Tipp and Waterford have become the noisy neighbours who can't help but share

A sense of déjà vu washed over Azzurri Walsh Park as these neighbours finished level pegging for the second time here in two years. But Waterford were surely the happier of the two. 

CLOSE CONTROL: Stephen Bennett of Waterford is tackled by Michael Breen of Tipperary during the Munster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 2 match between Waterford and Tipperary at Azzurri Walsh Park in Waterford. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Munster SHC: WATERFORD 3-24 TIPPERARY 1-30 

The vortex of the Munster championship gets stranger by the year.

A sense of déjà vu washed over Azzurri Walsh Park as these neighbours finished level pegging for the second time here in two years.

For all the new ways this competition finds to thrill and amaze us, a lot of it is history repeating itself. This was the third draw between Waterford and Tipperary in their seven meetings in the round-robin era and once more provided drama.

There was the ghost goal in Limerick in 2018 and here two years ago Alan Tynan won a free at the death that Gearóid O’Connor converted to split the points after Tipperary had been four points down in additional time.

Here, the roles were reversed as they ended with the same dividend. Kevin Mahony provided the final twist in the plot with an equalising goal. A deserving result for the hosts. Not for the efficiency which was deplorable – they scored 27 times but missed 23 including 16 wides. But for their defiance when at half-time it and remaining in the championship looked beyond them.

In the first half, Stephen Bennett seemed nothing like the man who did a good job of almost beating Clare by himself last weekend but he drove into the game and Tipperary on the turnaround.

Waterford had eroded an 11-point half-time deficit, 1-7 to 1-18, to lead by the 64th minute. Bennett’s 55th-minute goal had been vital to the fightback.

Had Darragh McCarthy found the net with a 39th-minute penalty, the margin would have returned to 11 points. Mark Fitzgerald was pinged for a foul on John but McCarthy’s shot was saved, the second penalty he has failed to make count this year.

It was a let-off and Waterford make plenty of it with five points without reply to come within a score in the 50th minute.

Tipperary settled with Jake Morris and Eoghan Connolly points but only slightly as Waterford fired over six of the next seven scores including Bennett’s 55th minute goal to square matters in the 58th minute and then again in the 59th and the 61st.

After McGrath had a ground shot deflected out by Nolan, Connolly sent over the 65 but it was once more short respite as Waterford produced the next three points, all from Bennett, the second of them putting The Déise ahead for only the second time in the game.

Advantage returned to Tipperary with three points in as many minutes. Seán Walsh then restored parity only for substitutes Stefan Tobin and Jason Forde to hit back with points.

The combination of an Austin Gleeson wide, Waterford’s 16th of the afternoon, along with a Ronan Maher point appeared to be huge but Kevin Mahony wasn’t done.

A long Billy Nolan delivery was broken down from a Bennett challenge and the Ballygunner man finished precisely for a result that left both groups unsatisfied but not entirely upset.

Liam Cahill couldn’t and didn’t complain after another forgettable third quarter: “I suppose in any team, in any grade you play, you can get away with one or two players struggling at a particular time. But when you have seven or eight struggling at the one time, it’s really difficult in that kind of environment, with such a pace in the game.

“Inter-county hurling is unforgiving. That's just something we need to work on – seven or eight players can't really struggle at the one time. If we can get our heads around that, I think we'll be really, really competitive and work through that period after half-time that has hurt us again this weekend.” 

Likewise, Peter Queally knew to undo all the bad work in the first half was going to take its toll. “Some basic errors, some poor shooting, our execution in the first half was very poor. I think we were only about 43% of our shots so them wides kinda deflated us but in fairness to the lads, they backed themselves in the second half with their shooting and got some excellent scores.” 

After the mediocre display against Cork in Thurles, Tipperary changes had been expected but perhaps not as many as four. Seamus Kennedy, Alan Tynan, Sam O’Farrell and McCarthy were introduced at the expense of Craig Morgan, Conor Stakelum, Tobin and Forde.

Assisted by a small breeze, Tipperary went to work early and O’Farrell was in the thick of things on the left wing. After Calum Lyons opened the scoring, Cahill’s side hit the hosts for six in a row.

Tipperary were far more energetic than last weekend and four of their front six had scored from play by the ninth minute when it had taken then nearly 30 minutes to produce a point in the second half of the defeat to Cork.

The margin was five points after 10 minutes and had grown to seven by the 22nd minute through John McGrath’s second point when they struck for goal.

Two minutes later, the sizeable Tipperary support sensed an opening when Rhys Shelly landed a ball just outside the square. McGrath was held up but did enough to get to the break and the ball bounced up for Andrew Ormond to fetch and finish.

Much like Wexford did after Kilkenny’s opening goal the evening before, Waterford struck back instantly. Jamie Barron cancelled out the score with a tidy strike but McGrath landed his third point seconds later and Tynan and Oisin O’Donoghue followed his example.

A brace of McCarthy frees, the second brought forward for dissent by Queally, stretched Tipperary’s lead to 11 with two minutes of the half remaining. Two more scores followed for each team before the turnaround and the margin remained 11. It felt plenty. It wasn't.

Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett (1-10, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65); K. Mahony (1-2); J. Barron (1-1); C. Lyons (0-3); D. Hutchinson, S. Walsh (0-2 each); J. Fagan, B. Nolan (free), S. Mackey, J. Prendergast (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tipperary: D. McCarthy (0-5, 4 frees); A. Ormond (1-1); J. McGrath, E. Connolly (1 65), O. O’Donoghue (0-4 each); J. Morris (0-3); S. Tobin, R. Maher (0-2 each); S O’Farrell, W. Connors, A. Tynan, D. Stakelum, J. Forde (0-1 each).

WATERFORD: B. Nolan; I. Kenny, M. Fitzgerald (c), A. O’Neill; J. Fagan, I. Daly, P. Leavey; Shane Bennett, D. Lyons; J. Barron, J. Prendergast, C. Lyons; D. Hutchinson, S. Walsh, Stephen Bennett.

Subs for Waterford: K. Mahony for Shane Bennett (31); S. Mackey for D. Lyons (h-t); C. Keane for I. Kenny (inj 48); A. Gleeson for C. Lyons (56); T. de Búrca for I. Daly (59).

TIPPERARY: R. Shelly; M. Breen, R. Maher (c), R. Doyle; S. Kennedy, E. Connolly, B. O’Mara; W. Connors, A. Tynan; O. O’Donoghue, J. Morris, S. O’Farrell; A. Ormond, J. McGrath, D. McCarthy.

Subs for Tipperary: C. Morgan for S. Kennedy (48); N. McGrath for A. Tynan (blood, 48-58); D. Stakelum for S. O’Farrell (50); S. Tobin for A. Ormond (56); J. Forde for D. McCarthy (59); P. McGarry for W. Connors (66).

Referee: C. Mooney (Dublin)