Cork 4-15   -   Tipperary 4-11

They weren't as aesthetically pleasing as Kelly's - both secured by unorthodox means - but they proved indispensable to Cork ending Tipperary's unbeaten run in the league. Perhaps the second phase won't be as rudimentary as we feared.

That starts in two weeks' time and Cork will embrace it with renewed optimism after this victory, watched by another tiny gathering of 3,816. It came a week after their dismal loss in Birr and looked highly improbable after Kelly's two-goal burst put some daylight between the teams.

Up to that point the match had been a tit-for-tat affair, open and entertaining, with four of the goals coming in the first half. Cork held a narrow 2-8 to 2-7 interval lead, Mickey O'Connell's late point edging them in front, and looked capable of going home with something tangible.

But the day had academic overtones. Tipperary, with four straight wins, could afford to lose and for Cork to overturn them at the top required a victory of alarming magnitude - 17 points. Having trailed by six, Cork will settle for a four-point win.

O'Connell's late first-half point came after the dust had settled on Kelly's first goal. It came in the 31st minute when he seized possession and raced away from Mark Prendergast, sent off late in the game in what appeared a harsh decision. Once clear of his foes, Kelly drove low past Donal Óg Cusack.

It was in keeping with an exciting opening half, though one spoiled by some sloppy finishing at both ends. The first of the four goals, however, had a freakish quality when a 50m free from Tommy Dunne ended up in the Cork net.

Dunne's underhit strike sailed past the attentions of Pat Mulcahy and Ger O'Grady, then evaded Cusack, and gave Tipperary an early cushion which they enjoyed for much of the half. A common feature was the frantic jostling between Cork's full-back line and the Tipp inside forwards.

The Cork trinity combined in the seventh minute to bottle up Lar Corbett, scorer of 6-9 in the previous four games, and began a move that ended with a neat score by Niall McCarthy. One to cheer the red hordes, except there weren't any - many at home watching international soccer on television.

McCarthy, Cork's centre-forward, had a good half on Aidan Butler which won't have endeared the Tipp man to the cynics who dispute his claims to the spot once graced by Mick Roche, and which has been a problem position ever since.

In the half-back line Tipp were badly hurt by the withdrawal of Eamonn Corcoran before the game, his policing greatly missed as Cork won indecent amounts of ball in the vicinity. McCarthy's point was quickly followed by one from Deane, who levelled in the eighth minute, then Tipperary moved three clear.

Cork retaliated, but the home team kept them at bay until the 24th minute when Alan Browne popped up for his now customary goal. The hard work was done by Eoin Fitzgerald, who rounded Benny Dunne and sent the ball invitingly across goal for Browne to tap home. The score put Cork in front for the first time in over 20 minutes, 1-7 to 1-6.

Four minutes later they goaled again, this time Deane volleying home after the ball was batted down in the square. Suddenly, Cork were four up but Tipperary responded well. Conor Gleeson put over a good score and a minute from the interval Kelly tore free for his first goal.

Tipperary were back in front early in the second half, points from Kelly and Brian O'Meara restoring their lead, but Jerry O'Connor tied the teams again on 40 minutes, 2-9 each. Another exchange of scores followed the earlier pattern before Kelly's two-goal intervention stunned the visitors.

The first, and his second, arrived on 45 minutes after he took a pass from Corbett and Cork hadn't fully recovered when a long delivery ran behind their defence and Kelly raced through to strike a third. Leading 4-10 to 2-10, they looked in a match-winning position.

Wayne Sherlock moved across on Kelly, relieving Prendergast, and Cork began to claw their way back. Points from Deane and O'Connell came within minutes but we had to wait for nearly a quarter of an hour for the next score when Ó hAilpín, just on as a sub, fielded in the square and kicked to the net.

Three minutes from time Kelly pointed a free to put Tipp two clear and it looked enough, but Cork put in a storming finish. Ó hAilpín's second goal came from the restart, scrambled home among a bundle of players, to put Cork back in front.

They surged into the clear in injury-time with scores from Ben O'Connor and Deane, who had two, and travelled home content in the knowledge they were now level at the summit of Division 1B with Tipperary on points.

Aside from Corcoran's late illness-led defection, Tipperary put out their strongest side and Michael Doyle's early preference for Butler was tested in the earlier stages. Butler's rival David Kennedy made a late appearance when Tipp may have felt the game was won.

Cork's surprise loss to Offaly had also prompted changes, including a recall for Cusack in goal and further renovations at midfield where O'Connell teamed up with Alan Cummins. It was a partial success; O'Connell did quite well, but Cummins went off.

A notable casualty of the Offaly defeat was Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, replaced at left half back by Tom Kenny for yesterday's tie. But it ended on a chirpy note for the Ó hAilpín family thanks to Setanta's later heroics.

SCORERS: Cork - J Deane 1-7 (0-4fs); S O hAilpin 2-0; A Browne 1-1; M O'Connell, N McCarthy 0-2 each; J Gardiner 0-1 (f); J O'Connor, B O'Connor 0-1 each. Tipperary - E Kelly 3-5 (0-3 fs); T Dunne 1-2 (all fs); B O'Meara, C Gleeson, M O'Leary, L Corbett 0-1 each.

Tipperary: B Cummins; P Maher, B Dunne; R Flannery, A Butler, B Horgan; T Dunne, C Morrissey; B O'Meara, C Gleeson, M O'Leary; E Kelly, G O'Grady, L Corbett. Subs: D Kennedy for Butler (50 mins); J Carroll for Morrissey (53); J Cottrell for Cummins (inj 57); L Cahill for O'Leary (67).

Cork: D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, P Mulcahy, M Prendergast; J Gardiner, R Curran, T Kenny; A Cummins, M O'Connell; N Ronan, N McCarthy, J O'Connor; E Fitzgerlad, J Deane, A Browne. Subs: D Barrett for Cummins (50 mins); S Ó hAilpín for Ronan (60); B O'Connor for J O'Connor (63); S McGrath for Fitzgerald (68).

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).

Match Report Courtesy of Dermot Crowe (The Sunday Independent)