Tipperary 2-27
Dublin 0-22
SEAN RYAN AND Jake Morris both netted as Tipperary got their Allianz NHL campaign off to an impressive start with a double-digits winning margin at Parnell Park.
Liam Cahill’s crew led virtually from pillar to post and while Dublin reduced their arrears to four points at one stage in the third quarter, Morris took over from there to secure the big win.
Former underage star Morris finished with 1-4 while free-taker Gearoid O’Connor impressed in open play too and struck a dozen points overall.
Dublin may have fancied an upset result at fortress Parnell Park, but never looked like pulling off a win to ignite their own bid for at least a top-three finish in the group.
They’ll head to Antrim next Sunday in search of a belated win while Tipp will expect an even greater challenge at home to Galway in Thurles on the same afternoon.
Cahill couldn’t have asked for much more from the trip to the capital with 13 different scorers and 20 players used.
Both counties bowed out of last year’s Championship on the same day in late June at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.
Tipp retained just six starters – Rhys Shelly, new captain Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara, Eoghan Connolly, Alan Tynan and Morris – from that two-point loss to Galway.
They were missing the retired Seamus Callanan along with key figures like Jason Forde, Cathal Barrett, Michael Breen, Dan McCormack and Noel McGrath.
As for Dublin, they were down a number of established stars too with All-Star nominated forward Donal Burke still recovering from injury and no signs of Eoghan O’Donnell, Danny Sutcliffe, Cian Boland or former Cork senior Chris O’Leary either.
Boss Micheal Donoghue was still able to start eight of the players that lined out in last June’s heavy Championship defeat to Clare.
There were first league starts for Mark Grogan and Darragh Power in defence as well as midfielder Brian Hayes and highly rated corner-forward Diarmaid O Dulaing.
A decent home crowd turned out at the Donneycarney venue but the Sky Blues faithful endured a subdued start from the hosts as Tipp surged 0-6 to 0-1 ahead with only seven minutes on the clock.
The visitors capitalised on the stiff breeze behind them and the pick of the early points was goalkeeper Shelly’s bomb from inside his own 45-metre line.
By half-time, Tipp had 10 different scorers though free-taker O’Connor accounted for seven of their scores and the majority of the rest were long-range strikes.
Wing-back Bryan O’Mara and both midfielders Willie Connors and Eoghan Connolly split the posts as inside forwards like Andrew Ormond and Ryan were left craving more possession.
Still, it was a mightily effective game plan and while Dublin improved in the second-half with Cian O’Sullivan their brightest performer, they still hit the interval trailing by eight points, 0-17 to 0-9.
Dublin had a half chance for a goal in the 32nd minute when O Dulaing sneaked the ball beyond the goalkeeper but Craig Morgan got back to clear the danger. Morgan got on the scoresheet also for Tipp with another monster score from the left wing that summed up just how the Premier used the elements to their advantage.
Dublin took an extra few minutes at half-time and had to be whistled back out by referee Shane Hynes.
Whatever Donoghue said to them at the break, the 2011 league winners showed more cut and trust straight away and pulled back immediate points from O’Sullivan and O Dulaing.
O’Sullivan drilled two more efforts wide before cutting the gap to six with a 42nd minute point.
Tipp responded with a real sucker punch – a 44th minute Ryan goal when he turned away from his marker Paddy Smyth and blasted to the bottom corner.
But it was against the run of play and Dublin proceeded to score six of the game’s next seven points to cut the deficit to just four points, 1-19 to 0-18.
Fergal Whitely proved a useful impact substitute and drilled two points.
Tipp’s second goal in the 58th minute from Morris, and 1-2 in total from the Nenagh man in a three-minute blitzkrieg, settled the game though and Dublin never threatened another comeback after that.
Scorers for Tipperary: Gearoid O’Connor 0-12 (0-8f, 0-1 65, 0-1 s/l), Jake Morris 1-4, Sean Ryan 1-0, Eoghan Connolly 0-2, Rhys Shelly 0-1 (0-1f), Willie Connors 0-1, Bryan O’Mara 0-1, Conor Bowe 0-1, Craig Morgan 0-1, Alan Tynan 0-1, John McGrath 0-1, Andrew Ormond 0-1, Joe Fogarty 0-1.
Scorers for Dublin: Cian O’Sullivan 0-11 (0-8f, 0-1 s/l), Fergal Whitely 0-3, Conor Burke 0-2, Sean Currie 0-2, Brian Hayes 0-1, Jake Malone 0-1, Diarmaid O Dulaing 0-1, Paul Crummey 0-1.
Tipperary
Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey Borris)
Craig Morgan (Kilruane McDonagh), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields), Johnny Ryan (Arravale Rovers)
Bryan O’Mara (Holycross Ballycahill), Robert Byrne (Portroe), Conor Bowe (Moyne Templetuohy)
Willie Connors (Kiladangan), Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs)
Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne Templetuohy), John McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney), Alan Tynan (Roscrea)
Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og), Sean Ryan (Templederry Kenyons), Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens)
Subs:
Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan Kilcash) for McGrath (52)
Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for Tynan (56)
Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Eire Og) for Connolly (61)
Joe Fogarty (Moneygall) for Connors (64)
Patrick Maher (Lorrha Dorra) for Ormond (69)
Dublin
Eddie Gibbons (Kilmacud Crokes)
Mark Grogan (Kilmacud Crokes), Paddy Smyth (Clontarf), John Bellew (Lucan Sarsfields)
Darragh Power (Fingallians), Conor Donohoe (Erin’s Isle), Daire Gray (Whitehall Colmcille)
Conor Burke (St Vincent’s), Brian Hayes (Cuala)
Jake Malone (Cuala), Ronan Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes), Sean Currie (Na Fianna)
Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s), Diarmaid O Dulaing (Commercials), Paul Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
Subs:
James Madden (Ballyboden St Enda’s) for Grogan (25)
Fergal Whitely (Kilmacud Crokes) for Ronan Hayes (34)
Davy Keogh (Thomas Davis) for Malone (44)
Sean Gallagher (Naomh Barrog) for Currie (58)
Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway).