A dominant second-half display ensured that Limerick booked their place in the Allianz Hurling League final after they overcame Tipperary with six points to spare in a feisty affair in TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Peter Casey's goal in the 56th minute helped Limerick secure the 1-28 to 0-25 victory with John Kiely’s men now playing Cork or Kilkenny, who they have defeated in the last two All-Ireland finals, in the final in two weeks’ time.

Level on six separate occasions, the Treaty men, who were four points down at the half time break, began to pull away in the second half, outscoring Tipperary by 1-16 to nine points after restart.

Limerick, who started with eight of the starting 15 from last year’s All-Ireland final against Kilkenny, struggled to find their rhythm in the opening half before Casey found the net for the game’s only goal 14 minutes from time.

Cathal O’Neill - All-Ireland U20 finalist with Limerick last year – opened the scoring just 30 seconds – a sign of things to come.

A minute later, Limerick edged ahead through Barry Murphy, a late replacement for the injured Darragh O’Donovan.

However, two Jason Forde frees without reply had Tipperary level by the fifth minute - it was the first of five separate occasions during the first half that the teams were level.

The sides exchanged points in the opening quarter before three Tipp points in a row from Noel McGrath, Jason Forde, and Alan Tynan saw Liam Cahill’s side open up a three-point lead heading into the last 15 minutes of the opening 35.

Limerick plugged away, but with the game becoming a very end to end affair with little opportunity for Aaron Gillane to add to his free tally, it was Tipperary who took a four-point lead into the break.

Tom Morrissey – top scorer for Limerick coming into this League semi-final with 22 points – added to his tally a minute before half time but Forde added a late free to bring his point tally to eight in the opening half.

The point of the evening came just two minutes after the restart – Seán Finn collected a loose ball in front of Nickie Quaid, the Bruff man found Colin Coughlan before the Limerick left half-back burst through the Tipp midfield, laying off to Cian Lynch who, in space, narrowed the losing deficit to two points.

John Kiely’s charges were within a point of Tipp a minute later when Tom Morrissey pointed from out wide.

Forde, however, had other ideas and the in-form Tipperary corner forward slotted over his sixth point of the evening to swing the momentum back in the visitor’s favour.

Ten minutes into the second half, a long-range Diarmaid Byrnes levelled the sides for the sixth time before Gillane put the Treaty men ahead for the first time since the sixth minute.

Limerick outscored Tipp by ten points to three in the third quarter before scoring the game’s only goal in the 56th minute.

Peter Casey was first to a superb long ball up from Colin Coughlan before the Na Piarsaigh man turned Michael Breen, and despite losing his hurley in the challenge still somehow managed to find the back of the net with the help of his right foot.

After Casey’s goal Limerick scored three without response before Gearóid O’Connor stopped the Tipp rot with a well-taken free from just inside the sideline.

From here on in, Tipperary gave themselves a fighting chance and four Jason Forde frees in-a-row brought Cahill’s side back to within four points of Limerick.

Barry Murphy and Lynch scored in stoppage time as the winners of Sunday’s other League semi-final between Cork and Kilkenny awaits the Treaty men.

Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seán Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash (0-01); Diarmaid Byrnes (0-06 0-05f), Declan Hannon (0-02), Colin Coughlan (0-01); Barry Murphy (0-02), William O'Donoghue (0-01); Cathal O’Neill (0-02), Cian Lynch (0-02), Tom Morrissey (0-02); Aaron Gillane (0-07, 0-06f), Peter Casey (1-01), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (0-01)

Subs: Gearóid Hegarty for O’Neill (60 minutes), Conor Boylan for Morrissey (62 minutes), Richie English for Finn (65 minutes), Séamus Flanagan for Gillane (71 minutes), Micheál Houlihan for O’Donoghue (73 minutes)

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Eoghan Connolly; Michael Breen, Johnny Ryan; Dan McCormack, Bryan O’Mara; Ronan Maher; Conor Stakelum; Alan Tynan (0-04); Séamus Kennedy (0-02), Noel McGrath (0-01), Gearóid O’Connor (0-03); Jason Forde (0-14, 0-11f), Patrick Maher, Jake Morris (0-01).

Subs: Enda Heffernan for Stakelum, Mark Kehoe for Patrick Maher (both 51 minutes); John McGrath for Morris, Conor Bowe for Kennedy (65 minutes)

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)