Tipp’s next wave is encouraging despite final defeat in Celtic Challenge Final

GAA: Electric Ireland Celtic Challenge Hurling – Division 1 Final

Cork White 1-17

Tipperary Gold 0-15

Report: Michael Dundon at FBD Semple Stadium

Cork White outplayed Tipperary Gold in the second half to capture the Celtic Challenge Under 17 Hurling Division 1 title on Saturday, a goal at the start of the last quarter tipping the scales irrevocably in their favour.

Six finals in this development competition for fringe players on their county minor sides were decided on Saturday with the Tipp v Cork clash topping the bill.

In the quarter-finals, Cork White defeated Tipperary’s other combination, Tipp Blue, with Tipperary Gold ousting Cork Red in their quarter-final. Tipperary then knocked Kilkenny out in the semi-final with Cork eliminating Limerick to set up an all Munster clash in the final.

After a disappointing year at minor level, it was most encouraging to see the two Tipperary teams reach the knock-out stages of this competition, and while there was disappointment that Tipp Gold did not win the Michael Hogan Cup, the overall picture reflects the healthy state of underage hurling in the Premier County.

With the breeze behind them Tipp set the early pace and were 0-6 to 0-2 ahead after fifteen minutes. Liam Dunphy hit two frees with points also coming from Cathal Kennedy, Donncha Quigley, and a Paul Cahalan brace.

It wasn’t that Tipp were dominating. Cork had five wides in the period, and they also saw a goal by Ben Geary cancelled in the 21st minute, an unheard referee’s whistle stopping play before the Geary strike. The pointed free was some consolation.

A further brace of Geary pointed frees had the Cork lads just one adrift (0-5 to 0-6), but the home county finished the half well with Liam Dunphy twice on target from frees and Denis O’Callaghan also finding his range for an interval lead of 0-9 to 0-5 for the Tipp boys.

It was a decent advantage but the wides tally, ten for Cork to three for Tipp shows the Lee-siders were very much in the frame.

Cork dominated the third quarter, outscoring Tipp five points to one, Cormac Shanahan registering the home side’s only score of the period with Cork drawing level at 0-10 each.

Tipp were clearly in trouble, and it seemed inevitable that the visitors would take the honours as they began to find space in attack against a tiring and over-worked Tipp defence.

The big moment in the game came after 46 minutes when a lengthy puck-out by Cork goalkeeper Adam Lee was misjudged by a Tipp defender allowing Cork’s Denis Murphy the space to race through on goal and finish confidently to the net.

To the Tipp lads credit, they did not fold. Liam Dunphy pointed three frees, between which Shane Murtagh had a Cork point, to leave Tipp just one adrift with eight minutes to play. But then Cork hit a purple patch and in five minutes hit five points for a six point lead (1-16 to 0-13) with three minutes left.

Again, Tipp responded, two points from Eoghan Hickey leaving four between them in injury time, but Cork never lost their composure and had the last say with a pointed free by their star forward Ben Geary to seal the win, much to the delight of their vociferous following.

This was Tipperary’s second defeat in their six match-campaign. They lost their opening game to Galway but subsequent wins over Dublin and Derry got them to the quarter-finals where they beat Cork Red before going on to account for Kilkenny in the semi-final.

While outright success was the object of the exercise, the campaign afforded the mentors the opportunity to blood young talent in a championship-like environment and while the ultimate prize eluded them, Tipp can be happy that there is a healthy conveyor belt of young players coming along, especially after this year’s disappointing minor campaign.

Captain Daniel McKelvey and Niall Delaney were rock-solid in the home defence while Denis O’Callaghan worked hard at midfield. Liam Dunphy’s free-taking was the primary source of Tipperary scorers with Donncha Quigley and sub Eoghan Hickey others to catch the eye.

Cork were deserving winners and had they been sharper in front of goal early on, the margin would have been greater. They were unbeaten on their path to the final and had a distinct edge on Tipp in the second half which they duly translated into scores. Corner forward Ben Geary got the Man of the Match award but in Dean Murphy, Cian Galvin, Finn Connaughton, Rian O’Connell, and Dave Barry they had other very influential players.

TEAMS - Cork White: Adam Lee; Dave Barry, Rian O’Connell, Liam Cregan; Josh Brosnan, Cian Galvin, Finn Connaughton; Ryan Cronin, Jarliott Cullimore; Gavin O’Callaghan, Shane Murtagh, Evan McGuicken; Ben Geary, Denis Murphy, James Naughton.

Subs: Callum Griffin for Cullimore (HT); Rowan Moran for McGuicken (49); Scott Dunlea for Murtagh (56); Matt Kenny for O’Callaghan (57); Kevin Long for Cronin (58); Conor Dennehy for Brosnan (60).

Tipperary Gold: Euan McGee (Cahir); Kyle Culley (Cashel King Cormacs), Conor Kennedy (Boherlahan-Dualla), David Rabbitte (Borris-Ileigh); Daniel McKelvey (Silvermines, Capt), Niall Delaney (JK Brackens), Cormac Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs); Michael Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Dennis O’Callaghan (Cashel King Cormacs); Liam Dunphy (Roscrea), Jack Bevans (Borris-Ileigh); Donnacha Quigley (Arravale Rovers), Cathal Kennedy (Borris-Ileigh), Cormac Shanahan (Newport).

Subs: Johnny Grace (Burgess) for Cully (23); Eoin Webb (Durlas Og) for Cathal Kennedy (38); Eoghan Hickey (Holycross/Ballycahill) for Ryan (51); Cody Quirke (Toomevara) for Bevans (51); Jason O’Sullivan (Cashel King Cormacs) for Quigley (59).

Referee: Eamon Stapleton (Limerick).