41 – Barry Murphy gets his first of the game for Limerick and then Seamus Flanagan leaves just a point between them.

Tipperary 0-15 Limerick 0-13

42 – Jason Forde makes no mistake with a long-range free for Tipp.

Tipperary 0-15 Limerick 0-13

43 – Limerick’s issues in front of the posts continue. Wides for Kyle Hayes and Seamus Flanagan.

Tipperary 0-17 Limerick 0-13

47 – First score of the game for Tipp’s Billy McCarthy, who’s then immediately replaced by Bubbles O’Dwyer. The brilliant Jason Forde then adds another for Tipp.

Tipperary 0-17 Limerick 0-13

48 – An off-the-ball incident leads to yellow cards for Alan Flynn and Barry Murphy.

Tipperary 0-18 Limerick 0-13

49 – Another Tipp score by — you’ve guessed it — Jason Forde.

Tipperary 0-18 Limerick 0-14

50 – Gearoid Hegarty points directly from a sideline cut for Limerick. Sublime.

Tipperary 0-18 Limerick 0-15

50 – Tom Morrissey adds another for Limerick as Pat Ryan replaces Barry Murphy.

Tipperary 0-18 Limerick 0-16

51 – Huge score by Paul Browne for Limerick. Great spell for them.

Tipperary 0-18 Limerick 0-16

51 – But then another wide through Diarmuid Byrnes. Eleven wides so far for Limerick, just two for Tipp.

Tipperary 0-18 Limerick 0-17

53 – Gillane converts another placed-ball and there’s only a point in it.

Tipperary 0-19 Limerick 0-17

54 – Michael Breen extends Tipp’s lead, although it looked like it may have crept wide.

Tipperary 0-19 Limerick 0-17

55 – Brilliant sideline effort from Jason Forde is just off target.

Tipperary 0-19 Limerick 0-18

55 – Kyle Hayes cuts the gap again for Limerick.

Tipperary 0-19 Limerick 0-19

57 – Outstanding score from wide on the left by substitute Pat Ryan brings Limerick level.

Tipperary 0-21 Limerick 0-19

57 – But just like that Tipp go ahead again through Bubbles O’Dwyer and then Sean Curran.

Tipperary 0-21 Limerick 0-20

59 – Jason Forde with an uncharacteristic wide from a free for Tipp as Limerick bring in Graeme Mulcahy for Seamus Flanagan. Hegarty then reduces Tipp’s lead.

This has turned into some game!

Tipperary 0-21 Limerick 0-20

61 – Barry Nash comes in for Aaron Gillane, who seemed to be moving a bit gingerly.

Tipperary 0-22 Limerick 0-20

62 – John McGrath pulls Tipp further ahead.

Tipperary 0-23 Limerick 0-20

63 – What an absolutely incredible score by Ronan Maher. A sideline cut from around halfway. Unreal!

Tipperary 0-24 Limerick 0-20

64 – Jason Forde increases the gap from a free.

Tipperary 0-25 Limerick 0-21

66 – Tom Morrissey points for Limerick before Cathal Barrett replaces Seamus Kennedy for Tipp. Sean Curran then gets his second point of the game.

Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-23

67 – Diarmuid Byrnes with a point for Limerick after a superb bit of skill by Barry Nash. Ronan Maher responds for Tipp, then Cian Lynch points for Limerick. Frantic stuff!

Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-25

70 – Back-to-back points for Limerick. Cian Lynch there, only a point between the,.

Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-25

70 – Three minutes to be added on. Well holy God, what a game!

Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-26

70 – They’re level! Tom Morrissey converts a free for Limerick!

Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-26

70 – Ronan Maher looks to win it for Tipp with another sideline… but it goes wide. We’re heading into extra-time, folks.

Full-time: Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-26 (extra-time to be played)

Tipperary 0-26 Limerick 0-26 

Two halves of 10 minutes each to be played.

Away we go…

Tipperary 0-27 Limerick 0-26 

71 – John McGrath nudges Tipp in front.

GOAL FOR TIPPERARY! Tipperary 1-27 Limerick 0-26 (Jason Forde, 72)

Tipperary 1-27 Limerick 0-27

73 – The first goal of the game comes as Forde intercepts Nicky Quaid’s attempted short puck-put. Barry Nash responds with a Limerick point.

Tipperary 1-28 Limerick 0-27

74 – Forde slots over a close-range free.

Tipperary 1-28 Limerick 0-27

76 – Forde mishits a free, then Ronan Maher strikes a wide.

Tipperary 1-28 Limerick 0-28

78 – Tom Morrissey with a free for Limerick.

GOAL FOR TIPPERARY! Tipperary 2-28 Limerick 0-28 (Jason Forde, 78)

Tipperary 2-28 Limerick 0-28

79 – Forde flicks home his second goal after a scramble in the Limerick goalmouth. It’ll be tough for Limerick to come back from here.

Tipperary 2-28 Limerick 0-28

80 – A minimum of two minutes to be added on at the end of this first half of extra-time.

Tipperary 2-28 Limerick 0-29

80 – Tom Morrissey hits the target with another free for Limerick.

Half-time in extra-time: Tipperary 2-28 Limerick 0-29

Tipperary 2-28 Limerick 0-29

81 – Second half underway.

Tipperary 2-29 Limerick 0-29

81 – John McGrath puts six between them again.

Tipperary 2-30 Limerick 0-30

82 – Tom Morrissey converts a free for Limerick, but Sean Curran responds right away for Tipp.

Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 0-30

84 – Jason Forde slots over a free for Tipp.

Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 0-30

85 – Barry Nash with a possible goal chance for Limerick but he fires wide.

GOAL FOR LIMERICK! Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 1-30 (Graeme Mulcahy, 77)

Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 1-30

88 – What a strike from Graeme Mulcahy. It’s not over yet!

Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 1-31

88 – A point for Limerick (apologies folks, couldn’t quite see the scorer)

Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 1-31

90 – Tom Morrissey has a shot on goal but Darragh Mooney makes a vital save for Tipp.

Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 1-31

90 – One additional minute to be played.

Full-time: Tipperary 2-31 Limerick 1-31 (AET)

After an incredible 90 minutes of hurling, it’ll be Tipperary to advance to next weekend’s National Hurling League final against the winner of tomorrow’s second semi-final between Kilkenny and Wexford.

Tough on Limerick to lose after registering 1-31, but they look in very good nick heading into the championship. One more competitive game for Tipp before the two counties meet again in Limerick on 20 May.