So slick Cork turn on power

CORK were most impressive in this 15-point demolition of Tipperary, cruising into the Munster IHC semi-final at Semple Stadium yesterday.

Tipp, beaten provincial finalists last year, had no answer in a one-sided quarter-final as a slick Cork outfit booked a clash with Clare on June 21.

Cork, who led 0-10 to 1-4 at half-time, outscored the hosts 1-14 to 1-2 in the second-half. Maurice O’Sullivan’s 42nd-minute goal handed Cork a 1-17 to 1-5 advantage and killed the game as a spectacle.

Brendan Ring top-scored for Cork with seven points, including three frees, but this was an outstanding overall attacking performance from the winners.

Five of their six starting forwards had scores from play, both wing backs also contributed to the final tally and midfielder Barry Coleman chipped in with a brace of points. The early signs looked ominous for Tipp as Cork raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead. Cork led 0-8 to 0-3 after 20 minutes before Timmy Dalton’s well-taken goal in the 22nd minute breathed fresh life into Tipp.

Cork opened the second half with a statement of intent, rattling off four unanswered points. Tipperary goalkeeper Matthew Ryan tried to quell the rising Cork tide with a couple of fine saves but he was eventually beaten by O’Sullivan’s strike seven minutes after half-time.

Cork were rampant from that point, adding another four unanswered points before Tipperary sub Fergal Horgan grabbed a consolation goal with nine minutes of normal time remaining.

Scorers for Tipperary: T Dalton 1-1, F Horgan 1-0, W O’Dwyer, M Dunne, A Ryan, D Stapleton & J Ryan (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: B Ring 0-7 (3f), M O’Sullivan 1-2, R Dwyer 0-4, J Carey & S Moylan 0-3 each, B Coleman 0-2, J O’Leary (f), E Collins & M Collins 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: M Ryan; L Mackey, S Walsh, J Harkin; C Coughlan, J Coghlan, S Horan; W O’Dwyer, T Minogue; A Fitzgerald, M Dunne, C Dillon; A Ryan, J Ryan, T Dalton. Subs: F Horgan for A Ryan (38), D Stapleton for O’Dwyer (41), M O’Meara for J Ryan (46), D Lyne for Horan (51), S Keating for Coughlan (57).

CORK: A Nash; P Fitzgerald, D McSweeney, B Murphy; J Carey, R Cashman, J O’Leary; E Dillon, B Coleman; R Dwyer, M O’Sullivan, S Moylan; M O’Sullivan, E Collins, B Ring. Subs: E Clancy for Carey (53), A Mannix for Collins (55), M Collins for Dwyer (58), B Lawton for Coleman (60+2).

Referee: D Richardson (Limerick).