Tipp 20's Footballers find groove to progress to next stage

Tipperary had far too much craft for a disappointing Waterford side in their Munster Under 20 Football Championship Phase 1 Round 3 clash

GAA: EirGrid Munster Under 20 Football Championship Phase 1 Round 3

Waterford 0-8

Tipperary 5-13

Report: Liam Hogan in Lemybrien

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Orrin Jones (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Waterford: Sam Pender 0-5 (4 frees); Mikey O’Brien 0-2 (1 free, 1 45), Michael O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Orrin Jones 2-6 (1-0 pen, 0-3 frees); Shane Ryan 1-2; Michael Freaney, Conal Grogan 1-0 each; Sean O’Meara 0-2; Charlie King, Thomas Charles 0-1 each.

Entering the game with a three points on the table following their draw with Limerick and two point win over Clare, Tipp needed at least a draw against Waterford to ensure a place in Phase 2.

Tipp’s performances so far were just above average while Waterford came in to the game on the back of a satisfactory day out against Limerick where many suggest they might have won thus keeping them on track to make the next phase against Cork and Kerry.

The idea of overconfidence was well and truly cast to one side according to Tipperary manager Niall Fitzgerald.

“Waterford are a proud county, and they could have got a result against Limerick,” he began.

“They were not going to come down here and let us play football. We were expecting a fight and it was important to start well and I was delighted with the start we got.”

Lemybrien, the home of Kilrossanty GAA, was in splendid condition but a little heavy underfoot as Tipperary got the start their manager alluded to when racing into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead after eighteen minutes. The brilliant Orrin Jones was the mainstay with three points (2 frees) with team captain Charlie King scoring the other as he was afforded the luxury of vacating his wing back position.

The goal was a little fortunate. Jones soloed in from the left wing and his powerful left foot was low and well saved by Waterford goalkeeper Diarmuid O Mathuna, but the ball fell into the path of an alert Shane Ryan who toe-poked to the net from the edge of the small square.

The scoreline suggested a one-sided affair. In fairness, Waterford enjoyed much possession, but they came up against a resolute Tipp defence where Sean O’Meara, Darragh O’Brien, and Charlie King led the charge and provided great cover for the inside backline where Jack O’Neill was prominent. The only negative was the amount of frees conceded with Waterford winning fourteen.

“It was a lot” admitted the Tipp manager.

“While the field looked good, it is quiet a heavy field. You have that in games and it’s something we will have to work on.”

As Waterford continued to threaten the Tipp goal the strong breeze in their faces was another hindrance and their wides tally increased by the minute reaching eight by half time with three frees sent wide by Sam Pender and Kyle Moloney.

The Tipp full backline of Eoin O’Connell, Mark Corcoran and the tigerish Jack O’Neill were almost flawless until the 21st minute when Waterford’s Aidan Mansfield was left unmarked on the edge of the small square, but Tipp goalkeeper Robbie McGrath was quickly off his line to quell the danger. Once the ball reached the other end it was as if the Red Sea had parted as Waterford spent the last ten minutes on a failing expedition as they conceded 1-5 with the impressive Michael Freaney scoring the goal in the 26th minute as the Waterford defence were not alert to a quick side-line ball.

Freaney and midfielder Joe Higgins impressed, and their high fielding was a real feature as Tipp set off into the sunset in the second half as they defended their 2-9 to 0-1 half time lead which quickly increased to seventeen points after Conal Grogan scored Tipp’s third goal after an assist by Shane Ryan.

Whether it was a case of job done or a little bit of overconfidence, the Tipp team took a back-seat as Waterford began to gather scores in the third quarter when scoring five without replay as Sam Pender (3 frees) and Mikey O’Brien from a 45 and Michael O’Sullivan scored with the latter scoring Waterford’s first point from play in the 48th minute to make it 3-9 to 0-6.

By then, Tipperary had begun to empty their bench and they upped the gears as Orrin Jones had the premier’s fourth goal in the 53rd minute. Two Sam Pender frees either side of a successful Daithi Hogan free brought the game towards the hour mark. Three minutes off added time was signalled but Tipp wanted more, and they sealed the win with a fifth goal as the impressive Orrin Jones scored a penalty in injury time. Jones was part of a full forward line that scored 4-8 with the Arravale Rovers clubman scoring 2-6 with Conal Grogan 1-0 and Shane Ryan 1-2.

“It was a problem as we felt we were not direct enough against Limerick,” added the Tipp manager of their scoring threat.

“We tried to improve that against Clare but today we stepped up a level. It was Shane Ryan’s first day. He wasn’t in the first twenty-four against Limerick. He made a fantastic start and was excellent all through.

“As a group we were disappointed with how we started the campaign. We truly believed there was more in us. There were signs of improvement against Clare down in Quilty. That was a tough game. But we dug it out. Today was a more proficient performance.”

Tipperary will join Kerry, Cork and Clare in Phase 2 for another round robin series and Fitzgerald was looking forward to the challenge.

“I was one of the many people calling for a competition like this. We get three more championship games. We feel we have improved as we have gone along each game and we hope to improve further as we enter the next phase,” he said.

TEAMS - Waterford: Diarmuid O Mathuna (6); Stephen Roche (6), Sean Byrne (6), Ronan O’Connell (6); Callum Sloan (6), Tommy Martin (7), Shane Power (6); Michael O’Sullivan (6), Sean O’Rourke (6); Rory Fennell (6), Mikey O’Brien (7), Sam Pender (7); Aidan Mansfield (6), Kyle Moloney (6), David Butler (6).

Subs: Tommy Fennell (6) for Fennell (38); John Bruton (6) for Mansfield (41); Mark Power (6) for S Power (46); Fionn O Murchu (NR) for O’Connell (57).

Tipperary: Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers 6); Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan 8), Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney 7), Mark Corcoran (Clonmel Commercials 7); Charlie King (Ballina, Capt, 6), Sean O’Meara (Grangemockler/Ballyneale 7), Darragh O’Brien (Aherlow 7); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials 8), Eoin Doocey (Arravale Rovers 7); Thomas Charles (Clonmel Commercials 7), Joseph Lawrence (Rockwell Rovers 6), Michael Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash 8); Orrin Jones (Arravale Rovers 9), Conal Grogan (Galtee Rovers 7), Shane Ryan (Ardfinnan 8).

Subs: Daithi Hogan (St. Patricks 7) for Grogan (39); Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers 6) for Lawrence (49); Ben Carey (Ballylooby/Castlegrace 6) for Doocey (51); Tommy O’Connor (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 6) for Ryan (54); Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers 6) for O’Brien (54).

Referee: Niall Quinn (Clare).