Cork ease to key Munster Hurling Championship victory over 14-man Tipperary

Cork 4-27 Tipperary 0-24 

Another Sunday, another bout of Munster championship drama – this one ending in better fashion for Cork.

A week ago, there was a feeling of having left a point behind in Ennis, but now – with a three-week break to come – Pat Ryan’s side sit top of the round-robin table after victory over Tipperary at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh The analysis of a 15-point win in front of 42,231 must start with the fact that the Rebels played almost the entirety of the game with an extra player following a red card for the visitors’ Darragh McCarthy, but it can’t be used as the sole factor in the outcome.

As with the Allianz HL final at the same venue three weeks previously, a trio of first-half goals put Cork in command; again, it made the second half somewhat moot but Cork performed better here than in the second half on that occasion.

Wing-forwards Declan Dalton and Séamus Harnedy finished with 1-9 from play between them, Dalton landing two frees in a man of the match display. Patrick Horgan landed 1-9 while Brian Hayes’s tally of two points were only part of an excellent all-round display. In the second half, Ciarán Joyce’s calm assurance meant nothing was given away cheaply and it was his brilliant pass for Declan Dalton that led to the fourth goal in the closing stages.

It leaves Cork in a good position before going to TUS Gaelic Grounds to face Limerick on May 18, while Tipp have a fortnight to prepare for a pivotal clash away to Clare. They will wonder how they might have fared 15 on 15.

The tone was set as a number of flashpoints developed ever before Johnny Murphy threw the ball in. When Tipp’s Alan Tynan secured possession and drove forward, Cork’s Seán O’Donoghue lay prone on the 20m line. Tynan shot over the bar but Murphy had a job to restore order and, for whatever reason, the score was cancelled.

On the advice of an umpire, teenager McCarthy was dismissed and the odds became loaded in Cork’s favour.

The first of them came after Declan Dalton had opened the scoring with a fine effort. From a diagonal ball by Mark Coleman, Brian Hayes was out on front and showed good vision to find the onrushing Tim O’Mahony, who finished well beyond Barry Hogan.

With Tipp’s wind-assisted shooting proving wayward, Cork struck again on 13. This time, O’Mahony was the creator, sending a searching ball to Patrick Horgan near the left endline. A swivel from him opened up space and he fired high to the net. Brian Hayes’s follow-up on point left it 2-4 to 0-3 before a Jason Forde free for Tipp was followed by another 1-2 from Cork.

Séamus Harnedy got the first of his points following a good catch from Patrick Collins’s puckout, then Alan Connolly and Darragh Fitzgibbon set up Horgan and, after a Craig Morgan goal effort was easy for Collins, Cork raised the green flag for a third time.

Hayes’ pass sent Fitzgibbon in along the endline and he found Connolly in front of goal – while he was fouled for what would have been a penalty, he was able to smuggle the ball over the line for a 3-6 to 0-3 lead, 17 minutes on the clock.

The second quarter could never live up to that and the loss of Downey to injury was a blow, even if it allowed Mark Coleman to function as the spare man. Equally, however, it’s unlikely the Cork management will have been too happy with some of the sloppy play that pock-marked their display.

At the other end, Collins had to save well from Sam O’Farrell and Jason Forde had a 20m free repelled while the latter was able to eat into the lead somewhat as half-time neared. Even so, while a 12-point interval lead had proven dangerous in Ennis, few if anybody expected a second-half turnaround.

Bar a tame effort from sub Andrew Ormond, Tipp scarcely threatened a second-half goal and Cork did enough to keep pace with them for the third quarter.

Points from Horgan (two, one free) and a long-range Dalton dead ball were followed by one from Robbie O’Flynn to leave it 3-23 to 0-19 on the hour mark and Dalton’s goal, featuring lovely control from Joyce’s pass, put Cork 14 in front. Late sub Tommy O’Connell and Horgan ensured the gap was slightly bigger by the end.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 1-9 (0-6 f), D Dalton 1-6 (0-2 f), S Harnedy 0-5, T O’Mahony, A Connolly 1-0 each, D Fitzgibbon, B Hayes, R O’Flynn 0-2 each, T O’Connell 0-1.

Tipperary: J Forde 0-15 (12 f), J Morris 0-3, W Connors 0-2, C Morgan, E Connolly, A Ormond, D Stakelum 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; C Joyce, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Mahony, E Twomey; D Dalton, D Fitzgibbon, S Harnedy; A Connolly, P Horgan, B Hayes.

Subs: G Millerick for R Downey (20, injured), L Meade for Twomey (47), B Roche for Connolly (53), R O’Flynn for O’Mahony (57), T O’Connell for Joyce (66).

TIPPERARY: B Hogan; E Connolly, M Breen, R Doyle; S O’Farrell, R Maher, B O’Mara; C Morgan, A Tynan; C Bowe, J Morris, D Stakelum; D McCarthy, J McGrath, J Forde.

Subs: N McGrath for D Stakelum, A Ormond for Bowe (both 42), S Kennedy for Tynan (46), G O’Connor for J McGrath (51), W Connors for O’Farrell (67).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).