A dramatic Tipperary SHC final at Semple Stadium saw Loughmore-Castleiney come from eight points down with a late Liam McGrath effort to level matters and ensure themselves and near neighbours Thurles Sarsfields will have to meet again to decide the destination of the Dan Breen Cup.

It finished, Loughmore-Castleiney 0-23 Thurles Sarsfields 2-17, after an epic battle in Thurles this afternoon and means that Loughmore's hopes of a second Tipperary senior hurling and football championship double in eight years are still alive with the SFC decider against holders Clonmel Commercials to come at the same venue next Sunday.

Sars - aiming for a first title since 2017 and 37th overall - enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and a brace of quick-fire goals in the 9th and 10th minutes from Denis Maher parachuted them into a 0-4 to 2-6 lead at the first water-break. But, with John McGrath unerring from frees, Loughmore rallied to go into the break just four points in arrears, 0-11 to 2-9.

It remained nip and tuck throughout the contest, with a turning point seemingly arriving in the last quarter when Loughmore, runners-up last year, fired four unanswered points to forge clear by three, 0-21 to 2-13. There was a dramatic finish though, Sars got back on level terms and a monster free by Ronan Maher pushed them briefly in front before Liam McGrath - one of eight McGrath's on the team - ensured that Loughmore lived to fight another day.

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