Cork dumped Tipperary out of the Guinness SHC
qualifiers as a second half scoring masterclass, including two goals
from forwards Timmy and Niall McCarthy, saw the Rebels victorious,
2-19 to 1-16 in a dour Killarney battle.
A lacklustre first half saw Tipp emerge 1-08 to 0-07 in front thanks
to Paul Kelly's injury time goal. Both sides raised the quality and
upped the ante in the second period, but Tipp's over reliance on top
scorer Eoin Kelly (0-09, 5f) and Corkman Brian Corcoran's ability to
take his marker away from a central position paid dividends as both
Cork goals came with the McCarthys in clear water and only
goalkeeper Brendan Cummins to beat.
Against the breeze, Sarsfields' forward Kieran Murphy put Cork in
front after just 15 seconds. In the tit-for-tat early stages, the
game went point for point as Mullinahone marksman Kelly replied,
beating Wayne Sherlock to fire over his left shoulder in the third
minute.
Tom Kenny set up Niall McCarthy for Cork's second before Benny Dunne
squared it back up after Kelly had lost possession and then regained
it with effortless cunning.
The Rebels attack was then silenced for a full quarter-of-an-hour as
Kelly and Tipp had free reign on possession. A neat Kelly free saw
them hit the front on eight minutes, then an intelligent Kelly flick
saw Conor Gleeson crack over and the blue and gold were firing.
Colin Morrissey, Kelly, and John Carroll, helped their side to a
0-07 to 0-02 lead on 14 minutes, and with Cork goalkeeper Donal Og
Cusack wayward from his puck outs, the Rebels looked in trouble.
John Gardiner hit their second wide from a 65-metre free before Joe
Deane finally raised a white flag in the nineteenth minute to reduce
arrears to four.
Benny Deane punished Tipp's Declan Fanning with another free and
soon a quick brace of frees from Ben O'Connor on 23 and 25 minutes
saw Cork just one behind and Tipp without a score in eleven minutes.
A lacklustre half hour was concluded as Dunne claimed his second
point for 0-08 to 0-06 but the game was brought to life in the
closing stages.
Roscrea forward Carroll broke through onto an Eoin Kelly hand pass
to be brought to ground in the Cork area by a low-handed swipe by Og
Cusack. Tipp got their goal as Eoin Kelly's penalty shot, which was
blocked initially into the air by Og Cusack, fell to his brother
Paul who batted it home.
Tipp's 1-08 to 0-07 half time lead was immediately cut back to a
goal as Deane pointed a free seconds after the restart. Doubt began
to spread in Tipperary minds as Kelly went wide from a central free
and Deane's fourth free put two between them.
Then the tie began to swing further in Cork's favour as substitute
Timmy McCarthy raced clear to crack a brilliant high and into the
Tipp net six minutes after the break. From then on Cork were to lose
their lead only once.
Ben O'Connor made it a goal and a point in two minutes for the
Rebels as they raced 1-10 to 1-08 in front. Kelly hit back for Tipp
with a flurry of points, five in the final 27 minutes, but a crucial
second goal came on 63 minutes. Niall McCarthy ghosted through to
strike off the ground and find the top right corner of Cummins' net.
Tipp briefly got back in touch on 54 minutes when Kelly squared the
game for a third time at 1-11 apiece, but with Ken Hogan's charges
running up double figure wides, Cork powered to the finish.
John Gardiner, Timmy McCarthy and the Murphy hit consecutive points
as they pulled clear, substitute Mickey O'Connell the found his
range and Deane and Ben O'Connor crowned an impressive performances
with their seventh and fourth points respectively.
Source: rte.ie |
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