Tipperary come a cropper in U20 championship against superior Cork team in Fethard

EirGrid Munster U20 Football Championship - Phase 2 - Round 1

Tipperary 0-7

Cork 0-14

By John O’Shea 

Tipperary, who topped the group in Phase 1, found the going tough in this Phase 2, Round 1 game when they took on Cork at Fethard Town Park, 4G, on Wednesday evening.

From the start, the pace of the visitors was evident as they put in a big performance in their opening game in the championship. They took their time to settle into the game, but as soon as they got moving, the outcome was inevitable. 

Cork created a couple of goal-scoring chances during the opening half when they played with the aid of a diagonal wind, which blew into the scoreboard corner.

Wing forward Michael Freaney got back to deny Ed Myers with a goal-saving tackle after 21 minutes and, three minutes later a shot from their captain and centre forward Hugh O’Connor beat Robbie McGrath but came off the bottom of the upright and out to a Tipp defender.

 Cork also won the kick-out battle, pushing up on the defence and forcing Robbie McGrath to go long, with limited success. Cork, on the other hand, had corner forward Olan Corcoran back to receive most of their kick-outs unchallenged and then set up from the back.

Tipperary trailed at the break by five points, 0-8 to 0-3 and could have been closer as a couple of chances went astray, particularly a strong run from midfield by Eoin Doocey ending just outside the post.

Tipperary battled hard in the third quarter with Orrin Jones and Shane Ryan trying hard, and substitute Daithi Hogan adding pace to the attack, but in the final quarter Cork showed their dominance as they eventually ran out seven-point winners,

Hugh O’Connor got the scoreboard moving after two minutes with a point from a placed ball, having been fouled himself after an attack started at the back following a Tipperary shot which dropped short. Two minutes later Robbie McGrath was called into action when O’Connor again got on the end of a move involving Ed Myers and Jack O’Neill. 

Cork were building from the back and attacking at pace with O’Connor and Dara Sheedy causing problems to the Tipperary inside backs. O’Connor kicked his second from a mark eight minutes before Orrin Jones opened Tipp’s account one minute later. Dara Sheedy, from a mark, and Olan Corcoran put three between the sides on twelve minutes. Eoin Doocey pulled one back, but this was cancelled out by Rory O’Shaughnessy. Orrin Jones kicked a free before Dara Sheedy had his second mark, and Cork’s third, to go three to the good.

Cork were attacking in droves but the home defence held out with some good defensive work with a goal-saving tackle from Michael Freaney preventing a certain goal. 

Hugh O’Connor then split the defence and with Robbie McGrath beaten the ball came back off the upright and was cleared. Two points from Bryan Hayes, one from a free, gave Cork a half-time advantage of five points on the score 0-8 to 0-3.

Cork opened the scoring after the break with an O’Connor point before Orrin Jones and Rory O’Shaughnessy exchanged points as Cork stretched their lead to six. Orrin Jones finished with a great point following what was Tipp’s best move of the game, Charlie King and Joe Lawrence split the defence before setting up Jones, who made no mistake. Shane Ryan had reduced the deficit to four by the 45th minute, but the home side’s come-back fizzled out for the final quarter. 

Time and time again Tipp got a hand to the ball but were unable to get clean possession, with Cork picking up the breaking ball. Midfielder, Rory O’Shaughnessy fisted over his third point before Hugh O’Connor, from a free, stretched the lead out to seven by the 51st minute. 

By this time the game was well over as a contest, but Tipperary never gave up. Jones kicked his fifth point of the evening before Aaron O’Sullivan closed out the scoring, four minutes into added time. 

Tipperary’s next outing is a home game with Clare in Phase 2, Round 2, in what will be their fifth championship game of the season.

Scorers: Tipperary: Orrin Jones (0-4f), Eoin Doocey (0-1), Shane Ryan (0-1).

Cork: Hugh O’Connor (0-5, 0-3f, 0-1m), Rory O’Shaughnessy (0-3), Dara Sheedy (0-2m), Bryan Hayes (0-2, 0-1f), Aaron O’Sullivan (0-1), Olan Corcoran (0-1).

Tipperary: Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers); Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan), Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore Castleiney), Mark Corcoran (Clonmel Commercials); Charlie King (Ballina), Sean O’Meara (Grangemockler Ballyneale), Darragh O’Brien (Aherlow); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials), Eoin Doocey (Arravale Rovers); Thomas Charles (Clonmel Commercials), Joe Lawrence (Rockwell Rovers), Michael Freaney (Kilsheelan Kilcash); Orrin Jones (Arravale Rovers), Conal Grogan (Galtee Rovers), Shane Ryan (Ardfinnan). 

Subs used: Daithi Hogan (St. Patricks) for Conal Grogan (33); Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers) for Joe Higgins (36); Darragh Spillane (Fethard) for Mark Corcoran (39); Ben Carey (Ballylooby Castlegrace) for Joe Lawrence (54); Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials) for Shane Ryan (54); Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers) for Darragh O’Brien (61, inj).

Cork: Michael O’Connell; Dan Twomey, Shane O’Connell, Mark Og O’Sullivan; Colin Molloy, David Buckley, Gearoid Daly; Darragh O’Brien, Rory O’Shaughnessy; Bryan Hayes, Hugh O’Connor, Jack O’Neill; Olan Corcoran, Ed Myers, Dara Sheedy. 

Subs used: Aaron O’Sullivan for Jack O’Neill (45); Luke O’Herlihy for Bryan Hayes (45); Sam Copps for Shane O’Connell (50); Ross Corkery for Ed Myers (52); Fionnan Leahy for Dan Twomey (58).

Referee: Eoin Morrissey (Waterford)