Tipp seal gripping SHC win over Cork

Tipperary 3-22 Cork 0-23

All-Ireland champions Tipperary came through a gripping Munster SHC quarter-final against old rivals Cork at Semple Stadium this afternoon to set up a semi-final with Clare on June 19.

The Premier County atoned for last year’s ten-point championship defeat against the Rebels by scoring an eight-point victory in a seesaw Thurles battle.

A remarkable second half saw Cork come from eight points down to draw level, before the hosts pulled away to win by eight points.

With 14 minutes of normal time remaining, Pat Horgan’s free brought Cork level at 0-21 to 2-15 in a high-scoring feast but Tipp responded with true character to book their place in the last four of the provincial championship.

Ultimately it was substitute Benny Dunne’s goal four minutes from the end of normal time that settled an absorbing tie, played out in front of 31,231 spectators.

Cork full-back Eoin Cadogan was dispossessed by Tipperary’s tireless wing-forward Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher, who placed Dunne for the clinching goal.

At half-time, Tipperary led by 2-11 to 0-10 as 2010 Hurler of the Year Lar Corbett and team captain Eoin Kelly struck for goals approaching the break.

By the 34th minute, all six of Tipperary’s starting forwards had registered scores from play.

And it was a devastating seven-minute scoring burst that transformed a one-point deficit, 0-6 to 0-7, into an eight-point lead for the hosts.

Tipp burst into life with an unanswered 2-3 between the 27th and 34th minutes – with Kelly and Corbett striking for opportunist goals.

In the 28th minute, Maher did superbly well to place Corbett for his 20th championship goal at the Town End of Semple Stadium.

Four minutes later, Kelly bagged his 18th championship goal on his 50th appearance with a devastating low finish beyond Donal Óg Cusack.

Shane McGrath’s long delivery was fetched by Kelly above Cork skipper Shane O’Neill before the Mullinahone maestro held off Brian Murphy and drilled an angled shot into the bottom corner.

Cork did respond to wind-assisted Tipperary’s purple patch with two points but the home side hit back with another brace of scores, including a sideline cut from Noel McGrath, to establish a seven-point interval lead.

But it could have been a different story had Cork taken advantage of early goal chances that presented themselves.

Tipp’s Allstar goalkeeper Brendan Cummins was called into action within the first minute to keep out a Paudie O’Sullivan shot before Horgan, who bagged 0-13, whistled a shot inches wide in the fifth minute.

After half-time, Tipp kept enough breathing space between themselves and Cork, who were heavily reliant on the free-taking skills of Pat Horgan to keep in touch.

But the Rebels hung in and a run of seven unanswered points from the 46th to the 56th minutes hauled them level.

But within a minute, Corbett popped up with an inspirational score to restore Tipperary’s advantage.

Kelly, who hit 1-7, added a free before Noel McGrath pushed Tipp 2-18 to 0-21 clear.

Horgan responded with a free before Dunne sealed the deal following Cadogan’s slip.

In the closing minutes, Tipp turned on the style and closed the game out with the game’s four remaining scores, including two from Seamus Callanan, who was playing his first competitive match of the year.

Callanan was ruled out of entire National Hurling League campaign with a broken collarbone but has timed his return to perfection.

And a five-point haul saw the Drom & Inch man rewarded with the man of the match award.

Scorers for Tipperary: E Kelly 1-7 (0-5f), L Corbett 1-2, S Callanan 0-5, N McGrath 0-4 (2 sls), B Dunne 1-0, J O’Brien 0-2, Patrick Maher & J Woodlock 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 0-13 (10f), N McCarthy & B O’Connor 0-3 each, J Gardiner, P Cronin, C McCarthy & P O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Young, Padraic Maher, J O’Keeffe; G Ryan, S McGrath; S Callanan, N McGrath, Patrick Maher; E Kelly, J O’Brien, L Corbett.

Subs: J Woodlock for S McGrath (inj, 40), C O’Mahony for Young (59), B Dunne for O’Brien (62), P Bourke for Ryan (66).

CORK: D Óg Cusack; S McDonnell, E Cadogan, S O’Neill; J Gardiner, W Egan, B Murphy; L McLoughlin, P Cronin; B O’Connor, C McCarthy, N McCarthy; L Farrell, P O’Sullivan, P Horgan.

Subs: J O’Connor for C McCarthy (45), J Nagle for O’Neill (45), T Kenny for McLoughlin (51), C Naughton for Horgan (70), K Murphy for O’Sullivan (70).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).