Tipperary finally turn the page on a painful chapter
The past has lifted. The pessimism has lifted. Tipperary aren’t so much through as they are out the far side of a most painful chapter.
A week ago in Ennis, Liam Cahill’s emotion was uncaged at the final whistle. A season-surviving victory was met with trademark fist-pumping and one relieved leap into the summer.
Yesterday at home stirred a different reaction. This season-extending victory was met with a long embrace between himself and Mikey Bevans. Two men who soldiered and struggled together in recent years. Two men for whom the page has finally turned and pressure lifted.
Before Ennis, the pair’s Tipp record stood at one win from 10 Munster championship outings. Tipp’s record on the whole was one win from their last 15 Munster championship outings.
All those ugly sequences have tumbled. All those ugly stats have been levelled to the ground. Tipp are through, their slate pristinely cleaned.
Yesterday represented a first championship win over Waterford since May of 2019. A first championship win at home since June of 2019. A first set of back-to-back championship wins since later that same 2019 summer.
But most importantly, and superseding all of the above, is that Tipperary are booked in for the All-Ireland series. Tipp cannot be dislodged from Munster’s top three during a final round which they'll watch with feet up and smile fixed.
“The players have embraced everything we've done and just really, really proud that they've got their reward,” said Cahill.
“We're finding little gains, little green shoots coming all the time. But we do know now that there's an adherence to the jersey that has to be applied every day and the Tipperary public will have no problem whatsoever once they see a hard-working Tipperary team fighting for everything on offer.”
This wasn’t work ethic alone and yet their application was ferocious. To hone in on such is not simplistic, it’s necessary.
Waterford’s nine first-half wides were self-inflicted, their turnover count less so. Tipp enforced relentless pressure. Late in the half and on the Ryan Stand sideline, Willie Connors twice stood up Tadhg de Búrca. Seán Stack deemed Connors’ tackling illegal. The crowd did not. They chanted ‘Tipp, Tipp, Tipp’.
Shane Bennett’s late goal attempt was blocked by Mikey Breen. Robert Doyle, in the other corner, had long seen off Dessie Hutchinson. Ronan Maher, in front of his own goal, plucked possession from the sky later again. The No.6 had long seen off Mikey Kiely. Outside of Jamie Barron, no forward in white owned their patch.
Waterford remain rooted to their opening afternoon two points. Unless this round-robin goes where none of the previous five have in delivering a second win, then this round-robin will go the way of the previous five.
They had initially roared. After the 10-minute delay came flowing freneticism. Throw-in was pushed back to 2.10pm. The crowds were still pouring in. Once seated, the scores poured in. Three inside 70 seconds.
Eleven seconds is all it took Stephen Bennett to surpass Paul Flynn as Waterford’s all-time leading championship scorer. Barron with the delivery, Bennett with catch and history-making green flag finish. His 12-218 one point better than Flynn’s 24-181. A Mikey Kiely point on 39 seconds had the visitors four ahead.
Jake Morris clipped his first of four opening half points on 69 seconds. It was the sole interruption to Waterford’s hurried start. Barron and Kevin Mahony pushed the Déise 1-3 to 0-1 ahead inside three and a half minutes.
Barron was fouled not long after. Bennett should have sent Waterford six clear. Instead the free dropped short. Their ferocious start would give way to a misfiring half. Nine wides and two more short. Bennett didn’t convert his first free until the 28th minute - at the fourth attempt.
Outside of this opening and third quarter six-in-a-row to bring them level, Tipp were superior. Jason Forde cut over sidelines and the returning Darragh McCarthy went 11 from 12 frees. Outside them, Andrew Ormond and Jake Morris were two best friends in a creche. They were having their fun and nobody was stopping them.
Ormond brought them level for the first time on 17 minutes. Ormond assisted Jake to nudge them in front for the first time four minutes later.
Their lead was three-strong at the break, 0-16 to 1-10, and grew three more when Ormond was fouled for a pair of converted frees and clipped another himself. Tipp followed Waterford’s six-in-a-row with six of their own before a pair of younger kids again had their fun.
Oisín O’Donoghue, the 1-3 hero of Wednesday’s Munster U20 final win, added fresh polish to his burgeoning status with a goal from his first touch on 68 minutes. The assist came from fellow U20 McCarthy. It was part of a finish where they outgunned the neighbours 1-4 to 0-1.
Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Glory Days’ greeted the final whistle. No glory yet, but certainly no gloom. Those days are behind them.
D McCarthy (0-11, 0-11 frees); J Morris (0-4); J Forde (0-2 sc), E Connolly (0-2 frees), A Ormond (0-3 each); O O’Donoghue (1-1); J McGrath (0-2); S O’Farrell, N McGrath, S Kenneally (0-1 each).
Stephen Bennett (1-9, 0-7 frees); J Barron (0-4); M Kiely (0-2); P Leavey, D Lyons (0-1 sc), K Mahony, D Hutchinson, P Fitzgerald, S Walsh (0-1).
R Shelly; M Breen, E Connolly, R Doyle; C Morgan, R Maher, B O’Mara; W Connors, S O’Farrell; C Stakelum, A Ormond, J Morris; J McGrath, D McCarthy, J Forde.
D Stakelum for Connors (temporary, 47-51); N McGrath for C Stakelum (51); D Stakelum for O’Farrell (52); S Kenneally for J McGrath (56); O O’Donoghue for Forde (68); S Kennedy for Morgan (70).
B Nolan; I Daly, I Kenny, C Prunty; P Leavey, T de Búrca, M Fitzgerald; G Fives, D Lyons; J Prendergast, M Kiely, K Mahony; D Hutchinson, J Barron, Stephen Bennett.
Patrick Fitzgerald for Mahony (46); Shane Bennett for Fives (55); P Curran for Kiely (60); S Walsh for Hutchinson (65); T Barron for Daly (72).
S Stack (Dublin).
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