Paddy O’Keeffe leads the way as Tipp U20s book progress

The Premier County top the table after victory over Waterford. 

Tipp host the Kingdom on Tuesday, April 1.

Munster U20FC Phase 1 round 3: Tipperary 2-17 (2-1-15) Waterford 1-7 (1-1-5) 

Paddy O’Keeffe kicked 2-3 to send Tipperary through as table-toppers to phase 2 of the Munster U20 Football Championship with a 13-point victory over Waterford.

Having won three consecutive games over Limerick, Clare, and the Déise, they join Cork and Kerry, along with Clare, for a second group phase. That begins with Tipp hosting the Kingdom on Tuesday, April 1.

Waterford, despite defeating the Banner in the opening round, drop into the B final against Limerick the same evening.

Tipp began with the wind at Clonmel Sportsfield but took a while to acclimatise. They kicked three wides before corner-back Billy Tierney came forward to slot a two-point free.

Daithí Hogan soloed past his marker to raise a white flag and added another from a free after a high tackle on Thomas Charles.

There was some confusion when Paddy McCarthy kicked a two-point free into the wind in the 12th minute. Tipp goalkeeper Robbie McGrath seemed to punch the ball before it went over the bar. As this game was played without the recent amendments to the new rules, which come into effect for phase 2, that touch would’ve deemed it a one-pointer.

Both managers, Niall Fitzgerald and Paul Power, plus a member of the Déise backroom team, were booked amid the subsequent disagreements on the sideline but the two-pointer stood as the officials deemed it had hit the crossbar rather than the keeper.

Waterford seemed to get a lift, scoring the next two points from a Joe Brennan give-and-go and Conor Keating. In between, McCarthy slipped in Brennan for a shot at goal but McGrath extended his right leg to save.

A wind-assisted 0-5 to 0-4 scoreline didn’t appear an imposing lead after 20 minutes but Tipp tagged on seven of the final eight points from there to the break.

Moyle Rovers pair O’Keeffe and Killian Butler led their charge. The full-forward kicked the first pair before Ben Carey traded frees with Brennan.

Wing-back Butler won the next two kick-outs for a point of his own and one for O’Keeffe. After Dylan Cotter’s counter-attack point, Butler came forward again to make it 0-12 to 0-5 at half-time.

Waterford made three half-time substitutions as they resumed with the wind. A Brennan free and McCarthy’s fourth cut the deficit to five but they wouldn’t raise another white flag in the remaining 27 minutes.

Tipp reeled off the next 1-4. Hogan notched a pair off his allegedly weaker left boot, both assisted by Darragh O’Connor.

O’Connor then won a kick-out to create the first goal. He fed the overlapping JP Mbokha Tansia, who supplied O’Keeffe to blast to the far corner.

Substitute Liam Freaney and Hogan’s sixth stretched the lead to 1-16 to 0-7. It could’ve been more but for captain Charlie King dragging a goal chance wide.

O’Keeffe was black-carded for a trip in the 50th minute and when a Simon Burns 45 dropped short moments later, Diarmuid Mackle gathered to dribble a shot across the line.

But Tipp finished the stronger. Freaney scored his second point and O’Keeffe returned in stoppage time to find the net after Carey turned over a short kick-out.

• Elsewhere, Clare qualify for phase two after defeating Limerick by five points. Clare stormed into an 11-point lead in the first half but dropped off the pace in the second half kicking just one point. Clare kicked four two-pointers with three coming from the boot of Conor Fennell and one from Daire Culligan.

Clare struggled to retain possession with Limerick using the wind to their advantage, outscoring the hosts 0-7 to 0-1 for the second period.

Scorers for Tipperary: P O’Keeffe (2-3); Daithí Hogan (0-6, 2 frees); B Tierney (tpf), K Butler, L Freaney (0-2 each); B Carey (free), D Cotter (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: P McCarthy (0-4, 1tpf); D Mackle (1-0); J Brennan (0-2, 2 frees); C Keating (0-1).

TIPPERARY: R McGrath (Galtee Rovers); B Tierney (Clonmel Commercials), E O’Connell (Loughmore-Castleiney), E Bonner (Galtee Rovers); K Butler (Moyle Rovers), C King (Ballina, capt), J O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials); JP Mbokha Tansia (Ballina), D O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials); D Cotter (Thurles Gaels), B Carey (Ballylooby-Castlegrace), T Charles (Clonmel Commercials); Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s), P O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers), T O’Connor (Kilsheelan-Kilcash).

Subs: L Freaney (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for T O’Connor (39), C Ryan (Ballina) for J O’Keeffe (47, inj), S Hall (Golden-Kilfeacle) for Daithí Hogan (53), G Neville (Fethard) for Butler (59), Dayle Hogan (JK Brackens) for Charles (59).

WATERFORD: S Burns (Dunhill); C Kiely (Portlaw), J Foley (Affane-Cappoquin-Tourin), M McMaugh (The Nire, j-capt); D Jacob (St Saviour’s), F O’Brien (Gaultier), B Boland (St Saviour’s); C Mac Cathmhaoil (Ferrybank), C Shankey (Portlaw); D Mackle (Abbeyside-Ballinacourty), A Murray (Rathgormack, j-capt), D Cooney (Gaultier); J Brennan (Tramore), C Keating (Kilmacthomas), P McCarthy (Brickey Rangers).

Subs: C Sloan (Gaultier) for Foley (h-t), K Moloney (Clashmore-Kinsalebeg) for Shankey (h-t), P Spelman (The Nire) for Cooney (h-t), E Adebayo (Mount Sion) for Keating (42), D Murphy (Fenor) for Mac Cathmhaoil (51).

Referee: N Quinn (Clare).