Magic Butler scores hat-trick as Tipperary U20s thump Cork in Thurles

O’Neills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship - Round 4

Tipperary 3-20

Cork 0-18

Senan Butler was the man of the hour for Tipperary in their thumping defeat of raining Munster and All-Ireland champions Cork in FBD Semple Stadium on Friday night with the result putting Tipp in pole position to reach a Munster final later this month.

Corner forward Butler was in sensational form as he bagged three goal in 40 minutes to help Tipperary to a resounding and impressive win over the Rebels, with the whole team functioning perfectly in what was a brilliant team performance in Thurles.

Two of those Butler goals came in the first half and despite a mini-resurgence from the Rebels at the start of the second half, the Kilsheelan man buried any ambiguity in the result when he bagged his hat-trick goal in the 40th minute to seal victory.

The start of the fare pointed toward the possibility of an entertaining shootout with the teams trading the first six between them in the opening seven minutes with Tadhg O’Connell getting the scoring going in the second minute.

Paddy McCormack responded with a well taken effort on the turn straight from the restart and the latter showed his array of skills just after a Jack Leahy free had given Cork the lead again, floating over a gorgeous sideline from the O Riain Stand side.

As mentioned, the sides were level at 0-3 apiece with Darragh McCarthy (free) and Barry Walsh trading points but Tipp hit the next three point in a row as they began to beat Cork on the breaks and 50-50 balls with Darragh McCarthy converting a free from close range when there was a sniff of a goal chance for Senan Butler, while Conor Martin and Sam O’Farrell hit their opening points in that period.

Tipperary were the team on top from here and just after James Dwyer cut the game back to a one-point deficit in the 11th minute, Tipp hit a hot streak in the next six minutes, scoring 1-5 to Cork’s 0-1 up to the 17th minute; the goal coming rather fortuitously from a Darragh McCarthy shot which rebounded off the top post, but Senan Butler deserves plaudits as the Kilsheelan Kilcash man chased down the dropping ball to flick the ball from the covering Cork defender and slip the shot to the bottom corner from close range.

The Tipp forwards were complementing the defensive effort nicely with their workrate and it wasn’t allowing Cork anytime to deliver into their dangerous forward division and even with Cork hitting two points in a row after that goal, Tipperary were firmly in charge by dominating the scoring up to half-time.

Adam Daly’s point on 28 minutes extended the Tipp lead to a healthy six-point advantage, but it got even better for the Premier on the stroke of 30 minutes when Sam O’Farrell and subsequently Darragh McCarthy turned down easy point opportunities with the Toomevara man shimmying around a few Cork defenders to brilliantly set Senan Butler in on goal from the endline, and with a devastating finish to the roof of the net it was Tipp in control at the break. (2-10 to 0-7)

Cork were going to have to pull out a major of a second half performance to pull this back and their task was made all the more difficult after the restart as Tipp stormed out of the blocks again with the first two points from Oisin O’Donoghue and a Darragh McCarthy free.

It could have been curtains two minutes after that McCarthy free when the Toomevara man linked up with Paddy McCormack, McCarthy putting the Borris-Ileigh man one-on-one with the keeper but just fluffed his effort on the spin as it was saved low at the near post by Paudie O’Sullivan.

In fairness to the Rebels though, they displayed some very dangerous play after that in the following eight minutes, getting their running game in order and they broke in number several times with Diarmuid Healy pointing two in a row and only for an impressive save by Eoin Horgan from a Barry Walsh shot from point blank range, the Rebels could have been back in it.

However, Tipp didn’t leave that chink of light open for too long as they got the score that killed the Cork resurgence on 40 minutes; Conor Marin deserving of the plaudits with the Cappawhite attacker showing burning pace to run through the centre of the Cork defence and whack a strong effort for goal and despite a smart save being made by O’Sullivan in the goal, the rebound floated beautifully into the path of Senan Butler who calmly batted home his hat-trick goal. Game sealed.

The remainder was a comfortable procession for Tipp who had an answer to every question Cork posed with Darragh McCarthy setting up several late scores including points for Oisin O’Donoghue and Cathal English as Cork came looking for goals that never came close to materialising.

The cherry was dropped on the cake for Tipperary with just a minute remaining of normal time with Eoin Horgan getting in on the scoring act from a booming long range free effort, and despite Cork being denied by Horgan from a late 21, the scoreline finished with a useful sheen for Tipp who - barring a calamity in the final round - have one foot in the Munser decider later this month; a clash against Clare remains in the final round.

Scorers: Tipperary: Senan Butler 3-1, Darragh McCarthy (0-6, 0-5f, 0-1 65), Paddy McCormack (0-3, 0-1 sl-cut), Oisin O’Donoghuhe 0-3, Conor Martin, Sam O’Farrell 0-2 each, Eoin Horgan 0-1f, Adam Daly, Cathal English 0-1 each.

Cork: Jack Leahy (0-6, 0-5f), William Buckley, James Dwyer 0-3 each, Diarmuid Healy, Adam O’Sullivan 0-2 each, Barry Walsh, Timmy Wilk 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams); Chris O’Donnell (Ballylooby Castlegrace), Aaron O’Halloran (Carrick Swans), Podge O’Dwyer (Killenaule); Mason Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg), Ben Currivan (Golden Kilfeacle), Jack Collins (Ballina); Adam Daly (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams), Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg); Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), Conor Martin (Cappawhite), Cathal English (Fr. Sheehys); Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), Paddy McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), Senan Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash).

Subs used: Jack O’Callaghan (Portroe) for Cawley (41); Sam Rowan (Mullinahone) for Butler (53); Ciaran Foley (Borrisokane) for O’Farrell (56); Eoin Craddock (Holycross Ballycahill) for O’Donoghue (60); Dylan Fogarty (Boherlahan Dualla) for English (61).

Cork: Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr. O’Neills); Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers), Kevin Lyons (Ballygarvan), Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); James Dwyer (Ballincollig), Óran O’Regan (Erins Own), Cillian Tobin (Bride Rovers); Mikey Finn (Midleton), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); David Cremin (Midleton), William Buckley (St. Finbarrs), Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold); Tadhg O’Connell (Ballincollig), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Jack Leahy (Dungourney).

Subs used: Timmy Wilk (Cobh) for O’Connell (HT); Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig) for Ben Walsh (HT); James O’Brien (Fermoy) for O’Regan (42); Peter O’Shea for Tobin (50); Eoin O’Leary (Glen Rovers) for Cremin (56).

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)