Tipperary 4-23
Waterford 0-25
Stephen Barry reports from FBD Semple Stadium
JAKE MORRIS BECAME the first player to strike a League hat-trick for Tipperary against Waterford since 1965 as his side sealed top spot in Division 1B and a place in the semi-finals.
The Nenagh star completed his first inter-county hat-trick as Tipp outscored the Déise by 3-8 to 0-6 in the final 15 minutes plus stoppages in which time Waterford had Jamie Barron sent off.
Liam Cahill, who led Waterford to four League and Championship wins in a row against Tipperary, will be happy to have overseen his countymen in ending that streak in a game played with plenty of bite.
Austin Gleeson had more than earned his starting place with 15 points off the bench in three games but he didn’t get many more minutes from the start. He was closely tagged by Dan McCormack and hauled off after 30 minutes with one wide and no score to his name.
McCormack also advanced forward to set up Morris’s first goal in the eighth minute to bring the sides level at 1-1 to 0-4
Back-to-back Calum Lyons points edged Waterford ahead but they went without a score between the 14th and 34th minutes.
The Tipp half-back line was dominant under the puck-out while Johnny Ryan and Michael Breen kept Dessie Hutchinson and Stephen Bennett under close surveillance. Breen may count himself lucky to have stayed on the field, though, after a sideline incident with Bennett which saw the full-back yellow-carded.
Tipp strung eight points together in that spell, seven from Gearóid O’Connor who was having a flawless day on placed balls, to make it 1-11 to 0-7.
Tipp had no wide until O’Connor missed from play in the 35th minute and their other misses all came when eyeing goal. Séamus Callanan, who came off injured midway through the half, and Morris were denied by Billy Nolan while Patrick Maher was denied by Barron’s flying block.
Waterford had seven wides by the half but Barron broke their scoreless streak with a pair, added to by two Bennett frees to narrow the gap to four. 1-12 to 0-11 at the interval.
They returned determined to trouble Rhys Shelly more in the Tipp goal. Within four minutes, Jack Prendergast, switched into full-forward, whizzed shots wide and just over the bar while Neil Montgomery had another angled effort wide.
By the time Cahill called Jason Forde off the bench, Tipp had fallen behind. Tadhg de Búrca, in his first game of 2023, was growing in influence at centre-back as Lyons, Iarlaith Daly, and Prendergast struck points. 0-17 to 1-13 now.
But the game turned between the 55th and 58th minutes, in which time Tipp rattled two goals and Waterford were reduced to 14 men.
A Kehoe flick forced the turnover for Morris to bury his second goal before Barron saw red for an off-the-ball clash with Conor Stakelum.
Then Bryan O’Mara and Ronan Maher combined from the puck-out to send Conor Bowe into space and with his first touch, he rattled the net.
Forde points either side of the goals made it 2-2 without reply for a seven-point lead.
Patrick Fitzgerald came off the bench to slot two quickfire points but Tipp ended any hopes of a comeback with Morris’s third goal, set up by a wonderful reverse pass from John McGrath.
Scorers for Tipperary: Jake Morris 3-0, Gearóid O’Connor 0-9 (7f, 1 65), Jason Forde 0-6 (1f), Conor Bowe 1-0, Conor Stakelum 0-2, Mark Kehoe 0-2, Alan Tynan 0-1, Noel McGrath 0-1, Patrick Maher 0-1.
Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett 0-8 (8f), Calum Lyons 0-4, Jack Prendergast 0-3, Patrick Fitzgerald 0-3 (2f), Jamie Barron 0-2, Iarlaith Daly 0-1, Neil Montgomery 0-1, Dessie Hutchinson 0-1, Colin Dunford 0-1, Paudie Fitzgerald 0-1.
TIPPERARY
1. Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey-Borris)
2. Johnny Ryan (Arravale Rovers), 5. Michael Breen (Ballina), 4. Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs)
10. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), 3. Bryan O’Mara (Holycross-Ballycahill), 6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
8. Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), 12. Alan Tynan (Roscrea)
11. Gearóid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetouhy), 9. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney, capt), 7. Séamus Kennedy (St Mary’s)
13. Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg), 14. Patrick Maher (Lorrha-Dorrha), 15. Séamus Callanan (Drom & Inch)
Subs
22. Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for Callanan (20 inj)
20. Jason Forde (Silvermines) for Tynan (48)
17. Conor Bowe (Moyne-Templetuohy) for O’Connor (57)
23. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney) for Bowe (67 inj)
18. John Campion (Drom & Inch) for N McGrath (69)
WATERFORD
1. Billy Nolan (Roanmore)
3. Conor Prunty (Abbeyside), 20. Iarlaith Daly (Lismore), 2. Mark Fitzgerald (Passage)
6. Calum Lyons (Ballyduff Lower), 17. Tadhg de Búrca (Clashmore-Kinsalebeg), 5. Shane McNulty (De La Salle)
8. Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion), 9. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater, j-capt)
10. Neil Montgomery (Abbeyside), 22. Jack Prendergast (Lismore), 12. Patrick Curran (Dungarvan)
25. Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner), 15. Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart, j-capt), 11. Colin Dunford (Colligan)
Subs
19. Carthach Daly (Lismore) for McNulty (16-24, blood)
13. Kevin Mahony (Ballygunner) for Gleeson (30)
19. C Daly for Curran (h-t)
4. Conor Ryan (Roanmore) for Prunty (h-t)
24. Patrick Fitzgerald (Ballygunner) for Bennett (59)
23. Paudie Fitzgerald (Kilrossanty) for Dunford (64)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
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