Tipp well beaten by Waterford in Hurling League

GAA: Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B Round 4

Waterford1-28

Tipperary0-21

Report: Shane Brophy at Walsh Park

MATCH DIGEST

SCORERS – Waterford: Stephen Bennett 1-16 (0-11, 0-1 65); Jack Prendergast, Patrick Curran 0-3 each; Iarlaith Daly 0-2; Tadhg de Burca, Kieran Bennett, Michael Kiely, Michael Mahony 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-6 (4 frees); Mark Kehoe, Michael Breen 0-4 each; Conor Bowe, Ronan Maher (1 free) 0-2 each; Jake Morris, Brian McGrath, Barry Heffernan 0-1 each.

Tipperary’s National Hurling League ambitions were virtually ended as they were on the end of a ten-point defeat to Waterford at Walsh Park on Sunday.

Kieran Bennett opened the scoring for Waterford, but it was Tipperary who were liveliest in the early going hitting the next five points from Jason Forde (2, 1 free), Mark Kehoe and two from Michael Breen who was prominent.

Waterford hit back with a Stephen Bennett free, but Tipp pushed on with Barry Heffernan and Kehoe on target for a five-point lead. It became six after Iarlaith Daly’s long range point with Jake Morris and a third from Mark Kehoe moving the visitors 0-9 to 0-3 clear after twenty minutes.

However, the next eight minutes were all Waterford as they hit 1-6 without reply, the goal coming from Stephen Bennett on 21 minutes after being played in by Patrick Curran.

Jake Morris was inches away from a Tipp goal as his shot flashed wide but further points from Bennett (3) and Jack Prendergast had Waterford 1-9 to 0-9 in front.

Tipp weathered the storm well with points from Michael Breen, Brian McGrath, Conor Bowe, and Jason Forde to retake the lead, but Waterford responded with Prendergast, Tadhg de Burca, Stephen Bennett, and Michael Kiely on target, to one Ronan Maher point as the home side led 1-13 to 0-14 at half time.

Tipp started the second half well with Jason Forde and Mark Kehoe on target from play to draw level and missed a couple of other chances before Waterford reasserted themselves with Stephen Bennett converting two more frees with Jack Prendergast getting his third.

Michael Breen brought his tally to four before Stephen Bennett converted a 65 with Iarlaith Daly stretching the lead to four points. Tipp came back strongly with two Jason Forde frees and a fine Conor Bowe point from long range to trail 1-18 to 0-20 after 51 minutes.

However, Tipperary would only score once more, a Ronan Maher free in added time as Waterford reeled off ten unanswered points with the outstanding Stephen Bennett finishing with 1-16.

TEAMS – Waterford: Shaun O’Brien; Shane McNulty, Conor Prunty, Conor Gleeson; Iarlaith Daly, Tadhg de Burca, Jack Fagan; Cian Wadding, Darragh Lyons; Neil Montgomery, Patrick Curran, Kieran Bennett; Jack Prendergast, Michael Kiely, Stephen Bennett.

Subs: Shane Bennett for Kiely (blood 13-15); Michael Mahony for Kiely (54); Shane Bennett for K Bennett (54); Pauric Mahony for Prunty (63 inj); Conor Dalton for Fagan (70); Billy Power for Prendergast (70).

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Cathal Barrett, James Quigley, Brian McGrath; Dillon Quirke, Ronan Maher, Robert Byrne; Paddy Cadell, Barry Heffernan; Conor Bowe, Jason Forde, Michael Breen; Mark Kehoe, John McGrath, Jake Morris.

Subs: Paul Flynn for Morris (blood 13-15); Alan Flynn for Cadell (HT); Denis Maher for J McGrath (54); Noel McGrath for Bowe (63 inj); Conor Stakelum for Morris (blood 65-66); Conor Stakelum for Forde (68); Cian Darcy for Quirke (70+1).

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)