Tipperary 1-29
Cork 1-16

Fintan O’Toole reports from Páirc Uí Rinn

TIPPERARY MAY HAVE began the day rooted to the bottom of the Division 1A hurling league table but they rectified that position in some style as they landed in Cork to dismantle the home side and seize the precious pair of points on offer.

Liam Sheedy’s side ran out convincing victors by a 13-point margin and indeed produced a power-packed performance that had them in front by 19 points at one juncture midway through the second half.

Jason Forde was their chief marksman with a return of 1-13 and Michael Breen weighed in with 0-6 from play. Their attacking play was electric and it was a miserable afternoon for Cork with captain Seamus Harnedy seeing red in the 56th minute.

Despite having to soldier on with 14 men for the last quarter, Cork did manage to outscore Tipperary by 1-7 to 0-4 after that dismissal with Aidan Walsh netting for them. But they were never going to erase such a sizeable deficit with a 5th/6th place play-off against Kilkenny beckoning next weekend while Tipperary take on Dublin in a quarter-final tie.

Tipperary bossed the opening half. The match unfolded in a tight fashion early on with Cork forging ahead 0-3 to 0-2 by the 9th minute before Tipperary got into a strong rhythm of play. They had a ten-point cushion to fall back on at the interval, 0-16 to 0-6, with Forde and Niall O’Meara the most dazzling operators in their forward line.

Cork struggled to gain a foothold in the match, shipping five points in a row between the 15th and 18th minutes. Suddenly Tipperary had stormed clear by 0-10 to 0-4 and Cork were grasping to stay within touching distance. Cork could only amass two points from play in that first half, Alan Cadogan registering after nine seconds and Conor Lehane in the 21st minute.

Cadogan was withdrawn due to injury before the break while goalscorer Walsh was also forced off near the end. Lehane was Cork’s brightest attacking spark in the second half as he notched 0-4, while also setting up Walsh for that goal.

The moment where Tipperary essentially killed the contest arrived in the 40th minute as a Noel McGrath delivery spilled from the grasp of Damien Cahalane with Forde onto the break swiftly and he burst into the open space before rattling a shot past Anthony Nash. The Cork goalkeeper prevented further damage when saving impressively from Patrick Bonner Maher in the 61st minute as Tipperary chased a second goal.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 1-13 (0-8f, 0-1 ’65), Michael Breen 0-6, Seamus Callanan 0-3 (0-1f), Jake Morris, Niall O’Meara 0-2 each, Noel McGrath, John McGrath, John O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-6 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65), Conor Lehane 0-4, Aidan Walsh 1-0, Bill Cooper, Mark Coleman, Shane Kingston, Robbie O’Flynn, Luke Meade, Alan Cadogan 0-1 each.

Tipperary

1. Paul Maher (Moyne-Templetuohy)

2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane)
5. Joe O’Dwyer (Killenaule)

4. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
6. Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Robert Byrne (Portroe)

8. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
9. Michael Breen (Ballina)

13. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
12. Jason Forde (Silvermines)
10. Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Óg)

15. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
14. Seamus Callanan (Drom-Inch) (captain)
11. Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

Subs

24. Patrick Maher (Lorrha-Dorrha) for Forde (inj) (59)
20. Alan Flynn (Kiladangan) for Joe O’Dwyer (60)
21. Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg) for O’Meara (64)
25. Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for Callanan (68)

Cork

1. Anthony Nash (Kanturk)

2. Darren Browne (Kanturk)
3. Damien Cahalane (St Finbarrs)
4. Stephen McDonnell (Glen Rovers)

5. Christopher Joyce (Na Piarsaigh)
6. Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum)
7. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)

8. Cormac Murphy (Mallow)
9. Bill Cooper (Youghal)

12. Dan Dooley (Bride Rovers)
11. Seamus Harnedy (St Ita’s) (captain)
14. Aidan Walsh (Kanturk)

15. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
10. Conor Lehane (Midleton)
13. Alan Cadogan (Douglas)

Subs

26. Shane Kingston (Douglas) for Alan Cadogan (inj) (33)
25. Mark Coleman (Blarney) for Eoin Cadogan (half-time)
23. Luke Meade (Newcestown) for Dooley (half-time)
24. Robbie O’Flynn (Erins Own) for Murphy (52)
20. Jack O’Connor (Sarsfields) for Walsh (inj) (71)

Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)

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