Tipperary hit the ground running to bounce back from opening round defeat

Tipperary 1-20  Cork 2-11

Tipperary, defending champions, bounced back to defeat Cork at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Round 2 of the oneills.com Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship on Wednesday evening.

Having lost to Limerick in Round 1, manager Brendan Cummins got the response he wanted, as his charges came roaring out of the blocks to hit 1-4 without reply inside the opening five minutes.

Cummins made four changes to the starting fifteen that went under to Limerick, with last year’s minor captain, Cathal O’Reilly, coming in at corner back and his Holycross Ballycahill clubman, Jim Ryan, manning the centre of the defence. Joe Egan, Moycarkey Borris, came to midfield, with fellow clubman David Costigan starting in the half forward line.

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From the start Tipperary looked the sharper, with Cathal English getting the scoreboard moving after just twelve seconds with a neat point. Sixty seconds later Paddy McCormack struck a major at the Blackrock End when he latched onto a long range Darragh McCarthy free. Further minors from English and McCarthy had the visitors 1-4 to no score ahead with just over four minutes gone on the clock.

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Tipperary, despite playing into the wind for the opening period, dominated the scoreboard, with Darragh McCarthy in fine form from placed balls, and they had gone into a ten-point lead as half-time approached. Two late Cork points, one from a placed ball, cut the deficit to eight before Nicky O’Toole sounded the half-time whistle, 1-10 to 0-5.

Cork upped their game after the restart but were unable to make inroads into the Tipperary lead. Joe Egan, Conor Martin and Darragh McCarthy stretched the Tipperary lead out to ten by the 36th minute. Jim Ryan saved a goal attempt from Barry Walsh and Eoin Horgan came to the rescue from a Timmy Wilk effort, before Cathal O’Reilly cleared the lines.

Late on Cork's Barry O’Flynn found the net but Sam O’Farrell, Óisín O’Donoghue and Jamie Ormond replied, before Mark O’Brien added goal number two, in added time, after being put through by Barry Walsh, before Óisín O’Donoghue closed out the game with his third point of the evening.

Tipperary hit the ground running and signalled their intent from the off. Adam Daly won possession before passing to Conor Martin, who set up Cathal English for the opening score inside twelve seconds. Paddy McCormack then won possession from a long range Darragh McCarthy free, turned and found the top corner of the net after only ninety seconds. This was the start that the travelling fans needed. Darragh McCarthy opened his account from a placed ball after O’Donoghue won a free on his first touch.

Tipperary really drove on and McCarthy, from a free, and English extended the lead to seven with just over four minutes gone on the clock. Cork were finding it difficult to penetrate the Tipp defence, with Jim Ryan showing a commanding presence, and it took almost ten minutes to register their opening score, a point from Barry O’Flynn from out on the wing.

Paddy McCormack then split open the Cork defence to bear down on goal, but Eoin Guinane saved the day with a vital hook.

McCarthy then hit two more points from placed balls and had another come back off the upright, before Conor Martin made a piercing run from deep to split the posts. Barry Walsh put over his first free of the evening, having missed a few earlier. Óisín O'Donoghue drew his second free, which McCarthy converted, before Tipp had a let-off, as a shot from Barry O’Flynn came off the upright when a goal looked on.

Cork finished the half by scoring three of the last five points, two from Barry Walsh placed balls and one from open play from Timmy Wilk, while Óisín O’Donoghue opened his account before McCarthy hit his sixth free of the evening to leave eight between the sides, 1-10 to 0-5, at the break.

Cork looked the fresher after the restart but it was Joe Egan who got the opening score of the second half, with Conor Martin  the provider. Barry Walsh replied on the double to cancel out points from Conor Martin and Darragh McCarthy, as Tipp led by nine. Barry Walsh went low from a twenty metre free but Jim Ryan was equal to it. Adam Daly fired over off his left as the three-quarter mark approached.

Senan Butler replaced David Costigan and Jamie Ormond came on for Adam Daly, as manager Cummins gave game time to the bench. Ormond split the posts with his first play, having been put through by Paddy McCormack after dispossessing James O’Brien. This restored Tipperary’s ten-point advantage, with six minutes of normal time remaining.

The home side made a mini recovery, hitting 1-2 in a four-minute spell, the goal coming from Barry O’Flynn. However, as the game entered added time Sam O’Farrell, Óisín O’Donoghue and Jamie Ormond replied before Mark O’Brien hit a consolation goal three minutes into added time. 

Tipperary’s next outing in Round 3 is a trip to Sixmilebridge on Wednesday, April 16, when Clarewill be the opponents.

Scorers: Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy (0-7 frees), Paddy McCormack (1-0), Óisín O’Donoghue (0-3), Cathal English (0-2), Conor Martin (0-2), Jamie Ormond (0-2), Sam O’Farrell (0-2), Joe Egan (0-1), Adam Daly (0-1).

Cork: Barry Walsh (0-6, 5f), Barry O’Flynn (1-1), Mark O’Brien (1-0), Ryan Deasy (0-1), Dylan McCarthy (0-1f), Daniel Murnane (0-1), Timmy Wilk (0-1).

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams), Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), Aaron O’Halloran (Carrick Swan), Podge O’Dwyer (Killenaule), Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Jim Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Sam O’Farrell (captain, Nenagh Éire Óg), Joe Egan (Moycarkey Borris), Adam Daly (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams), Cathal English (Fr Sheehy’s), Conor Martin (Cappawhite), David Costigan (Moycarkey Borris), Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacks), Paddy McCormack (Borris-Ileigh).

Subs: Senan Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash) for David Costigan (51), Jamie Ormond (JK Brackens) for Adam Daly (54), Stefan Tobin (Carrick Swan) for Paddy McCormack (57), Paddy Phelan (Upperchurch Drombane) for Joe Egan (60+2).

Cork: Daniel O’Connell (Dromina), Denis Cashman (captain, Bride Rovers), James O’Brien (Fermoy), Timmy Wilk (Cobh), Ben Walsh (Killeagh), Cillian O’Callaghan (Dungourney), Daniel Murnane (Carrigtwohill), Eoin Guinane (Valley Rovers), Ryan Deasy (Ballymartle), John Murphy (Mallow), Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields), Peter O’Shea (Erin’s Own), John Wigginton Barrett (St Finbarr’s), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh).

Subs: Óisin Fitzgerald (St Catherine’s) for Peter O’Shea (HT), Mark O’Brien (Douglas) for Ross O’Sullivan (39), Dylan McCarthy (Killeagh) for John Murphy (40), Zach Biggane (Charleville) for Timmy Wilk (55), David O’Leary (Ballincollig) for Daniel Murnane (57).

Referee: Nicky O’Toole (Waterford).