Munster MHC: Tipperary 1-19 Cork 2-12.
A storming opening and smart finish got Tipperary up and moving in the Munster minor hurling round-robin. Twenty scores on a slippery field and in ceaseless rain was a winning and impressive return.
A mid-game lull meant Tipp required that smart finish. An unanswered Cork 1-5 either side of half-time wiped out an eight-point home lead. Level for the first time on 34 minutes.
Tipp had to go again. Start again. There was a second wind in them.
If it was their menacing inside line of Eoghan Doughan, Stefan Tobin, and Cillian Minogue that delivered their rousing start, the trio had to share the spotlight and credit with their bench colleagues for delivering the scores that took Tipp out of Cork’s reach.
A pair from Tobin and a Doughan free nudged the hosts back into a three-point lead on 42 minutes. Sub Aaron Cagney and midfielder Killian Cantwell produced a further three-in-a-row shortly after to leave them 1-17 to 2-9 in front.
John Murphy and Mark O’Brien closed John Meyler’s Cork outfit to within a score. The Tipp subs came again. Cagney got off his third white flag. Fellow replacement David Ryan was fouled for a free that Doughan converted.
Tipp will take their winning start to Waterford next Thursday, while Cork will continue their search for a first win when Limerick visit on the same evening.
Cork being within two points of their opponents at the break was scarcely believable. The visitors had been comprehensively outclassed during the opening 24 minutes, at which point they found themselves 1-10 to 1-2 in arrears.
The arbiters of Cork’s sorry position were a Tipp inside line that wreaked untold damage throughout the opening quarter. From the above mentioned 1-10, all bar 0-2 came from the inside trio of Doughan, Tobin, and Minogue.
The hosts hurtled into proceedings on a rain-sodden field. By the seventh minute, they had three points, three wides, two goal efforts, and one goal. This relentless raid on the visiting goal compared handsomely with not a single Cork shot in the same period.
The Tipp goal arrived on seven minutes. Killian Cantwell’s initial shot was well saved by Josh Goulding, Minogue swept home the rebound. The opening major shoved James Woodlock’s youngsters 1-3 clear.
Cork’s response was to race up the field and raise a green flag. Cormac Deane slipped Mark O’Brien inside and he drilled low to the corner. It was their first shot on target.
Centre-forward Euan Murray and his three full-forward colleagues would account for seven of the game’s next nine points to propel the Premier into an eight-point advantage.
What had Cork back in contention by the short whistle was a most timely four-minute 1-3 burst. The excellent Mark O’Brien almost delivered his and Cork’s second goal on 26 minutes. His effort, though, was superbly flicked off the line. On hand for a successful second bite was Luke Murphy.
A hat-trick of O’Brien points to finish out the half and close the gap to two, 1-11 to 2-6, represented a further dent in Tipperary’s so impressive first quarter body of work.
Drawing level four minutes into the second half would have sowed uncertainty in the young Tipp minds. But Cork needed to edge ahead for the first time to plough further doubt into their opponents. Instead, they went a quarter of an hour without adding to their tally. A learning and losing first evening out.
Scorers for Tipperary: E Doughan (0-6, 0-5 frees); S Tobin (0-5); C Minogue (1-2); A Cagney (0-3); E Murray (0-2); K Cantwell (0-1).
Scorers for Cork: M O’Brien (1-5, 0-3 frees); L Murphy (1-1); A Lee, J O’Brien (0-2 each); D Cosgrave, J Murphy (0-1 each).
TIPPERARY: E Sherlock (Kiladangan); S Ryan (Killenaule), T Corbett (Upperchurch Drombane), C O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill),; J Donelan Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg), O O’Dwyer (Killenaule), P Ryan (Borris-Ileigh); K Rossiter (Durlas Óg), K Cantwell (Moycarkey Borris); A Ryan (Arravale Rovers), E Murray (Durlas Óg), B O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg); E Doughan (Moneygall), S Tobin (Carrick Swan), C Minogue (Durlas Óg).
SUBS: T Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill) for Rossiter (36); A Cagney (St Mary’s) for Tobin (46, inj); D O’Hora (Solohead) for O’Brien (48); J Cahill (Ballingarry) for Minogue (52);; D Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for Cantwell (56).
CORK: J Goulding (Glen Rovers); L Kelleher (Douglas), CD O’Connor (Millstreet), K Harrington (Ballinhassig); K Beechinor (Éire Óg), C Noonan (Kanturk), D Cosgrave (Courcey Rovers); O O’Connell (Carrigaline), J Hegarty (Ballinora); M Brosnan (Glen Rovers), M O’Brien (Douglas), L Murphy (Barryroe); A Lee (Cloyne), J Twohig (Valley Rovers), C Deane (Killeagh).
SUBS: J O’Brien (Douglas) for Deane, J Murphy (Mallow) for O’Connell (both 36); C Lowney (Tracton) for Cosgrave (42); F Lardner (Fermoy) for Lee (50); P Barrett (Midleton) for Hegarty (54).
Referee: S Walsh (Waterford).
