Late surge helps off-colour Tipp to shaky win over Cork in Munster U20HC

THE CLIMB: Ben Walsh, Cork and Evan Morris, Tipperary, clashing for the sliotar in the MU20HC in Semple Stadium. Pic: Brendan Gleeson

Munster U20HC: Tipperary 1-21 Cork 0-22

The 15 young men of Tipperary eventually made count their full half of numerical advantage.

Their late push delivered a fourth successive win for the Premier over Cork at U20 level. Their provincial defence is off to a winning start, albeit not an impressive start. The 30-minute numerical advantage saved Brendan Cummins’ side rather than lifted them.

This was a Munster round-robin opener of wild fluctuations. As can so often be the case at underage, reason and logic took a backseat.

The hosts, backboned by their trio of senior panelists, Cathal O’Reilly, Stefan Tobin, and Oisín O’Donoghue, as well as four other players who featured in last year’s All-Ireland final success, were six clear and thriving inside 11 minutes.

And yet, the crowd of 2,669 watched as we went from a six-point Tipp lead and no Cork score to a situation where the visitors were ahead by the 29th minute.

In the scoring department anyways, it was a one-man Cork effort for so much of proceedings.

Cork senior Barry Walsh issued his county's opening score on 12 minutes. He issued their opener from play just over 60 seconds later. He was responsible for their opening five. Four of them were frees, won by himself, Johnny Murphy, Finn O’Brien, and Zach Biggane. That bit was at least shared.

Walsh was lone occupier of the Cork scoresheet until half-back Michael T Brosnan nailed the target on 21 minutes. John Murphy and Biggane arrived with two more new names on the scoresheet shortly after to cut the deficit to the minimum, 0-9 to 0-8.

The Premier youngsters steadied themselves and stymied Cork flourishing with back-to-back white flags of utter brilliance. Cormac Fitzpatrick and Tobin, both from the Ryan Stand sideline, and the latter after a superb dummy, stretched the gap to three.

John Murphy of Cork in possession of the Sliotar against Shane Cleary. Pic: Brendan Gleeson

That Tobin effort on 24 minutes - his fourth of the half - was their last score from play until the ninth minute of the second-half, by which juncture Tipp were up a player but behind by four on the scoreboard.

Walsh finished the opening half with three frees. His involvement in the action, not just his standing over the dead-ball, was captured in him winning another free.

In first-half injury time, another fluctuation. Right under the nose of referee Nicky O’Toole, an off-the-ball challenge by Cork midfielder John Murphy, on Shane Cleary, was met with a swift red card.

There was no immediate fluctuation in momentum towards Tipp. Cork returned for the second-half, with Barry O’Flynn coming out to the half-forward line and Jack O’Brien going to midfield where Murphy was operating, and registered four of the first five points through who else but Walsh - he'd finish with 14. Another from Johnny Murphy nudged Noel Furlong’s 14 players 0-17 to 0-12 clear on 38 minutes.

Their second half advantage would peak at six - 0-19 to 0-13 - on 41 minutes. What happened thereafter is they added just three more scores across the remainder of the contest.

Tipp, having seen their passing game routinely breakdown in the middle third, started increasing the number of deliveries going in on top of O’Donoghue, on obvious ploy given his ball-winning ability almost led to two first-half goals.

His teammates, particularly Tobin and Cormac Fitzpatrick, returned to prominence from the breaking ball that didn’t stick with the blue and gold full-forward.

Jamie Ormond’s 43rd minute goal, after Fitzpatrick hit the post, revived a Tipp effort that had completely fallen off a cliff.

Fitzpatrick had them level on 49 minutes, the same player shoving them ahead two minutes later. Johnny Murphy and Barry O’Flynn twice brought the visitors on equal terms. There was stalemate entering injury-time. Fitzpatrick’s 11th and O’Donoghue's second flung the champions first past the post.

The result aside, and yes, we know the result is everything, Cork will be the happier camp in what they brought, and what they can build on in the weeks ahead. They are at home to Limerick next Wednesday, Tipp go to Dungarvan the same evening. There's definite class in the Tipp set-up. We barely got a glimpse of it here.

Scorers for Tipperary: C Fitzpatrick (0-11, 0-8 frees); S Tobin (0-6); J Ormond (1-0); O O’Donoghue (0-2); D Costigan, E Doughan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: Barry Walsh (0-14, 0-13 frees); J Murphy (Dromina), Z Biggane (0-2 each); MT Brosnan, J Murphy (Mallow), B O’Flynn, F O’Brien (0-1 each).

CORK: Ó Walsh (Youghal); D Heavin (Russell Rovers), M Barrett (Carrigtwohill), D Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers); MT Brosnan (Glen Rovers), D O’Leary (Ballincollig), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); J Murphy (Mallow), C Noonan (Kanturk); Z Biggane (Charleville), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), J O’Brien (Douglas); J Murphy (Dromina), B O’Flynn (Sarsfields), F O’Brien (Erin’s Own).

Subs: C Garde (Lisgoold) for Ben Walsh (44); C O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for Biggane (48); James O’Brien (Cloyne) for Jack O’Brien (55); C Deane (Killeagh) for Noonan (57).

TIPPERARY: P McCormack (Moneygall); C O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), E Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), S Ryan (Killenaule); D Ryan (Arravale Rovers), E Murray (Thurles Sarsfields), S Rowan (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone); T Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), S Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs); A Ryan (Arravale Rovers), S Tobin (Carrick Swans), D Costigan (Moycarkey Borris); C Fitzpatrick (Drom Inch), O O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), J Ormond (JK Brackens).

Subs: E Doughan (Moneygall) for A Ryan (HT); P Ryan (Borris-Ileigh) for S Ryan (44), J Hackett (Toomevara) for Cleary (58); J Hayes (Moycarkey Borris) for Costigan (60).

Referee: N O’Toole (Waterford).