Tipperary v Cork: Rebels roar into Munster SHC campaign with fine victory

Tipperary 1-22

Cork 0-29

Having had to endure nine minutes of discussion about the second half from hell, Cork came good after half-time to see off Tipperary in Sunday’s Munster SHC opener.

Before a crowd of 44,348 at FBD Semple Stadium, Ben O’Connor’s side started well before falling behind and then going in level at half-time.

The victory was rooted in a 13-minute period after the break in which Cork scored eight unanswered points as they asserted a dominance in the middle third.

A super pass from Barry Walsh – who finished with four points on his championship debut – allowed Brian Hayes to level at 0-16 each in the 44th minute, the eighth time the sides had been level up to that point.

Thereafter, Cork went into overdrive, with Eoin and Robert Downey imperious in the aerial stakes while the other debutant, William Buckley, got his fourth point and Alan Connolly nailed a couple of pressure frees.

Connolly’s seventh of the day, his second from play, came from a lovely Robert Downey pass on 56 and, though Tipp sub Darragh McCarthy did end their drought, Cork responded through Shane Barrett, Tim O’Mahony and Buckley to lead by 0-26 to 0-17 with 11 minutes of normal time left. The flow of the game was best summed up by the fact that Tipp had used all five of their substitutions before Cork made one.

However, following a second McCarthy free, another Tipp sub, Sam O’Farrell, had their first two points from play of the second half and McCarthy left five in it with the clock showing 68.

Barrett and sub Alan Walsh stretched that advantage but Tipp gave themselves hope as Alan Tynan forged through for a goal and McCarthy sent over a free in injury time to give themselves a faint hope of a draw.

Thankfully for Cork, possession was claimed from the puckout and sub Pádraig Power was fouled, with Buckley sending over his sixth point to secure the win.

Cork had had a fine start, with Darragh Fitzgibbon marking his first championship game as captain with three points as they opened up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead inside six minutes.

Good points from Jakes Morris and Oisín O’Donoghue got Tipp going though Cork responded well Shane Barrett’s run allowed Fitzgibbon to get his fourth and then good persistence from Brian Hayes generated a chance that his St Finbarr’s clubmate Buckley, took for a 0-6 to 0-3 lead.

Cork’s play was sharp at times, though their short passing out from defence led to precarious situations when the passes were not perfect. Tipp punished them with a run of six straight points, O’Donoghue impressive for them while Jason Forde found his range from frees after an early miss.

Unfortunately for Cork, Tim O’Mahony missed the opportunity to break that Tipp rhythm as a couple of long-range dead balls went astray but on 21 he was involved in a lovely move from a puckout – Patrick Collins to Robert Downey to O’Mahony to Shane Barrett to Alan Connolly, who cut the deficit to 0-9 to 0-7.

Barrett was excellent as Cork drew level, their task helped by a sideline dissent call that allowed Connolly to tap over an easy free.

Barry Walsh tied the game at 0-11 each when Mark Coleman and Barrett combined to set up him up and matters were still even at the half-time break, 0-13 each.

While the early stages of the second half saw the sides break even but Cork soon found an extra gear.

Scorers for Tipperary: J Forde 0-7 f, D McCarthy 0-3 f, A Tynan 1-0, S O’Farrell, J Morris, O O’Donoghue, E Connolly (0-2 f) 0-2 each, W Connors, J McGrath, C Stakelum 0-1 each.
Cork: A Connolly 0-7 (0-5 f),W Buckley 0-6 (0-1 f), B Walsh, D Fitzgibbon, S Barrett 0-4 each, T O’Mahony 0-2 (0-1 f), A, Walsh B Hayes 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: R Shelly; R Maher, R Doyle, M Breen; C Morgan, E Connolly, B O’Mara; W Connors, C Stakelum; O O’Donoghue, A Ormond, J Morris; S Tobin, J McGrath, J Forde.

Subs: D McCarthy for Tobin (half-time), N McGrath for J McGrath (41), A Tynan for C Stakelum (46), D Stakelum for Forde (54), S O’Farrell for Connors (58).

CORK: P Collins; S O’Donoghue, C Joyce, R Downey; M Coleman, N O’Leary, E Downey; T O’Mahony, T O’Connell; B Walsh, S Barrett, D Fitzgibbon; W Buckley, A Connolly, B Hayes.

Subs: D Healy for O’Connell (59), A Walsh for Hayes (61), H O’Connor for O’Mahony (69), S Harnedy for B Walsh (70), P Power for Connolly (70+2).

Referee: S Stack (Dublin).