Second quarter barrage sinks Tipp in Hurling League final

GAA: Allianz National Hurling Division 1A League Final

Cork 3-24

Tipperary 0-23

Report: Shane Brophy At SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Ethan Twomey (Cork)

SCORERS – Cork: Darragh Fitzgibbon 1-4; Patrick Horgan 0-7 (5 frees); Alan Connolly, Ethan Twomey 1-2 each; Tim O’Mahony, Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett 0-2 each; Ciaran Joyce, Brian Hayes, Tommy O’Connell 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-7 (1 free, 2 65s); Darragh McCarthy 0-4 frees; Jake Morris 0-3; Sam O’Farrell, Darragh Stakelum, Sean Kenneally 0-2 each; Alan Tynan, Gearoid O’Connor, Andrew Ormond 0-1 each.

Tipperary’s wait for a record National Hurling League title will stretch into an eighteenth year as they were very much second best to Cork in the 2025 decider on Sunday.

The damage was done in the seventeen minutes up to half time when Cork outscored Tipp 3-8 to 0-4 after an even contest up to then in front of the crowd of 43,243 as Tipp never threatened to mount a recovery despite winning the second half on the scoreboard.

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill recalled under 20’s Darragh McCarthy and Sam O’Farrell to the starting line-up after being rested for their last group game against Clare while Alan Tynan also returned from suspension at wing forward with Noel McGrath the most notable player to miss out, not able to tog out at all due to a broken thumb sustained against the Banner.

Cork played with the fresh breeze in the opening half and within five minutes had three points on the board from Alan Connolly, Shane Barrett and Patrick Horgan to one Jason Forde reply for Tipp.

Alan Tynan and Ethan Twomey traded points before Gearoid O’Connor and a classy effort from a tight angle by Jason Forde brought Tipp level by the ninth minute. Sam O’Farrell, playing in the unusual position of wing forward gave Tipp the lead as they were hurling well, although Cork hit three in a row from Darragh Fitzgibbon, Connolly and Twomey before Darragh McCarthy got the first score from a free on fifteen minutes, 0-7 to 0-6.

Patrick Horgan added his second before a second McCarthy free and he assisted for Jake Morris’ equaliser on nineteen minutes. However, from there the game swung decisively in Cork’s favour as they outscored Tipp 3-8 to 0-4 in the remainder of the half.

Fitzgibbon, Tim O’Mahony and Diarmuid Healy all pointed from play before Alan Connolly got a yard on his namesake Eoghan and that was all it took to get Cork’s first goal on 22 minutes.

Careless use of the ball allowed Ciaran Joyce to extend Cork’s lead, but Tipp hit back with a point from sub Darragh Stakelum and another McCarthy free but the concession of a second goal on 27 was a body blow, a ball Tipp should have cleared was won by Brian Hayes who played in Darragh Fitzgibbon off the shoulder who finished well.

Tipp were struggled to get primary possession as Cork pushed up on the puckout with O’Farrell and Stakelum adding to their tallies but another cheap turnover of possession in the half back line between Joe Caesar and Eoghan Connolly let to Ethan Twomey’s superbly finished goal as Cork led 3-16 to 0-12 at half time.

Early second half points from McCarthy (free) and sub Sean Kenneally gave Tipp some hope of a recovery but they never threatened a goal they needed as Cork, without getting back into top gear, kept the visitors at arms length.

Tipp kept playing to the end with Andrew Ormond also getting on the scoresheet off the bench with Jason Forde top-scoring with seven points, four from play, but leave Cork with a major grounding ahead of the Munster Championship opener against Limerick in two weeks time.

TEAMS – Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Sean O’Donoghue; Ciaran Joyce, Robert Downey (Capt), Cormac O’Brien; Tim O’Mahony, Ethan Twomey; Shane Barrett, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Diarmuid Healy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.

Subs: Seamus Harnedy for Healy (48); Mark Coleman for O’Brien (51); Declan Dalton for Hayes (52); Timmy O’Connell for Twomey (56); Luke Meade for Fitzgibbon (56 blood); Shane Kingston for Barrett (66).

Tipperary: Barry Hogan (Kiladangan); Michael Breen (Ballina), Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs), Robert Doyle (Clonoulty/Rossmore); Joe Caesar (Holycross/Ballycahill), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, Capt), Bryan O’Mara (Holycross/Ballycahill); Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Willie Connors (Kiladangan); Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Eire Og), Alan Tynan (Roscrea), Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy); Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), Jason Forde (Silvermines), Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og).

Subs: Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for Connors (23); Sean Kenneally (Moneygall) for Caesar (HT); Dylan Walsh (Ballingarry) for O’Connor (44); Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens) for McCarthy (48); Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s) for Tynan (56).

Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin)