Waterford rue missed chances as Tipperary snatch second win in U20 Hurling championship

TIPP TWO FROM TWO: Stefan Tobin of Tipperary in action. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Munster U20 Hurling Championship round 2: Waterford 0-15 Tipperary 0-16

Mark Hartley missed a last-gasp levelling free as Tipperary escaped with victory over Waterford for the eighth year in a row in front of 1,973 fans at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field.

The Déise were also left to regret Davy Comerford’s 42nd-minute penalty, which was saved by Paddy McCormack, when they could’ve moved four points to the good.

The hosts’ winless streak extends to 15 games at this grade, while the All-Ireland champions thoroughly rode their luck to escape with a second successive narrow triumph.

Having scored 0-11 into the wind, they scored just 0-5 with it in a cautious and error-strewn second half. Crucially, they also held Waterford to 0-5 in that period and squeaked through a sin-bin spell with 14 men by 0-2 to 0-1.

Brendan Cummins drafted Jake Donelan-Houlihan and Eoghan Doughan into his starting team from the edgy victory over Cork.

James O’Connor made one change to the Waterford side that fell to a late, low-scoring defeat in Clare. All-Ireland Club Championship winner Conor Tobin wasn’t listed on the programme, but came into the attack.

Backed by the wind, the Déise got off to a fast start with the first three points inside four minutes. Gearóid O’Shea rattled over the opening pair before senior hurler Seán Mackey gave his second early assist for a fine Shane Power score.

A worry appeared for Peter Queally as Mackey wouldn’t re-emerge for the second half, a precautionary measure to nurse a hamstring injury.

Tipp responded in kind to level by the eighth minute. Top-scorer Cormac Fitzpatrick’s brilliant catch allowed him to arrow over and he added a free after Jamie Ormond had got off the mark.

Late call-up Conor Tobin began to shine by evading Cathal O’Reilly for a brace. His namesake, Stefan Tobin, pulled one back at the other end. Davy Comerford and Fitzpatrick split the next four points from frees.

The latter Fitzpatrick conversion sparked a four-point streak. David Costigan and Ormond found space to exploit before the score of the day. It involved two pinpoint crossfield passes, from Ormond on the left flank to Fitzpatrick on the right and back to Stefan Tobin out the left again, steering around the spare home defenders for the Carrick Swan clubman to finish for 0-9 to 0-7.

Hartley got one back before Oisín O’Donoghue was fouled for a fourth time, resulting in a Conor Lynch yellow card and another Fitzpatrick pointed free.

Tipp coughed up a couple of frees of their own as Waterford drew level through two Davy Comerford points.

Joint-captain James Comerford kept them in touch at half-time. Ormond magicked up a shot towards the top corner, which the keeper managed to reach up with his hurley and divert around the post. Fitzpatrick pointed the 65 for a 0-11 to 0-10 half-time lead.

Tipp turned to play with the wind, except they didn’t produce anything at all for the first 14 minutes of the half. Instead, Hartley and Davy Comerford’s free restored Waterford into the lead. Meanwhile, Tipp showered two shots wide, one short, and one blocked.

They soon could’ve fallen four behind on the counter. From the ball dropped short, James Comerford launched long for Jack Power to grab. He rumbled towards goal and was fouled crossing the 21.

Ciarán O’Regan deemed Euan Murray’s transgression, swinging over Power’s right shoulder, as careless use of the hurley and brandished a black card. Davy Comerford stepped up, but his low shot was stopped by McCormack’s boot.

Waterford wouldn’t score for the first eight minutes with the extra man. Instead, Fitzpatrick won and converted a free before O’Donoghue claimed a puck-out and slung over the lead score. Davy Comerford’s free levelled at 0-13 apiece before Murray’s return.

Conor Tobin’s third point gave Waterford the lead in the 54th minute and when O’Donoghue struck the post with a routine effort, it looked like it mightn’t be Tipp’s day.

But the Premier carved out the next three points to overtake into a 0-16 to 0-14 lead. Shane Cleary escaped down the left flank for the leveller and when Tomás Ahern was pulled for a second overcarrying free, Fitzpatrick edged them ahead. The Drom-Inch clubman then poked the sliotar into space from a ruck to slot his ninth point.

It still might not have been enough. Jack Power won another high ball heading for goal and was bowled over by the retreating Tiarnán Ryan. O’Regan opted for a free, which Hartley slotted. In the last-ditch scramble for a leveller, Bradley Penkert was fouled, but the Ballygunner free-taker misfired from 55 metres with the final puck.

Scorers for Waterford: Davy Comerford (0-6, 6 frees); Mark Hartley (1 free), Conor Tobin (0-3 each); Gearóid O’Shea (0-2); Shane Power (0-1).

Scorers for Tipperary: Cormac Fitzpatrick (0-9, 6 frees, 1 65); Jamie Ormond, Stefan Tobin (0-2 each); Shane Cleary, Oisín O’Donoghue, David Costigan (0-1 each).

WATERFORD: J Comerford (Ballygunner, j-capt); F Cooney (Ballygunner), C Lynch (Geraldines), T Ahern (Ballyduff Upper); B Penkert (Mount Sion), J McDonnell (Tallow), C O’Sullivan (Ballygunner, j-capt); H Quann (Lismore), P Spelman (Fourmilewater); D Comerford (St Molleran’s), S Mackey (Fenor), S Power (De La Salle); G O’Shea (St Molleran’s), C Tobin (Ballygunner), M Hartley (Ballygunner).

Subs: J Power (Ballygunner) for Mackey (h-t, inj), P Quann (Dungarvan) for Cooney (46), C Shankey for S Power (53), C Reville (Roanmore) for D Comerford (57).

TIPPERARY: P McCormack (Moneygall); E Morris (Holycross-Ballycahill), C O’Reilly (Holycross-Ballycahill), D Ryan (Arravale Rovers); J Donelan-Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg), S Rowan (Mullinahone), E Murray (Thurles Sarsfields); T Ryan (Holycross-Ballycahill), S Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs); E Doughan (Moneygall), D Costigan (Moycarkey-Borris), J Ormond (JK Brackens); C Fitzpatrick (Drom-Inch), O O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs, capt), S Tobin (Carrick Swan).

Subs: J Hayes (Moycarkey-Borris) for Doughan (43), P Ryan (Borris-Ileigh) for D Ryan (53), C Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Donelan-Houlihan (57).

Referee: C O’Regan (Cork).