Tipperary are All Ireland Senior Hurling champions
Tipperary 3-25
Kilkenny 0-20
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary are All Ireland champions for the 28th time as they defeated Kilkenny in the final at Croke Park.
Goals from Niall O’Meara, Seamus Callanan and John O’Dwyer were the key scores as Tipp outlasted a Kilkenny side that played over half the game with fourteen men after Richie Hogan was sent off on 33 minutes for a high elbow on Cathal Barrett.
It proved to be the turning point as upto then Kilkenny were the better side and at one stage led 0-8 to 0-3 before Niall O’Meara’s goal on 26th minute brought Tipp back level.
The early stages saw Tipperary start sluggishly and looked nervous with Kilkenny dominating possession and only a last gasp hook from John McGrath denied Colin Fennelly a second minute goal.
Kilkenny were two points to the good by the time Michael Breen got Tipperary off the mark but it didn’t signal that the Premier county would settle down as Kilkenny hit the breaks harder with Richie Hogan on target while they also drew fouls with TJ Reid unerring from placed balls.
Reid hit four points while John Donnelly was also on target with another Hawkeye intervention after Brian Hogan had caught the ball over the crossbar.
Trailing by five points, Tipp found a bit of drive with a Brendan Maher surge forward led to a foul which Jason Forde converted, shortly after adding a 65.
Tipp needed Niall O’Meara’s goal when it came on 27 minutes, turning Conor Fogarty inside out before firing along the slippery surface past Eoin Murphy.
John Donnelly nudged Kilkenny back in front before the superb Seamus Kennedy and then John McGrath but Tipp in front for the first time before the red card turned the game.
TJ Reid converted another free but a late Noel McGrath free gave Tipp a slender 1-9 to 0-11 half time lead.
The start to the second half was always going to be crucial and while Kilkenny did win the puckout which led to another free, it was Tipp who made the blistering start, finding space they didn’t in the first half and crucial bagged a second goal on 38 minutes with Jason Forde and John McGrath involved before the ball broke favourably for Seamus Callanan to prod home from close range for his eight championship goal in as many games.
Tipp pushed on with Callanan pointing from play before John O’Dwyer did likewise after a fine pass from Cathal Barrett who was playing as the extra man in defence and did so superbly before limping off injured inside the last ten minutes.
Kilkenny’s best chance of a goal to get back into the game came from Walter Walsh whose 41st minute chance flashed over. Seamus Kennedy landed another point from play before the third goal came from the next attack with John O’Dwyer drifting in unmarked in the square from where Seamus Callanan picked him out with an exquisite pass before flicking past Eoin Murphy.
Leading by eight points, Tipp were in a strong position and played the remaining period in almost a containment mode as Kilkenny went direct in the hope of getting breaks to get the goals they needed but Ronan Maher and Barry Heffernan were immense under the high ball while Cathal Barrett and Noel McGrath used the ball impressively.
The closest Kilkenny got to Tipp was within seven points as the victors began to flag with direct ball being mopped up by the Kilkenny backs. However, Tipp did enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over through Jason Forde and John McGrath while the subs also did their job again with Mark Kehoe, Ger Browne and Willie Connors contributing four between them from the bench as Tipp eased to a fourteen point win an All Ireland glory.
MATCH DIGEST
Man of the Match: Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
SCORERS – Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-8 (4 frees, 2 65s); Seamus Callanan (0-1 free), John O’Dwyer 1-2 each; John McGrath 0-3; Niall O’Meara 1-0; Seamus Kennedy, Noel McGrath (1 free), Willie Connors 0-2 each; Michael Breen, Mark Kehoe, Jake Morris, Ger Browne 0-1 each.
Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-11 (10 frees); John Donnelly 0-3; Billy Ryan 0-2; Padraig Walsh, Walter Walsh, Colin Fennelly, Richie Hogan 0-1 each.
TEAMS – Tipperary: Brian Hogan; Cathal Barrett, Ronan Maher, Barry Heffernan; Seamus Kennedy, Brendan Maher, Padraic Maher; Noel McGrath, Michael Breen; Dan McCormack, Niall O’Meara, John McGrath; Seamus Callanan, John O’Dwyer, Jason Forde.
Subs: Mark Kehoe for O’Meara (52); Willie Connors for McCormack (57); Jake Morris for Forde (61); Sean O’Brien for Barrett (61 inj); Ger Browne for Breen (64); James Barry for P Maher (blood 65-68).
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Huw Lawlor; Conor Fogarty, Padraig Walsh, Paddy Deegan; Conor Browne, Cillian Buckley; John Donnelly, TJ Reid, Walter Walsh; Adrian Mullen, Colin Fennelly, Richie Hogan.
Subs: Billy Ryan for Hogan (16-18 blood); Billy Ryan for Mullen (40); Richie Leahy for Buckley (47); James Maher for Browne (54); Conor Delaney for Holden (58);
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).
Attendance: 82,300