Tipp reeled in by Cork in Munster classic

GAA: Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 3

Cork4-19

Tipperary2-25

Report: Shane Brophy at Pairc Ui Chaoimh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Alan Tynan (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-7 (4 frees, 2 65s); Declan Dalton 1-2 (0-2 frees); Shane Kingston 0-4; Darragh Fitzgibbon 1-1; Seamus Harnedy 0-3; Robbie O’Flynn, Brian Hayes 1-0 each; Conor Lehane, Tim O’Mahony 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Mark Kehoe 1-4; Gearoid O’Connor 1-3 (0-3 frees); Jason Forde (3 frees), Alan Tynan 0-4 each; Seamus Kennedy, Jake Morris 0-3 each; Sean Ryan, Conor Stakelum, Noel McGrath, Seamus Callanan 0-1 each.

The spoils were shared in a breathless finale to this Munster Senior Hurling Championship clash between old rivals Cork and Tipperary on Saturday evening.

A Shane Kingston point proved to be the leveller but both teams had chances for winners in the added time that remained, but John McGrath and Declan Dalton were off target from placed balls.

It was a game Tipp will feel they should have won as they controlled it for long spells, despite making a very poor start and could have conceded two goals inside the opening four minutes with Patrick Horgan and Darragh Fitzgibbon having good openings but they made Tipp pay in the fifth minute when a poor puckout was intercepted by Declan Dalton who soloed in from the 45 and flicked past the onrushing Barry Hogan.

Tipp were slow to settle but the free-taking of Jason Forde kept them ticking over with Seamus Kennedy get the first score from play on ten minutes with Sean Ryan, in his first championship start, pointing before Jason Forde levelled from play but on sixteen minutes, he limped out of the game with a hamstring injury, replaced by Mark Kehoe.

However, Tipp had taken control of proceedings with their workrate in the middle turn preventing Cork from working the ball into space and from where Tipp were efficient in attack with Jake Morris, Gearoid O’Connor (2 frees), Kennedy, and two Alan Tynan points helping the Premier into a 0-12 to 1-4 lead after 25 minutes.

Patrick Horgan ended Cork’s barren spell with two points, either side of another O’Connor free before Robbie O’Flynn burst through for his sides second goal right of half time but was injured in the process. Tipp responded with Mark Kehoe pointing for a 0-14 to 2-6 half time advantage.

Tipp kept that advantage for much of the second half with Conor Stakelum adding his name to the scoresheet and after Cork levelled briefly, Gearoid O’Connor scored a goal on 46 minutes. They pressed on with Jake Morris and Mark Kehoe adding to their tallies while man of the match Tynan brought his total to four.

Mark Kehoe was really stepping up for Tipp and two more points, coupled with a Noel McGrath score as Tipp went five in front by the 64th minute when Darragh Fitzgibbon finished a Conor Lehane shot to the net, Tipp argued a square ball, but the claims was ignored.

With the home support now behind them, sub Tim O’Mahony and an 85-yard Declan Dalton free brought them level on 66 minutes, and they had all the momentum, but Tipp’s mettle was tough throughout and the responded with Mark Kehoe bursting through for a goal to restore the three-point lead.

Seamus Kennedy cancelled out a Horgan 65, but Cork got in for a fourth goal on 69 minutes when Shane Kingston got in behind the Tipp rear-guard and passed to sub Brian Hayes who flicked to the net, level again.

Seamus Callanan made his return from injury as a late sub and almost had the coup the de grace when he was played in for a goal chance, but Patrick Collins sprang from his line to block, although Callanan pointed the rebound.

Shane Kingston cancelled it out but there was still time for more. Dan McCormack won a trademark free but with Jason Forde and Gearoid O’Connor off the field, John McGrath stepped over the 74-yard free, but it tailed wide. Cork had the final chance when they won a free 109 yards out, but Declan Dalton was narrowly wide as the spoils were shared with both sides retaining their unbeaten start in a breathless finale.

TEAMS – Cork: Patrick Collins; Damien Cahalane, Niall O’Leary, Ger Mellerick; Robert Downey, Ciaran Joyce, Eoin Downey; Brian Roche, Tommy O’Connell; Declan Dalton, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett; Robbie O’Flynn, Patrick Horgan, Seamus Harnedy.

Subs: Shane Kingston for O’Flynn (35+1); Conor Lehane for Barrett (43); Tim O’Mahony for E Downey (49); Luke Meade for Roche (56); Conor Cahalane for Joyce (blood 59-61); Brian Hayes for Harnedy (69).

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Johnny Ryan, Cathal Barrett, Michael Breen; Dan McCormack, Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara; Alan Tynan, Conor Stakelum; Gearoid O’Connor, Noel McGrath (Capt), Seamus Kennedy; Jason Forde, Jake Morris, Sean Ryan.

Subs: Mark Kehoe for Forde (16 inj); Conor Bowe for S Ryan (HT); John McGrath for O’Connor (53); Enda Heffernan for Stakelum (62); Seamus Callanan for Bowe (69).

Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)

Attendance: 36,675.