MATCH REPORT: The mighty men of Tipperary win the All-Ireland hurling final!

Tipperary 3-27  Cork 1-18

Glory, glory Tipperary!

A season of redemption for Tipperary hurling ended in a blaze of glorious success at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon, when the county rejoiced in a first All-Ireland title in six years, and a 29th in total, when they hammered Cork in a one-sided All-Ireland final.

Pre-match favourites Cork were denied the opportunity to win the MacCarthy Cup for the first time in 20 years by Tipp's incredible second half resurgence, as The Rebels were swept aside by this blue and gold ambush.

READ NEXT: Tipperary supporters leave Croke Park in great form after All-Ireland victory

Tipp had been beaten by 15 points by Cork in the last two meetings of the teams, but this time the shoe was very much on the other foot, as Tipp stood defiantly in the face of Cork's first half dominance.

Cork appeared to hold all the aces at half-time, when they led by six points, 1-16 to 0-13. Yet, who could have foreseen that they would score just two points in the entire second half, when they were outscored by 3-14 to 0-2? They simply fell to pieces in that second period.

READ MORE: Watch the moment Ronan Maher lifts the McCarthy Cup for Tipperary

The game was utterly transformed by Tipp’s amazing second half turnaround. When all about them, including many of their own supporters, were losing theirs, Tipp kept their heads to tear the pre-match, and even half-time script to smithereens.

They had the opening five points of the second half through Conor Stakelum, Andrew Ormond, Sam O’Farrell and two points from Darragh McCarthy, one a free, to regain a foothold.

The comeback went into overdrive when John McGrath kept his cool to stroke home Tipp’s first goal in the 45th minute. Tipp, behind for virtually all of the game, were now two points ahead (1-18 to 1-16). Game on.

Shane Barrett had Cork’s first score of the second half a minute later, but by now they were on the ropes.Tipp were visibly growing in confidence and stature all over the pitch.

John McGrath pointed after a great interception by Willie Connors on Niall O'Leary. Worse, far worse, was to follow for Cork. Eoin Downey was sent off when he received a second yellow card in the 53rd minute for hauling down John McGrath. The resulting penalty was stroked home by Darragh McCarthy to put his team six points clear.

What a day of redemption it was for young McCarthy, after he had been sent off before the last meeting of the teams had even got going in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The young Toomevara player was nervelessly brilliant all afternoon, stroking over frees from all angles and scoring four points from play in a grand total of 1-13.

Tipp piled on the agony. They had their third goal when that ace marksman, John McGrath, connected with Eoghan Connolly’s long ball to divert it past Patrick Collins in the Cork goal. 

With ten minutes of additional time left, plus four of additional time remaining, shouts of “Tipperary, Tipperary” were ringing around the famous old ground, with many Cork supporters deciding they had seen enough, as they headed for the exits.

Cork were even denied the consolation of a goal when Rhys Shelly dived to save Conor Lehane’s penalty. Shelly had earlier got in on the scoring act with a point from play.

Then, in a fitting final act of a momentous afternoon, Noel McGrath, the first Tipperary man to win four All-Ireland titles on the field of play in over 60 years, stroked over the last point.

It was Tipp’s first championship success over Cork in five years, when they beat The Rebels in an All-Ireland qualifier in 2020.

What a day. What a team.

Despite having hit nine wides to Cork’s five, having had to play second fiddle to the Munster champions for most of the first half, and gaining no reward from the first two goal chances of the afternoon, Tipp were still in the game approaching half-time, as a Darragh McCarthy point ensured that just three points separated the sides in the first minute of additional time at the end of the first half (0-16 to 0-13).

But then they were hit for sucker punch on the stroke of half-time when one of Cork’s best players, Shane Barrett, drove a shot low and across Rhys Shelly into the far corner of the net, after Cork had built impressively down the right flank of Tipp’s defence. 

There had been a tentative opening to the first All-Ireland final between the counties, which was no great surprise with so much at stake. 

Tipp began playing against the fresh breeze and deployed Bryan O’Mara as a sweeper. The sides were level three times in the opening twelve minutes before Cork began to assert their authority. A Diarmuid Healy point put four between the teams for the first time in the 23rd minute (0-11 to 0-7), and the gap was pushed out to five three minutes later when Declan Dalton converted a free from long range.

Cork were two points ahead when a great catch by Jake Morris gave Sam O’Farrell the opportunity to find Eoghan Connolly barreling forwards in acres of space in the 20th minute, but the Cashel King Cormacs player fizzed a low shot just wide of the posts.

Then, in the 34th minute, Jason Forde had the ball in the net when he connected with Connolly’s free but the score was chalked off for a square ball. 

The fates seemed to be conspiring against them, but Tipperary decided otherwise.

Scorers for Tipperary: D. McCarthy (1-13, 1-0 pen, 8 frees, 1 65); J. McGrath (2-2); J. Morris, A. Ormond, J. Forde (0-2 each); E. Connolly, W. Connors. R. Doyle, C. Stakelum, R. Shelly, N. McGrath (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: S. Barrett (1-4); P. Horgan (0-4, 3 frees); D. Healy (0-3); D. Fitzgibbon (0-2); N O’Leary, D. Dalton (free), A. Connolly, B. Hayes (0-1 each).

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly, Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen, Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher (captain), Bryan O’Mara, Willie Connors, Conor Stakelum, Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Sam O’Farrell, Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde.  

Substitutes: Seamus Kennedy for Bryan O’Mara (50), Alan Tynan for Craig Morgan (56), Noel McGrath for Sam O’Farrell (59), Darragh Stakelum for Conor Stakelum (64), Oisín O’Donoghue for Andrew Ormond (66).  

Cork: Patrick Collins, Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Sean O’Donoghue, Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey (captain), Mark Coleman, Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Declan Dalton, Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes 

Substitutes:Seamus Harnedy for Declan Dalton (44), Damien Cahalane for Diarmuid Healy (56), Conor Lehane for Patrick Horgan (58), Shane Kingston for Alan Connolly (64), Tommy O’Connell for Tim O’Mahony (67).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).