The focus for Tipperary hurlers must be on 'ferocious battle' against Clare

After the excitement, drama, and thrills and spills of the previous week against Limerick in Thurles, the second round clash of old rivals Tipperary and Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last Sunday wasn’t eligible for entry into the folklore associated with the many storied contests between the counties over the decades.

It was a game over which an incident in the very first minute cast a large shadow, as Tipperary’s Darragh McCarthy was sensationally shown a red card for striking Cork corner back Sean O’Donoghue.

Rightly or wrongly, and you can make a strong claim in favour of both arguments, the decision by referee Johnny Murphy skewed the whole shape of the game. Skirmishes had broken out all over the pitch even before the hurling began, and it was the Toomevara teenager who was singled out for the ultimate sanction by the official.

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In particular, Tipperary supporters were vocal in their claims that Cork’s Declan Dalton should have received similar punishment for an aggressive challenge on Bryan O’Mara, in a combustible opening to the game.

When that by-now all too familiar, pre-match din of stadium “boom-boom” music had fallen silent, and as the players flexed themselves for the throw-in after the national anthem, they were expected to create their own mood music on an overcast day at the Leeside venue, in front of an attendance of 42,231. But no one could have anticipated the outrageous events of the opening minute.

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It’s hardly an exaggeration to suggest that the game was a write-off for Tipperary from the time that a disconsolate McCarthy trooped off the pitch, as he was offered words of comfort and consolation by Tipperary veteran Noel McGrath.

Tipp were engaged in an exercise of damage limitation after Cork struck three goals in the space of eleven first half minutes. The players seemed distracted, their heads all over the place by being reduced numerically before the game had even began. Whenever the ball was cleared from defence, it was as if it was being pounded off a wall, so frequently and quickly was it returned, raining down upon the defence.

Even allowing for that, the relative ease with which Tim O’Mahony, Patrick Horgan and Alan Connolly breached the defensive cover for those goals, making it 3-6 to 0-3 after just 17 minutes, will hardly have pleased manager Liam Cahill. Those goals proved the difference between the teams for much of the game.

When they eventually found their feet, Tipp had chances for a goal or two as well, most notably in the 21st minute when Sam O’Farrell’s batted effort, after he had collected a lovely popped pass from John McGrath, was deflected for a 65 by Cork goalie Patrick Collins.

Three minutes earlier, a low Jason Forde free from 20 metres was blocked by a line of five Cork players on the line. Before that, Craig Morgan had a tame effort saved by Collins.

A lead that had stood at 12 points was whittled down to nine on a couple of occasions during the second half. Realistically, however, while they fought bravely, Tipp were never in with a shout of getting back into the game.

At the final whistle, the margin was 15 points, 4-27 to 0-24, after Declan Dalton had driven the final nail into Tipperary’s coffin with the fourth goal six minutes from the end of normal time. That score was the cue for hundreds of supporters, mostly from the visiting county (who were greatly outnumbered in the stands and terraces) to make their way towards the exits.

The result leaves Tipperary at the foot of the league table in Munster. But in the rapidly evolving landscape of the round robin system, they will have ample opportunity to redeem themselves in their remaining games against All-Ireland champions Clare in Ennis on Saturday May 10, and against Waterford at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday May 18.

“Munster Championship hurling, it can throw up anything, can’t it,” said Tipperary manager Liam Cahill.

“Today was a difficult day from the outset, after the first 60 seconds. There are a lot of areas to take from it ourselves as well, that if we go after over the next two weeks will help us.

“We go to Ennis in two weeks time, which is ultimately knockout hurling for both sides, so we cannot give too long dwelling on today. Yes, there are lots of areas we will have to improve on but we can’t stay beating ourselves up either.

“The effort was superb from the players, they really gave it everything, and it was always going to be a challenge again against a team of the quality of Cork, with their movement, especially when you’re down a player.

“We had four points on offer from our first two games, people will say, I suppose, that we weren’t expected to pick up anything from those two matches, that would have been the narrative. We have one point out of four, which is better than no points out of four.

“We go to Ennis and if we’re fortunate enough to come right, to come ready for a ferocious battle; and if we get two points there, it will give us an opportunity to get out of Munster in our last home game in Thurles, and that’s what we really need to focus on now and give ourselves that opportunity,” he added.