Colm Bonnar laments Tipperary's failure to find the net against Limerick

The scoreboard may never lie but it certainly didn't tell the full story of a gripping Munster SHC clash.

Massive underdogs going into today's game at the Gaelic Grounds, a Tipperary team missing 12 of last year's panel pushed All-Ireland champions Limerick all the way and lost by seven points only after the concession of late goals to Conor Boylan and Aaron Gillane (2-05, 4f).

Colm Bonnar has now lost all three provincial games in his first year in charge but was left to rue what might have been following a tightly-contested game his Tipp team led for long periods.

"I don't think the scoreline reflects our effort," he told RTÉ Sport.

"I'm hugely disappointed because even with 10 minutes to go I felt we were going to win this game.

"We were three points up midway through the second half and had chances to go six or seven up but didn’t take them. But maybe that’s a young team and we have to learn to build that momentum.

"We knew we were under the cosh and had to come in with a performance. I thought we competed very well.

"But credit to Limerick, they came back and scored the goals when it mattered."

Bonnar highlighted Tipperary's failure to take their opportunities as the main reason for what will almost certainly be a failure to progress from Munster this year.

"We went in at half-time with 0-14 on the board and they scored 1-09. Michael Breen was unlucky for a goal [his shot was saved] in the first half and [we were] unlucky for a goal in the second half.

"That's been the story of our championship so far. We’ve had goal chances and haven’t taken them. Against Clare we had two goal chances in the first ten minutes. It kills our momentum.

"There were eight players who didn’t play in last year’s Munster final so that’s a huge