Tipp set the record straight with easy win over Offaly

GAA: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter Final

Tipperary 7-38

Offaly 3-18

Report: Shane Brophy at Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Mark Kehoe (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Jason Forde 2-11 (0-4 frees, 0-3 65s); Mark Kehoe 3-3; Jake Morris 0-7; Conor Stakelum 0-6; John McGrath 1-1; Alan Tynan 0-3; Seamus Callanan 1-0; Noel McGrath 0-2; Dan McCormack, Eoghan Connolly, Seamus Kennedy, Bryan O’Mara, John Campion 0-1 each.

Offaly: Eoghan Cahill 1-7 (1-0 pen, 0-5 frees); Cillian Kiely 1-3 (1-1 frees); Charlie Mitchell 1-1; Jason Sampson 0-2; Brian Duignan, Paddy Clancy, Paddy Delaney, Liam Langton, John Murphy 0-1 each.

Tipperary cruised into the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter finals as they produced a record setting performance to beat Offaly at a thundery Tullamore on Saturday afternoon.

Tipp’s tally of 7-38 broke the All-Ireland championship scoring record set by the legendary Nicky Rackard Wexford team in 1954 (12-17) in beating Antrim.

After a sluggish performance last time out against Waterford, Tipp were on their game right from the off and rattled off the first five points before Mark Kehoe scored the first of this three goals after seven minutes.

It took Offaly ten minutes to register through top-scorer Eoghan Cahill, but Tipp were playing at a different tempo and had twenty points scored by the 26th minute when Seamus Callanan was left in acres of space to score their second goal.

Jason Forde scored Tipp’s third in the 30th minute as they opened a 25 point close to half time when Eoghan Cahill just about beat the outstretched dive of Rhys Shelly, converting a penalty after Cillian Kiely was fouled with Dan McCormack sent to the sin-bin as Tipp led 3-25 to 1-10 at half time.

Tipp didn’t ease up that much after half with manager Liam Cahill opting not to make sweeping changes by taking off key players. They will be disappointed with the manner of Offaly’s two second half goals, the first from Charlie Mitchell on 37 minutes with Cillian Kiely firing a 21-yard free to the net on 52 minutes to cut the margin back to twenty (3-33 to 3-13).

The only downside from the win was an injury to Craig Morgan who made a return after ten months out with a cruciate knee injury. He limped off with hamstring tightness and is now a doubt for next Saturday’s quarter final against Galway.

John Campion made his championship debut off the bench with a point while John McGrath was lively in his cameo, setting up Mark Kehoe for his second goal before Kehoe completed his hat-trick on 67 minutes. Kehoe and McGrath were involved in setting up Jason Forde’s second goal, bringing his tally to 2-11 with McGrath rounding off the goal scoring in added time.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris); Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs), Michael Breen (Ballina); Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs); Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields), Bryan O’Mara (Holycross/Ballycahill); Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), Alan Tynan (Roscrea); Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s), Jason Forde (Silvermines), Noel McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney, Capt); Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Seamus Callanan (Drom & Inch), Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og).

Subs: Johnny Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for Morgan (47); Enda Heffernan for Maher (47); John Campion (Drom & Inch) for N McGrath (47); Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy) for Callanan (54); John McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney) for Kennedy (62).

Offaly: Stephen Corcoran; Ben Connelly, Ciaran Burke, David King; Jack Clancy, Jason Sampson (Capt), Killian Sampson; Eimhin Kelly, Sam Bourke; Brian Duignan, Eoghan Cahill, Adrian Cleary; Cillian Kiely, Paddy Clancy, Charlie Mitchell.

Subs: Eoghan Parlon for Kelly (HT); Paddy Delaney for Bourke (HT); John Murphy for P Clancy (40); Liam Langton for Cahill (44 inj); James Nally for King (68).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).

Attendance: 9,962