Frenzied, fierce, and frantic, this was in keeping with the counties’ battles of old.
For those believing hurling has been teetering on the sterile and formulaic, Cork and Tipperary served up this reminder that at its core, the game remains raw.
Frenzied, fierce, and frantic, this was in keeping with the counties’ battles of old. Cork’s 4-19 was enough for Tipperary to claim the classic 1991 Munster final replay against their favourite foes but in this modern era, breaching the 30-point mark is an expectation.
Late goals from Darragh Fitzgibbon and substitute Brian Hayes weren’t enough to secure victory for Pat Ryan’s side or put them ahead at any stage as Tipp replacement Mark Kehoe scored one at the other end.
And yet Cork’s following could depart reasonably satisfied that this unbeaten team of theirs has character as they head the provincial table ahead of Tipperary on score difference.
Qualifying that he was assuming, Ryan spoke of two points in Ennis being enough to progress from the Munster SHC. Galway’s experience in 2019, when they were knocked out of Leinster and the championship on score difference having acquired five points, will remind them it might not be enough.
Still, Ryan was pleased with the battling qualities of his Cork side. To hit two goals like they did, to be within a long-range free of victory, spoke of a side with stout. Some of the substitutes were upset they weren’t in from the start but harnessed that emotion.
“We’ve a good, strong panel,” said Ryan. “We’re still trying to figure out exactly what our pecking order is still at the moment but delighted with the way the fellas performed and their attitude was top class.
“In fairness, there were a lot of times there when we were hurling uphill. Fellas will always say that Cork are good going downhill but I thought we played very well today playing uphill.”
Leading by five points on two occasions in the last quarter, Tipperary may lay claim to having had more control of the game but, as impressive as they were, especially Kehoe, Alan Tynan, and Séamus Kennedy, their advantage never seemed wholly convincing. Not with the obvious goal threat Cork demonstrated in the opening stages and backed by their vocal support making up the vast majority of the 36,765 crowd.
Liam Cahill admitted as much: “Very proud of how the Tipperary players responded to every sucker blow that came. Cork were exceptional as well, they never went away all day. We kicked on at certain stages and you could say we were nearly there. But really when you’re playing Cork, you’re never there.
“You have that feeling on the sideline that you could be hit with something. Look, when you give away four goals you probably don’t deserve to win a game either. Glad to get the draw and a point gained, that’s the way we’re thinking.”
While unbeaten, Tipperary have to be wary of becoming entertainers. Seven goals against them in two games is a worrying figure and yet, like Clare, Cork could have grabbed several more. Ryan rued his team’s inability not to pick off more goals in the opening quarter when they were obliterating Tipperary’s restarts. Dalton converted one but Patrick Horgan and Brian Roche had opportunities.
Driven by Kennedy and Tynan and helped by Cork’s awful supply from defence, six points without reply in the middle of the first half powered Tipperary into a five-point lead. It was reduced to two by the break, 0-14 to 2-6, as Robbie O’Flynn rode challenges and his luck in overstepping for a 35th minute goal. Alas, he pulled his hamstring in the process as Jason Forde did in scoring his 13th minute point.
Cork were back level by the 45th minute only for Gearóid O’Connor to show coolness in posting Tipperary’s first goal after he was found by Noel McGrath. As they did in the first half when Ronan Maher challenged high on Darragh Fitzgibbon, they were fortunate not to lose a player when Cathal Barrett caught Séamus Harnedy’s neck with his hurley and Kehoe’s 60th minute point looked a clear wide.
Cork dug deep and were within two points in the 64th minute when Fitzgibbon tapped in from Conor Lehane. Cork restored parity two minutes later but they needed Hayes’ goal to cancel out one three minutes earlier from Kehoe.
Séamus Callanan, after being expertly blocked by Patrick Collins, recovered to put Tipperary ahead yet again but Shane Kingston provided the ultimate leveller before John McGrath and Dalton sent frees wides.
Outscoring Tipperary 2-4 to 1-2 from the Fitzgibbon goal, Ryan paid tribute to the belief and physical condition of his men, as well as his predecessors. “Credit to the managers that were there before us, a lot of the lads have been involved with Kieran’s (Kingston) group the last couple of years and they did an awful lot of that stuff off the shoulder and stuff like that so lads are able to play that way.
“From our point of view, all the games we played this year, whether it was in the league or the Munster League or anything, we’ve been always going well at the end so our fitness levels are very high and the lads coming onto the pitch have been great and the attitude has been first class from our fellas.”
Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (0-8, 5 frees, 2 65s); D. Dalton (1-2, 0-2 frees); D. Fitzgibbon (1-1); R. O’Flynn, B. Hayes (1-0 each); S. Harnedy, S. Kingston (0-3 each); C. Lehane, T. O’Mahony (0-1 each).
Scorers for Tipperary: M. Kehoe (1-4); G. O’Connor (1-3, 0-3 frees); J. Forde (3 frees), A. Tynan (0-4 each); J. Morris, S. Kennedy (0-3 each); S. Ryan, C. Stakelum, N. McGrath, S. Callanan (0-1 each).
CORK: P. Collins; N. O’Leary (c), D. Cahalane, G. Mellerick; R. Downey, C. Joyce, E. Downey; B. Roche, T. McConnell; D. Dalton, S. Harnedy, S. Barrett; D. Fitzgibbon, P. Horgan, R. O’Flynn.
Subs for Cork: S. Kingston for R. O’Flynn (inj 35+2); C. Lehane for S. Barrett (43); T. O’Mahony for E. Downey (49); L. Meade for B. Roche (56); C. Cahalane for C. Joyce (temp 59-62); B. Hayes for S. Harnedy (68).
TIPPERARY: B. Hogan; M. Breen, C. Barrett, J. Ryan; D. McCormack, B. O’Mara, R. Maher; S. Kennedy, C. Stakelum; N. McGrath (c), G. O’Connor, A. Tynan; J. Forde, S. Ryan, J. Morris.
Subs for Tipperary: M. Kehoe for J. Forde (inj 16); C. Bowe for S. Ryan (h-t); J. McGrath for G. O’Connor (54); E. Heffernan for C. Stakelum (62); S. Callanan for C. Bowe (69).
Referee: P. O’Dwyer (Carlow).
