Positive campaign for Tipp minors despite heavy defeat

GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Semi-Final

Cork 3-20

Tipperary 1-13

Report: Liam Hogan at FBD Semple Stadium

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Ed Myers (Cork)

SCORERS - Cork: Brian Hayes (0-3 frees, 0-1’45), Ed Myers 1-5 each; Olan O’Donovan 0-6 (1 free); Alan O’Connell 1-0; Colm Gillespie, Gearoid Kearney, Sean Coakley, Ben O’Sullivan 0-1 each

Tipperary: Conal Grogan 0-7 (6 frees); Charlie English 0-3; Daithi Hogan 1-0; Alex Creed 0-2 frees; Charlie King 0-1.

The final result was unkind to Tipperary in the end!

They didn’t deserve to suffer a thirteen-point defeat at the hands of Cork last Thursday, and who will take on Kerry in the Munster final.

That Munster final will be a repeat clash between the Munster football kingpins who met two weeks ago with Kerry winning by fifteen points in a game where the loser would meet Tipperary in the Munster semi-final.

Based on that game, Tipperary didn’t know what they were facing against a Cork side that scored just five points, four frees and a fifth point from a mark. Tipperary on the other hand were full of hope based on their unbeaten run of four games in Phase 1 including the final win over Limerick. But when Thursday’s game commenced, they didn’t expect such a tornado like attack from a Cork attack who had the Tipp defence in sixes and sevens.

“The Cork bounce was a big bounce,” said Tipp manager John McNamara.

“But when we will look back and analyse it but we made mistakes we wouldn’t make on a normal day. But fair play to Cork. They put us under pressure and that’s part and parcel of inter county football and we will accept it and move on.”

They might have suspected something was up when Cork made five changes from the clash with Kerry with Mark O’Sullivan and Gearoid Daly coming into defence with Colm Geary taking up a berth at midfield and Mark Keller starting at wing forward. Ed Myers was another new face at centre forward and the Naomh Aban clubman set the field alight although it must be added that his immediate marker Charlie King was outstanding for Tipp.

The Tipperary number six displayed coolness and poise, ability to run at the opposition and excellent ball carrying but the Cork front eight simply had too much overall craft and speed and by the opening twenty minute were 2-9 to 0-1 by that stage.

Heretofore the Tipperary midfield pairing of Joe Higgins and Paddy O’Keeffe had displayed huge talent in their games throughout Phase 1. Their height and fielding was excellent, but on this occasion, they had to give second best to the towering figure of Colm Gillespie who dominated the middle third with Colm Geary in support while Ed Myers was instrumental in stringing the moves for the brilliant inside forward line of Brian Hayes, Olan O’Donovan and Gearoid Kearney who combined to score 1-7 (1-4 from play) of the total during the first half.

Both Hayes and O’Donovan were instrumental in giving Cork a 0-7 to nil lead after eleven minutes before Charlie English had Tipp’s opening score three minutes later. By then the Tipp boys were beginning to come more into the game but suffered another setback when Cork scored two goals, the first from Brian Hayes in the 20th minute with Alan O’Connell (another promising player of the future) securing the second a minute later.

In the remaining ten minutes plus added time, Tipperary were camped in the Cork half and scored five unanswered points through Grogan (four frees) and Charlie English but things might have been somewhat different had Grogan converted a penalty in the 22nd minute but keeper Josh Woods was equal to the task.

“They were 2-9 to 0-1 down but their response was unbelievable we just attacked,” McNamara added.

“We wanted to keep going and believe. But look its disappointing. We only scored 1-13 we left 2-4 behind. I know Conal didn’t hit the penalty well but by God he scored three points from frees on the spot. That’s courage. That’s what encapsulate the whole team.”

It was 2-9 to 0-6 at half time and despite allowing Cork to increase their lead to ten Tipp responded with a Daithi Hogan goal in the 33rd minute after Charlie King was involved in the lead up. However, Cork left no stone unturned and within three minutes they responded with 1-2, the goal coming from Ed Myers who finished with 1-4 from play by hours end.

Despite trailing by twelve points (3-12 to 1-6), Tipperary began to play their best football of the night. Led by Charlie King, who scored one point and was involved in 1-2, Tipperary outscored Cork 0-7 to 0-3 between the 39th and 55th minutes. On closer scrutiny it was Tipp 1-12 to Cork 0-6 between the 20th minute and the 55th minute but 1-5 from play versus 3-15 from Cork 3-15 was not enough.

After the final whistle, the Tipperary players mingled at the side-line under the O Riain stand to meet their families and they received a standing ovation which was richly deserved for a positive campaign overall.

“At the end of the game we said to them there is a pile of people so proud of them,” added the Tipp manager.

“Over the last sixteen weeks look at how much pleasure they brought.”

“One negative and that was the loss this evening and umpteen positives. We have a group of 36 lads and we managed to get 31 into four match day squads.

“What you potentially saw in this group is what I believe is probably the future of Tipperary football over the next ten to fifteen years. When you see the likes of Daithi Hogan, Charlie King, Joe Higgins, Paddy O’Keeffe, Conal Grogan, and Ben Carey. I can see all those players heading for senior football.”

TEAMS – Cork: Josh Woods; Mark O’Sullivan, Colin Molloy, Tim O’Brien; Darragh O’Donovan, Gearoid Daly, Aaron Cullinane; Colm Geary, Colm Gillespie (Capt); Mark Kelleher, Ed Myers, Alan O’Connell; Brian Hayes, Gearoid Kearney, Olan O’Donovan.

Subs: Neville O’Leary for Geary (38); Kieran McCarthy for Cullinane (45); Sean Coakley for Kelleher (45); Ben O’Sullivan for Gillespie (50); Shane O’Connell for Olan O’Donovan (57).

Tipperary: Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers); Alex McSherry (Clonmel Commercials), Ciaran Byrne (Golden-Kilfeacle), Jamie Bergin (JK Brackens); Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore Castleiney), Charlie King (Ballina, Capt), Thomas Charles (Clonmel Commercials); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials), Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers); Charlie English (Ballyporeen), Tommy O’Connor (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), Ben Carey (Ballylooby/Castlegrace); Conal Grogan (Galtee Rovers), Daithi Hogan (St. Patricks), Fionn Fitzgerald (Killenaule).

Subs: Darragh Landers (Clonmel Commercials) for McSherry (HT); Alex Greed (Clonmel Commercials) for O’Connor (41); Eanna Ormond (Golden-Kilfeacle) for Carey (41); Dylan Fogarty (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Fitzgerald (54); Oisin Shelly (Killenaule) for English (57).

Referee: Niall Quinn (Clare).