Cleary pleased with Cork's 'application' in 19-point hammering of Tipperary

The gulf announced itself from the off in Cappawhite.

Cork’s Colm O'Callaghan with Manus McFadden of Tipperary. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

McGrath Cup: Cork 1-26 (1-4-18) Tipperary 0-10 (0-1-8) 

An expected schooling. An almost championship-looking Cork side came to Cappawhite and exerted complete control.

The hosts weren’t light on experience either. Tipp’s starting line-up contained eight players who began their last Tailteann Cup outing of 2025. It made no difference. The gulf announced itself from the off. A 19-point hammering.

The match wasn’t long a contest and so we won’t spend long going through the more bitty match details. You could argue the match as a contest was over after only four minutes. Cork, by this early juncture, were already 1-4 clear.

Ruairí Deane, full of January exuberance, had the visitors on the board inside 22 seconds. Seán McDonnell followed with a two-pointer, the first of four orange flags Cork would kick.

A Mark Cronin solo-and-go was offloaded to Chris Óg Jones. He, in quick turn, found Deane for a palmed green flag. Midfielder Seán Walsh completed the four-minute Cork scoring start.

There were further bursts amid sustained red dominance. Tipp struggled to enter the opposition half. Their first shot wasn’t until the sixth minute. Incapable of playing through the Cork defence, they played outside the Cork defence. Outside of full-forward Seán O'Connor, the threat was scarce.

The scoreboard read 1-8 to 0-2 after 15 minutes. It read 1-11 to 0-3 at the break.

Cork brought nine subs on the bus. All nine were sprung. A mixture of the new and not so new. Debuts off the bench for goalkeeper Darragh Newman, Colm O’Shea, and Denis O'Connor. A scoring return for Steven Sherlock.

Midfielder Colm O’Callaghan, off either foot, delivered three superb second-half points. One of those stemmed from a fine restart fetch from his midfield partner Walsh. Thirteen different scorers. Job comfortably done.

Cork’s Darragh Cashman with Eoin O'Connell and Paudie Feehan of Tipperary. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Now for the thoughts of Cork manager John Cleary. What, if anything, could be taken from that?

“What I took from that is we had a competitive game, we got minutes into legs. I was pleased with our application. We asked the lads to go at it from the start. There is a lot of competition for places, fellas put their hands up and that is what we asked them to do. A good blowout,” he replied.

“There is nothing like a competitive game. The lads were just saying there, they have been training, but it isn’t the same thing. Any time you get a game against another county, there are always learnings in it. A lot of them wanted that game and they kept going and going.” 

The unavailability of 13 college-tied players meant Cleary’s hand was forced to an extent. It was an unusually strong outfit to be putting out on January 6. The team that entertains Limerick at Páirc Uí Rinn this Sunday will carry a great deal more inexperience.

“What we had out there tonight, plus our college-going players, plus our injuries, that’s it. We have 12 or 13 college guys and maybe another five or six that are injured.

“On Sunday, we’ll be giving all those college lads a game because in training they have been putting their hand up. I’d have loved to have blooded a few of them tonight because they have been going well but unfortunately it clashes with Sigerson.

“Now is the time to give them a go. It is not fair to put lads in under high-pressure situations [in the League] without having blooded them in pre-season. Colm O’Shea, Denis O’Connor; 20 minutes there, it is invaluable to play with these guys and under a bit of county pressure.” 

On the injury front, there was confirmation that Conor Corbett (dislocated shoulder) will miss the opening two rounds of the League.

Scorers for Cork: S McDonnell (0-6, tp); M Cronin (0-4, tp free); R Deane (1-1); C O’Callaghan (0-3); R Maguire (0-2, tp), C O’Mahony (0-2, tp), B Hurley (0-2, 0-1 free); S Walsh, C Cahalane, M Taylor, S Sherlock, L Murphy, D O’Connor (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tipperary: S O’Connor (0-4, 0-2 frees); M Russell (0-2, tp); E Moloney, P Feehan, C Smith (free), M Barlow (0-1 each).

Cork: P Doyle; M Shanley, S Meehan, K O’Donovan; B O’Driscoll, R Maguire, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan, S Walsh; R Deane, S McDonnell, C Cahalane; M Cronin, C Óg Jones, C O’Mahony.

Subs: D Cashman for O’Driscoll, D O’Mahony for Shanley, L Murphy for C O’Mahony (all HT); D Newman for Doyle, D O’Connor for Jones (both 36); C O’Shea for O’Donovan, B Hurley for Cronin, M Taylor for Walsh, S Sherlock for McDonnell (all 46).

TIPPERARY: R McGrath; E Moloney, E O'Connell, M McFadden; D O'Brien, P Freehan, L Boland; M Russell, K Costello; C Deeley, B Carey, N Heffernan; C Smith, S O'Connor, M Barlow.

Subs: J Harney for O'Brien (25); M Stokes for Carey (HT); S Ryan for McGrath, M Lowry for Heffernan, B O’Connor for Boland (all 47); N Heffernan for Russell (62).

Referee: S Joy (Kerry).