Tipp book passage to next stage with win over Waterford

GAA: Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 4

Tipperary 1-30

Waterford 1-21

Report: Shane Brophy at FBD Semple Stadium

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Andrew Ormond (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy 0-12 frees; Jake Morris 0-4; Oisin O’Donoghue 1-1; Eoghan Connolly (2 frees), Jason Forde (2 s-cuts) 0-3 each; Andrew Ormond, John McGrath 0-2 each; Sam O’Farrell, Ronan Maher, Sean Kenneally 0-1 each.

Waterford: Stephen Bennett 1-9 (0-7 frees); Jamie Barron 0-4; Michael Kiely 0-2; Paddy Leavey, Darragh Lyons (s-cut), Kevin Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson, Patrick Fitzgerald, Sean Walsh 0-1 each.

Tipperary confirmed their passage through to the next stage of the hurling championship after pulling away from Waterford to win by nine-points in front of 28,758 people at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Premier County can, at worst, finish no lower than third in the table but their five point return from the four games played could be enough to progress to a Munster Final if Cork fail to beat Waterford in the final round of games next Sunday, which Tipperary can now sit back and watch on with the work done.

The Tipperary starting line-up saw two changes from the win over Clare with Willie Connors starting at midfield of the injured Alan Tynan while Darragh McCarthy returned from suspension in place of Noel McGrath.

Played in sweltering conditions, Tipperary got off to a disastrous start with Stephen Bennett goaling inside twelve seconds with Michael Kiely adding a point before the first minute had elapsed.

Jake Morris opened Tipp’s account, but Waterford continued their blistering start with points from the influential Jamie Barron and Kevin Mahony. Waterford missed a couple of chances to extend the lead before Darragh McCarthy converted a seventh minute free for Tipp, one of five in the half for the Toomevara man.

Tipp eventually managed to run the dirty diesel out of the legs with Andrew Ormond, Jason Forde (sideline-cut) and Sam O’Farrell on target. It took the home side until the seventeenth minute to get on level terms with a raking long range point from Ronan Maher who was given a man-marking role on Michael Kiely throughout.

Jake Morris scored four first half points from play, one of those helping Tipp into their first lead and they stretched it to three by half time, 0-16 to 1-10, with Forde converting another sideline cut while Darragh McCarthy brought his first half free-tally to five, and John McGrath with his second in a play Tipp appeared to be denied a penalty for a foul on the livewire Ormond.

The JK Brackens clubman was outstanding, both in scoring, winning frees, and assisting for scores and his impact at centre forward helped Tipp into a 0-20 to 1-11 lead on 44 minutes.

The game was getting away from Waterford, but they responded with six points in a row in as many minutes to draw level with Tipp penalised twice for throwing the ball, helping Stephen Bennett bring his tally to 1-9 for the game.

The pressure was now on Tipp, and they responded with character once more, reeling off five points in a row with McCarthy converting three frees he won himself, one of which should have been given as a black-card penalty, but Ian Kenny was only given a yellow card.

Further points by sub Noel McGrath and Jason Forde put their side into a commanding position but Waterford stayed close and on 67 minutes just three points separated the sides when Darragh McCarthy got on a breaking ball and played on Oisin O’Donoghue to goal with his first touch just seconds after coming on as a sub.

Waterford pushed for goals in the closing eight minutes, including six of added time but Rhys Shelly was alert twice while a twelfth successful McCarthy free and points from play from O’Donoghue and fellow sub Sean Kenneally saw Tipp home to record their first back to back championship wins in six years.

Full report and analysis in this weeks Nenagh Guardian, out Wednesday.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris); Robert Doyle (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs), Michael Breen (Ballina); Bryan O’Mara (Holycross/Ballycahill), Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields); Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Eire Og), Willie Connor (Kiladangan); Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens), Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og); Jason Forde (Silvermines), John McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney), Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara).

Subs: Darragh Stakelum for Connors (47-52 blood); Noel McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney) for C Stakelum (51); Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for O’Farrell (52); Sean Kenneally (Moneygall) for J McGrath (56); Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs) for Forde (68); Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s) for Morgan (70).

Waterford: Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Iarlaith Daly; Paddy Leavey, Tadhg de Burca, Mark Fitzgerald; Gavin Fives, Darragh Lyons; Kevin Mahony, Jamie Barron, Jack Prendergast; Stephen Bennett, Michael Kiely, Dessie Hutchinson.

Subs: Patrick Fitzgerald for Mahony (46); Shane Bennett for Fives (56); Patrick Curran for Kiely (61); Sean Walsh for Hutchinson (65); Tom Barron for Daly (70+2).

Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin).