Tipp hurlers set up semi-final showdown with Limerick after easy 18-point win in Antrim

Allianz National Hurling League - Round 5

Tipperary 4-28

Antrim 2-16

A dominant Tipperary display made it five wins from five matches in this year’s Division 1A group campaign as they left Antrim for dead in a 18-point thumping in Corrigan Park, Belfast earlier this afternoon.

Tipperary were easily the best team on the day in a game which didn’t carry any significance for either team, with the Premier already topping the group after the win over Waterford while Antrim had already secured their Division 1 status in the previous round.

And the game was played as such as it was very far removed from the intensity of the match in Thurles last weekend, but Tipp impressed by doing what they had to with more goals being registered in a clinical display, especially in the first half with three of the four goals coming in that period from Mark Kehoe, Conor Bowe, and Podge Campion.

Several players were given an opportunity to impress on the day and a number of them did put their best foot forward, with Joe Fogarty playing well at midfield while Kian O’Kelly also proving his use in setting up at least 1-3 for his teammates; while Podge Campion and Enda Heffernan excelled in the half back line and provided 1-3 of their sides eventual total come full time.

The result was never in doubt after some 20 minutes and despite a little worry over the withdrawal of Ronan Maher in the 26th minute after an aerial collision, it proved to be simply precautionary as Tipp dominated Antrim for the majority of the contest to set up a big game with Limerick in the league semi-final.

Despite Antrim getting off to the brighter start with a couple of shots at goal and a well taken Sean Elliott point after two minutes, Tipp settled into the game very quickly in the first ten minutes and hit 1-4 without reply up to the 11th minute with Alan Tynan getting Tipp’s first score in the fourth minute to level the game.

A goal followed that Tynan point very sharply, coming from the resulting Antrim puckout with Kian O’Kelly doing well to turn over possession inside the 21 and feed Mark Kehoe with a ball on the overlap and the Kilsheelan man made no mistake to bury it high to the top corner.

Joe Fogarty was getting his chance to impress Tipp management in his very first league start and he was prominent early on as his partnership with Alan Tynan was hugely influential, with the Moneygall man pointing along with efforts from John McGrath and Gearoid O’Connor putting Tipp ahead 1-4 to 0-1 after ten minutes.

Conal Cunning responded to that flurry of Premier scores in the 11th minute with his first of the day from a placed ball but Tipp were finding the play very easy as some serious link up play between Mark Kehoe and Kian O’Kelly provided Gearoid O’Connor with a chance to bag his first point from play a minute later, with Enda Heffernan also pointing a major from a run out of the half back line; that score then followed by Sean Ryan’s first off his left in the 17th minute.

The tough field conditions led to some scrappy passages in the second quarter as Antrim pointed twice in a row in the 18th minute with Michael Bradley and Nigel Elliott providing the efforts to reduce the game to a six-point contest, but Tipp were dominant in their half back line and midfield and were being afforded so much room to deliver precision ball into their forward line.

And this dominance led to Tipperary’s second goal of the game after 20 minutes - coming directly after Alan Tynan’s second point - with Rhys Shelly arrowing a brilliant delivery into Sean Ryan’s corner which led to the Templederry man skinning Phelim Duffin just past the 45, and with acres of room in front of him he carried possession inside the 21 before feeding Conor Bowe on his inside with the Moyne Templetuohy man burying a shot unhindered to the bottom corner.

That really did suck the oxygen out of the home supporters with the feeling spreading that Tipp were well in command as they dominated the remainder of the half with points from John McGrath, Gearoid O’Connor, Sean Ryan, and Enda Heffernan putting them in the driving seat to lead by 2-12 to 0-7 coming up to added time.

However, the killer blow to any chance of an Antrim comeback was delivered just before the clock hit the red with Podge Campion’s powerful run from the half back position ending up in a one-two with Mark Kehoe in the Antrim 21, and despite his lung bursting effort, Campion showed great composure to take a hard shoulder before lashing the ball into the bottom corner from a tough angle. Tipp leading well at the break by 3-13 to 0-8.

