Tipperary hurlers underperform, limp past Kerry and fail to qualify for Munster League decider

Munster Hurling League - Round 2

Tipperary 1-16

Kerry 1-7

Tipperary received a small scare in Austin Stack Park, Tralee, on Sunday afternoon, with a very patchy performance eventually ending in victory over a determined Kerry outfit in the second round of the Munster Hurling League.

READ NEXT: Upperchurch Drombane crowned All-Ireland champions after six-goal Croke Park thriller!

Liam Cahill’s men went strong in his selection, with 17 of the All-Ireland winning panel named on the matchday squad for this one, and given the huge loss the Kingdom suffered against Waterford earlier this week, Tipperary looked like they wanted to chase down the 38-point score required to qualify for the final.

That feat, though, was never in the reckoning as Kerry brought real fight to this contest, and that, coupled with a really underpar performance from the All-Ireland champions, had the hosts ahead 1-4 to 0-6 thanks to Michael Slattery's opportunistic goal in the 23rd minute.

There were plenty of bodies that had featured in Fitzgibbon Cup action during the week for their respective college teams, but Liam Cahill and his management team would not have been enamoured with what they watched in the first half, and made changes at half-time to improve matters.

Stakelums Conor and Darragh came in to good effect in the second half, and slowly but surely, Tipperary started to make matters count on the scoreboard with Oisin O’Donoghue’s 47th-minute goal, making the game safe from a Premier perspective.

Awful conditions greeted both teams from the off in this one, and while there was no discernible advantage in terms of the wind, the heavy rain and underfoot conditions made this a slow and ponderous game in the first half that gave Kerry real bite early on.

The Kingdom started very well and had registered the first score of the game inside 60 seconds when Michael Slattery picked off a nice opener from close range, but the response was strong from Tipperary with the next five points going in their favour by the seventh minute.

Jake Morris pilfered two of them, as did Darragh McCarthy from placed balls, while Sam O’Farrell picked off the other as the game began to go along expected lines quite early.

The conditions played their part in what was to come in the rest of the half, with the ball slow anytime possession went to ground, but the purpose of the Kerry men was greater and they slowly started to get to grips with the Tipperary challenge; reducing the gap to a single point by the 20th minute after fine scores from Jordan Conway and a brace of Ronan Walsh frees.

Sam O’Farrell had a goal effort cannon off the post in the 13th minute after Paddy McCormack set him clear with a sight of goal, but the lack of cut in Tipperary’s play was fuelling the Kerry fire, and despite Andrew Ormond hitting a sixth for the All-Ireland champions on 22 minutes, Kerry would receive a huge boost thereafter.

That boost came a minute later when a really slack handpass from a falling Willie Connors was intercepted by Michael Slattery inside the 21, and with no Tipperary jersey between him and Rhys Shelly, the Crotta O’Neills man galloped in on goal and lamped home a close-range major. Kerry now leading 1-4 to 0-6

Darragh McCarthy was having less luck in front of goal than his number 13 counterpart, particularly from placed balls and after missing three frees on the trot, he had a penalty effort denied on the stroke of half-time after Paddy McCormack had drawn a foul in the square.

McCarthy struck the penalty well, but Kerry netminder Conor Bohane produced a class reflex save down to his left to deny the Young Hurler of the Year as Kerry took a one-point lead at the break, with a repeat of the 2022 win over the Premier looking more and more likely.

The introduction of the Stakelum brother brought a lot more energy to the Tipperary effort, though, and Conor had picked off a point within three minutes of the restart, closely followed by a McCarthy free to put Tipp into the lead.

Ronan Walsh levelled again in the 37th minute through a placed ball, but the Kerry effort was starting to fade now, and over the next ten minutes, Tipperary would take away from their hosts.

Oisin O’Donoghue’s score was the crucial one in the 47th minute after brilliant work from Conor Stakelum fed in the Cashel man to rifle home a low shot from an acute angle and send relief through the Tipperary ranks.

From here, it was comfortable for Tipperary, who had an impact from the bench in the final ten minutes through Jack Leamy, who hit three points, while Robert Doyle signalled his short appearance in the 59th minute with a well-struck score.

Not the result many inside and outside the county were expecting. There will be disappointment over the performance considering the strength of the team named, but what it will give Liam Cahill is a big stick to beat his players with as they refine their preparations over the next fortnight for the opening round of the National League against Galway in Thurles.

Scorers: Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy 0-4f, Oisin O’Donoghue 1-1, Jack Leamy (0-3, 0-2f), Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond 0-2 each, Sam O’Farrell, Josh Keller, Conor Stakelum, Robert Doyle all 0-1 each.

Kerry: Michael Slattery 1-1, Ronan Walsh 0-4f, Jordan Conway, Luke Rochford 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Conor Martin, Bryan O'Mara, Johnny Ryan; Joe Caesar, Brian McGrath, Eoghan Connolly; Willie Connors, Josh Keller; Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Sam O'Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, Oisin O'Donoghue, Paddy McCormack.

Subs used: Seamus Kennedy for McGrath (12, inj); Conor Stakelum for Connors (HT); Darragh Stakelum for O’Farrell (HT); Jack Leamy for McCarthy (45); Robert Doyle for Ormond (60).

Kerry: Conor Bohane; Eric Leen, Seán McGrath, Kyle O'Connor; James O'Connor, Jason Diggins, Michael Leane; Adam Segal, Kevin Goulding; Tom Doyle, Colin Walsh, Ronan Walsh; Michael Slattery, Liam Óg O'Connor, Jordan Conway.

Subs used: Ivan Conway for O’Connor (HT); Dara Kearney for Leen (HT); Daniel Casey for J Conway (45); Cillian Litchfield for R Walsh (50); Luke Rochford for M Slattery (55); Hugh Lenihan for Segal (58); Jack Sheehan for C Walsh (59).

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)