Tipperary 5-25
Offaly 1-20
IT WAS ALL too easy for Tipperary as they had 17 points to spare over Offaly in their All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Round 2 qualifier in O’Moore Park this afternoon.
Seamus Callanan, Lar Corbett (2) and Patrick Maher all raised the green flag for Eamon O’Shea’s side in a lob-sided first half that saw Tipperary bring a 4-9 to 0-11 point lead into the break, Brian Carroll’s free-taking the reason Offaly were able to keep the gap at ten points.
Brian Whelehan’s side did start the second half the stronger with Colin Egan finding the net after a speculative free from Carroll and were actually within four points of a Tipperary side who had clearly switched off after the break.
However, the Premier County were able to empty the bench and – having gone ten minutes without a score – pointed six without reply to stretch their lead to nine with 15 minutes remaining.
That run of scores broke the Offaly resistance and when Seamus Callanan scored his second goal of the game – to bring his total to 2-10 – the rout was complete with Tipperary justifying their 1/66 odds in advance of throw-in.
Scorers for Tipperary: Seamus Callanan 2-10, Lar Corbett 2-2, Patrick Maher 1-1, Kieran Bergin 0-4, Denis Maher 0-2, James Woodlock, John O’Dwyer, Eoin Kelly, Jason Forde and Noel McGrath 0-1 each.
Scorers for Offaly: Brian Carroll 0-13, Joe Bergin 0-3, Colin Egan 1-0, Cathal Parlon, Sean Ryan, Dan Currams and Shane Dooley 0-1 each.
TIPPERARY XV:
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Paddy Stapleton (Borris-Ileigh)
3. Paudie Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
4. Michael Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Cathal Barrett (Holycross Ballycahill)
6. James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane)
5. Brendan Maher (Borris-Ileigh)
8. Kieran Bergin (Killenaule)
9. James Woodlock (Drom & Inch)
10. Gearóid Ryan (Templederry)
11. Patrick Maher (Lorrha-Dorrha)
12. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
13. Noel McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney)
14. Seamus Callanan (Drom and Inch)
15. Lar Corbett (Thurles Sarsfields)
OFFALY XV:
1 James Dempsey (Kinnitty)
2 Niall Wynne (St Rynagh’s)
3 Rory Hanniffy (Birr)
4 Chris McDonald (Brosna Gaels)
21 Emmett Nolan (Birr)
5 Kevin Brady (Coolderry)
7 Cathal Parlon (Coolderry)
9 Sean Ryan (Birr)
14 Dan Currams (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
15 Joe Bergin (capt, Seir Kieran)
8 Conor Mahon (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
12 Colin Egan (Belmont)
13 Brian Carroll (Coolderry)
11 David Kenny (Belmont)
10 Shane Dooley (Tullamore)
