Tipperary fade as Cork’s greater experience and physicality proves decisive
The Premier County will turn their attentions towards Tailteann Cup
Cork 4-18 Tipperary 1-12
For 45 minutes Tipperary stood shoulder to shoulder with hot favourites Cork in the Munster Senior Football Championship semi-final at FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday but three goals in the closing period gave the Leesiders a flattering 15-points win, and secured their place in the final against Kerry.
Promoted to division one of the National Football League a few weeks ago, Cork went into this game full of expectations. And while the final scoreline suggests a rout of the home county, that was not the case. Tipp’s measured approach throughout frustrated the visitors but the effort expended in containing their rivals for so long told in the finish, Cork’s superior physicality and greater experience getting them safely though to yet another final against arch-rivals Kerry.
An attendance of 1,755 saw Tipp shock the visitors with a Sean O'Connor goal after ten minutes, an awkward bounce deceiving the Cork defence, allowing the Clonmel Commercials man to pounce and blast home from close range for a 1-1 to 0-0 lead. The possibility of a shock result loomed only briefly as Cork, attacking with pace and purpose, soon got into their stride and Chris Jones’ goal after 21 minutes put them 1-3 to 1-1 ahead and motoring.
Playing a patient game, Tipp might have had a second goal when Micheál Freaney broke through but he elected to pass the ball and the move broke down. He made amends with a lovely two-pointer in the 23rd minute but Cork, despite some quality high fielding by Joe Higgins for Tipp, pushed on to lead at the break by 1-5 to 1-4.
Cork’s concern at how the game was going was reflected in a double substitution at half-time but Tipp drew first blood on resuming, Eoin Craddock levelling. Cian Smith and Sean O’Connor points kept Tipp on terms after 44 minutes (1-7 each) but a neat two-pointer by Brian Hurley kickstarted the Cork surge that carried them to victory.
Five Cork points followed without reply (1-15 to 1-7) after 54 minutes. The game was going away from the home side but the nail in Tipp’s coffin came on 56 minutes when midfielder Colm O’Callaghan careered through a retreating Tipp defence to shoot a great second goal. There was really no way back for Tipperary now, further goals by Chris Jones and Conor Corbett in the 62nd and 67th minutes stretching their advantage to 18 points.
Tipp did not drop the heads. The game was well decided but, reflecting the spirit in this Tipp outfit, they finished well, Daithí Hogan pointing before Sean O’Connor landed a two-pointer to end Tipp’s championship campaign.
Tipp went into the game without seasoned campaigners Steven O’Brien, Mark Stokes, Liam Boland, Jimmy Feehan and Manus McFadden, all of whom were carrying injuries, and this was too big a loss for a county with a limited number of players with experience at this level. Yet, despite the margin of defeat, there were a lot of positives to be taken from the performance, which hopefully will again be in evidence when the Tailteann Cup gets under way in two weeks’ time.
Tipp are in an evolving stage, with a lot of newcomers sampling football at this level, and it is going to take time for them to get to the pitch of top-flight senior inter-county competition.
With ten under 23 players in the squad, it was a big ask to expect the Premier boys to overturn familiar top-tier competitors Cork, but they will surely learn from this experience, with a good run in the Tailteann Cup a primer for next year’s league.
The quality is there. Joe Higgins’ high fielding was top-drawer stuff; Sean O’Connor’s clinical finishing is a huge asset; Paudie Feehan’s leadership and industry are inspirational. Backed by the excellence of younger players like Eoin O’Connell, Jack O’Neill, Kieran Costello, Charlie King and Eoin Craddock, with the excellent Shane Garland in goal, Tipp are on the right track.
Expectations are high in Cork following their division two league success but their first half performance here will have caused them concern. This was reflected in a double substitution at half-time,and while their second half performance was a big improvement, with their subs adding an energy and decisiveness to their game that was missing earlier, they still have some bit to go if they are to turn Kerry over in the final.
Cork have been team-building for the past few years and that hard work is beginning to come to fruition but this encounter showed they have a lot more to do before they are serious All-Ireland contenders. Their best players in this encounter were Luke Fahy, Chris Og Jones, Steven Sherlock, Brian O’Driscoll and Maurice Shanley.
Tipp scorers: S O’Connor (1-6, 2fs), M Freaney (0-2,2pt), E Craddock, C Smith, K Butler, D Hogan (0-1 each).
Cork scorers: C Jones (2-2), S Sherlock (0-7,3fs, 1 2pt), L Fahey, B Hurley (0-3 each), C O’ Callaghan, C Corbett (1-0 each), M Cronin, R Deane, B O Driscoll (0-1 each).
Tipperary: Shane Garland; Jack O’Neill, Eoin O’Connell, Mark Corcoran; Kieran Costello, James Morris, Charlie King; Joe Higgins, Paudie Feehan; Eoin Craddock, Micheál Freaney, Emmet Nolan; Cian Smith, Sean O’Connor, Daithí Hogan.
Subs: Killian Butler for Craddock (51 mins), Paddy Creedon for Smith (52 mins), Mark Russell for Feehan (55 mins), Miceal Lowry for Morris (62 mins).
Cork: Micheal Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O’Mahoney, Sean Meehan; Brian O’ Driscoll, Tommy Walsh, Luke Fahy; Sean Walsh, Ian Maguire; Paul Walsh, Sean McDonnell, Conor Cahalane; Mark Cronin, Chris Og Jones, Steven Sherlock.
Subs: Brian Hurley for McDonnell (h/t), Ruairi Deane for Cahalane (h/t), Colm O’Callaghan for Walsh (47 mins), Conor Corbett for Hurley (55 mins), Sean Brady for Meehan (60 mins).
Referee: Fergal Kelly, Longford.