Allianz Hurling League Division 1A

TIPPERARY 1-29 CORK 1-16

By Denis Hurley at Pairc Ui Rinn

A rampant Tipperary advanced to the quarter-finals of the Allianz HL Division 1 as they proved far too superior to Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday afternoon.

Leading by ten points, 0-16 to 0-6, at half-time, Tipp might have expected a second-half wind-assisted onslaught from the Rebels, but instead the visitors continued to run up the score, with Jason Forde’s 41st-minute goal opening up a 13-point advantage that was never likely to be overturned.

Before a crowd of 3,681 the opening stages were even as Cork led three time, but a burst of three points from Tipp, with Noel McGrath, Niall O’Meara and John O’Dwyer on target, had them in control.

Though Patrick Horgan replied for Cork with his third point, Tipp reeled off five in a row as Forde was impeccable from dead balls while Niall O’Meara impressed at centre-forward and Michael Breen and Séamus Callanan got themselves on the scoresheet too.

While Conor Lehane interrupted that scoring dominance, an illustration of the strength of the elements was shown by a Horgan free which travelled as high as it did long. At the other end, Tipperary kept things steady and they finished the half with five in a row, three by Forde while Jake Morris and Breen got the others. Cork’s task was made tougher by the departure of Alan Cadogan – making his start in 51 weeks – with injury, but they did have the wind to come.

They almost had a fortuitous early goal on the resumption as Tipp goalkeeper Paul Maher dropped Cormac Murphy’s delivery, but the ball fell wide of the post. While Horgan converted the 65 for his fifth point, Michael Breen replied with his third and Tipp struck for a goal as Damien Cahalane couldn’t claim Noel McGrath’s ball goalwards and Forde pounced to fire past Anthony Nash.

While the next four points were evenly shared, there was never a sense that Cork were going to eat into the deficit in a meaningful way and Tipp further solidified their position with six consecutive points, Breen and Forde again central,

Cork sub Robbie O’Flynn did end 12 scoreless minutes for John Meyler’s side but by that stage they were already down to 14 men as captain Séamus Harnedy had been sent off. The Rebels did have a goal in the wake of that, Aidan Walsh prodding home the rebound after Paul Maher initially saved from him, while Tipp sub Patrick Maher was denied a green flag by Nash.

It mattered little by that stage, though, with Tipp safely through to the quarter-finals.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 1-13 (8fs, 165), Michael Breen 0-6, Séamus Callanan 0-3 (0-1 free), Jake Morris, Niall O’Meara 0-2 each, Noel McGrath, John McGrath, John O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-6 (5fs), Conor Lehane 0-4, Aidan Walsh 1-0, Bill Cooper, Alan Cadogan, Robbie O’Flynn, Shane Kingston, Luke Meade, Mark Coleman 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: Paul Maher; Joe O’Dwyer, James Barry, Cathal Barrett; Ronan Maher, Pádraic Maher, Robert Byrne; Noel McGrath, Michael Breen; John McGrath, Niall O’Meara, Séamus Callanan; John O’Dwyer, Jason Forde, Jake Morris.

Subs: Patrick Maher for Forde (59, injured), Alan Flynn for Joe O’Dwyer (60), Barry Heffernan for O’Meara (64), Mark Kehoe for Callanan (68).

CORK: Anthony Nash; Darren Browne, Damien Cahalane, Stephen McDonnell; Christopher Joyce, Tim O’Mahony, Eoin Cadogan; Cormac Murphy, Bill Cooper; Dan Dooley, Séamus Harnedy, Aidan Walsh; Alan Cadogan, Conor Lehane, Patrick Horgan.

Subs: Shane Kingston for Alan Cadogan (32, injured), Mark Coleman for Eoin Cadogan, Luke Meade for Dooley (both half-time), Robbie O’Flynn for Murphy (52), Jack O’Connor for Walsh (70, injured).

REFEREE: Seán Cleere (Kilkenny).