Tipperary edge Cork in thriller to land Munster U20 Hurling title

Tipp defeated the Rebels by one point at the Gaelic Grounds.

Fri, 24 May, 2024 - 23:06

Eoghan Cormican, TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Munster U20 Hurling Championship final: Tipperary 1-19 Cork 0-21

Timely. In every sense. A second piece of Munster underage silverware in the space of four days for Tipperary. A second shot of hope. A second blast of light in a county mired in darkness.

If the result was timely, then equally so was Darragh McCarthy’s winner. William Buckley’s free 20 seconds from the end of the allotted four injury-time minutes had extra-time written in capital letters all over this Munster U20 hurling final.

Eoin Horgan sent the restart out onto the open stand side. The break fell to Darragh McCarthy. McCarthy let fly for fame and fortune. His 10th of the evening, his third from play of the second period.

Referee Niall Malone allowed one more play. Cork couldn’t find an equaliser. Their reign is over. They will certainly cradle regret. They might carry rage too.

On 46 minutes, William Buckley’s point attempt dropped into the hand of Eoin Horgan, the sliotar then popping out of the goalkeeper's hand and up into the net before eventually being cleared. Neither of the two umpires caught the goal. A green flag there, following three unanswered Cork points, would have moved Ben O’Connor’s charges one in front.

And now this how the umpire didn’t award this goal for @OfficialCorkGAA a game changer
Disgraceful decision @Corks96FM @C103Cork pic.twitter.com/DASO0viw1o
— Finbarr Mc Carthy (@FiFinnymac) May 24, 2024

The officiating mistake aside, Cork had their chances. Ample chances.

They registered 11 second-half wides. During a scoreless run from the 47th to the 55th minute, they struck four wides and saw another two efforts hooked and blocked.

After wiping out Oisin O’Donoghue’s 39th minute goal that had the Premier 1-14 to 0-12 ahead, Cork on five occasions cut the cap to the minimum. It was only at the fifth attempt, in the fourth minute of injury-time, that they finally pulled up alongside their opponents.

Credit, of course, to Tipp. They found a white flag each time they felt Cork breathing heavily on their shoulder.

Darragh McCarthy won and converted frees. Senan Butler, the hat-trick menace from Tipp’s Round 4 hammering of Cork, delivered a timely first point on 46 minutes.

Butler, McCarthy, and company are on the road to Nowlan Park for an All-Ireland final against Offaly on Saturday week. How timely an All-Ireland piece of silverware would prove.

The first half was compact and it was cagey. There was a mutual wariness, particularly so on the part of Ben O’Connor’s Cork. And you couldn’t blame them either. After being opened up for three goals three weeks earlier in Thurles, they were determined to keep matters vacuum-packed at the back and the green flag on the ground.

Midfielder Timmy Wilk routinely dropped back onto Tipp centre-forward Conor Martin, enabling No.6 Cillian Tobin to sit deeper and offer an extra layer of protection to his full-back line. It was an approach mirrored by their opponents.

The sides were level on seven occasions across the opening half. Ciarán Foley, starting in place of the injured Paddy McCormack, threatened early doors to be the breakout star of this Munster final. He had three points to his name by the end of the first quarter. Two of those were part of a three-in-a-row burst to propel them 0-7 to 0-5 in front on 15 minutes.

Cork’s response was a four-in-a-row burst. Jack Leahy bookended the quartet. His pair sandwiched a Diarmuid Healy point and Leahy then dispossessing Cathal English for a Ben Walsh white flag.

The pendulum was swinging frantically now. Another Tipp three-in-a-row charge. Adam Daly to his midfield partner Sam O’Farrell. A second for O’Farrell. Another vying for lead role in this final.

O’Farrell followed his second by winning a McCarthy converted free. Cummins’ charges forced James Dwyer to overcarry. Another McCarthy free. The lead regained. The lead held. 0-10 to 0-9 at the break.

McCarthy, O’Donoghue, and O’Farrell stretched out their legs in the third quarter. Tipp struggled in the fourth. The lead was lost only once. But quickly found again. A timely rediscovery.

Scorers for Tipperary: D McCarthy (0-10, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65); O O’Donoghue (1-2); S O’Farrell, C Foley (0-3 each); S Butler (0-1).

Scorers for Cork: J Leahy (0-6, 0-4 frees); W Buckley (0-1 free), D Healy (0-3 each); D O’Sullivan, R O’Sullivan (0-2 each); Ben Walsh, M Finn, T Wilk, H O’Connor, Barry Walsh (0-1 each).

Tipperary: E Horgan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams); C O’Donnell (Ballylooby Castlegrace), A O'Halloran (Carrick Swan), P O'Dwyer (Killenaule); M Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg), B Currivan (Golden Kilfeacle), J Collins (Ballina); S O'Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg), A Daly (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams); C English (Fr Sheehys), C Martin (Cappawhite), C Foley (Borrisokane); O O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), D McCarthy (Toomevara), S Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash).

Subs: J O’Callaghan (Portroe) for Cawley (48); E Craddock (Holycross-Ballycahill) for Foley (50); R Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs) for Collins (55); S Rowan (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone) for English (60); J Egan (Moycarkey Borris) for O’Donoghue (62).

Cork: P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s); K Lyons (Ballygarvan), D Cashman (Bride Rovers), D O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); Ben Walsh (Killeagh), C Tobin (Bride Rovers), J Dwyer (Ballincollig); M Finn (Midleton), T Wilk (Cobh); D Healy (Lisgoold), W Buckley (St Finbarr’s), H O’Connor (Newmarket); D Cremin (Midleton), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), J Leahy (Dungourney).

Subs: J O’Brien (Fermoy) for Cashman (42); A O’Sullivan for Finn (44); R O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for Leahy (47); B O’Flynn (Sarsfields) for Dwyer (61).

Referee: N Malone (Clare).