Caution was the order of the day as the team’s ran out for the second half, with the management team erring on the side of caution with Ronan Maher’s withdrawal before the break after a collision being added to with Bryan O’Mara also making way with the game more or less in the bag in this dead rubber.

The opening ten minutes of the half were steady from Tipp as they kept the scoreboard ticking over to maintain and slightly increase their lead up to the 43rd minute with Gearoid O’Connor’s impressive free taking starting the half well for the Premier with three points along with a brilliant effort from Enda Heffernan edging them into a 3-17 to 1-9 lead; Scott Walsh and Nigel Elliott’s points only just keeping Antrim in touch by this stage.

But the Saffron’s rarely throw in the towel especially in Corrigan Park as they hit Tipp for two very well taken goals in the 44th and 46th minute, the first coming from Nigel Elliott who was put in on goal by James McNaughton, and with the Tipp defense on toast in this period, another powerful run from Conal Cunning found Rian McMullan in space to bag a well taken major to put just some jeopardy in the game for Tipp with the deficit cut to 3-17 to 2-10 with 25 odd minutes left to play.

It was a small period of poor play from Tipp with Antrim finding space on a number of occasions to get looks at goal, but they steadied the ship considerably thereafter with the impressive duo of John McGrath and Sean Ryan to the fore; the former showing incredible strength and a finish to boot as he shrugged off a hard tackle from Paddy Burke before backing himself to shoot at goal from some 25 yards out on the angle; making little of the distance to hang his effort into the top right hand corner for Tipp’s fourth goal.

Added to that were scores from the aforementioned John McGrath who looks to be getting back into his usual groove, scoring his third of the day, while Conor Bowe fired over his first point of the day from distance to essentially quash any hopes of an Antrim comeback with 15 minutes left to go.

From here, it was cruise control for the Premier who had the better of the remaining minutes as the incredible free taking of Gearoid O’Connor kept things flowing for Tipp - he scored all of his eight efforts on the day - and with Johnny Ryan and John Campion chipping in with scores there was a large spread of contributors with 12 different players getting on the scoresheet on the day.

Conal Cunning did his best to take the grim margin down for Antrim along with good contributions from Michael Bradley who scored his third point of the day in the final ten minutes, as well as a brace of scores from substitute Paul Boyle, but it was Tipp’s day as three further points from John McGrath (one free) and a beautifully finished late point on the spin from Sean Ryan put a final gloss on the score-line for Tipp who will now face All Ireland champions Limerick in the National League semi-final next weekend.

Scorers: Tipperary: Gearoid O’Connor (0-9, 0-7f, 0-1 65), John McGrath (0-6, 0-1f), Sean Ryan 1-3, Conor Bowe 1-1, Mark Kehoe, Podge Campion 1-0 each, Enda Heffernan 0-3, Alan Tynan, Joe Fogarty 0-2 each, Johnny Ryan, John Campion 0-1 each.

Antrim: Conal Cunning (0-5, 0-3f, 0-1 65), Nigel Elliott 1-2, Rian McMullan 1-1, Michael Bradley 0-3, Paul Boyle 0-2, Sean Elliott, Scott Walsh, Seamie McAuley, all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen, Bryan O’Mara; Enda Heffernan, Ronan Maher, Podge Campion; Alan Tynan, Joe Fogarty; Kian O’Kelly, Mark Kehoe, Gearoid O’Connor; Conor Bowe, John McGrath, Sean Ryan.

Subs: John Campion for Maher (26, inj); Johnny Ryan for O’Mara (HT); Paddy Creedon for O’Kelly (50); Dan McCormack for Tynan (53); Cian O’Dwyer for O’Connor (65).

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Paddy Burke, Ryan McGarry, Phelim Duffin; Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Niall O’Connor; Michael Bradley, James McNaughton; Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Domhnall Nugent; Conal Cunning, Rian McMullan, Sean Elliott.

Subs: Scott Walsh for O’Connor (HT); Paul Boyle for Duffin (HT); Paddy Creedon for O’Kelly (50); Caolan McKernan for McNaughton (53); Seamie McAuley for S Elliott (55); Rory McCloskey for Walsh (66).

Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)