Deise goal blitz downs Tipp

GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Phase 1 Round 2

Waterford 3-3-5 (20)

Tipperary 0-2-10 (14)

Report: Michael Heverin at Pairc Naomh Brid, Lemybrien

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Dara Gough (Waterford)

SCORERS – Waterford: Dara Gough 1-9 (1x2play, 2x2frees, 3 frees), Rian Hallahan 2-0, Shay Healy, Peter Murray 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Danny Cashin 0-4 (1x2free, 1 free, 1 ‘45), Conor O’Meara (1 free), Hugh Carolan (1x2play) 0-3 each, Cillian Morrissey 0-2 (1 free), Evan Lonergan, Reuben Grace 0-1 each.

Three Waterford goals in four first half minutes decided the outcome of this high-intensity Munster Minor Football Championship clash on Easter Monday, but a spirited response in the second half gave Tipp a championship lifeline.

Trailing by twelve points at the interval, 3-8 to 0-5, the Tipperary challenge could have folded completely on the turn-around, but they were the better team in the second thirty minutes when they outscored the Deise 0-9 to 0-3. They were still six points behind at the final whistle but left the field with still something to play for.

Just like their under 20 counterparts three nights earlier, they needed at least one goal to really kickstart their revival but again the Waterford defence held solid. It was a troubling weekend for Tipperary underage football with Waterford coming out well on top in both the under 20 and minor showdowns.

Tipp need to beat Clare away next Monday, and hope that Waterford beat Limerick, to keep their hopes alive of progressing to the next phase on score difference.

Tipp trailed 3-4 to 0-2 midway through the first half. Waterford emulated their under 20 counterparts with fast transition and quick breaks through the centre. Tipp were passive and disjointed.

Man of the match Dara Gough put the home side three points up inside as many minutes from a free and then a superb two pointer from play. Tipp goalkeeper Danny Cashin opened his side’s account from a free in the sixth minute – the Killenaule player ended up as his side’s top scorer – but things were to get decidedly worse for the Blue & Gold.

Tipp midfielder Cian Cahill was sin-binned for a trip and Waterford exploited their extra player in devastating fashion. Ronan Kirwan set up Rian Hallahan in front of goal and although Cashin nearly saved the shot, it had too much power and ended up in the net. From the kickout, Waterford regained possession and Gough burst through to give Cashin no chance with a piledriver.

Tipp briefly interrupted the home side’s flow when Reuben Grace put Conor O’Meara through for a point, but Waterford responded again, Gough pointing a free and then when an Aidan McMaugh shot came back off the crossbar, Hallahan was alert to pick up the rebound and beat Cashin for his second goal.

Just fourteen minutes gone and it was already an eleven points game, 3-4 to 0-2. But Tipperary heads never dropped and two great points in a row, from Conor O’Meara near the touchline, and Cillian Morrissey from the other side, gave them hope.

But Waterford upped the tempo again – Gough pointed a free for a breach, then kicked a monster two pointer free from outside the 45 metre line, before Tomás Walsh put Shay Healy through for their last score of the half. Another fine Tipperary point from Reuben Grace was their last score of the half.

Cashin from a 45, and Peter Murray when on an advantage, shared the first two points of the second half, but the Waterford score in the 35th minute was their second last of the game.

Hugh Carolan kick-started Tipp’s best spell of the game when the Moyle Rovers man hit a lovely two pointer, and when Evan Lonergan, Conor O’Meara from a free, Carolan again and Cillian Morrisey from a free followed up with four in a row, the margin was down to six points, 3-9 to 0-12, with ten minutes left to play.

There was an urgency to the Tipp play, with Nicholas Walsh, Oisín McCarthy and Conor Hurley pushing up from the back, but hopes of a shock comeback were stifled when their nemesis Dara Gough, kicked a two point free, when on a rare second half attack they drew a Tipp foul to push the lead out to eight again.

Four minutes of added time gave Tipp some hope and the outstanding Conor O’Meara – along with Carolan and Morrissey, one of the best performers in the Tipp attack – won a late free, Cashin kicked a two pointer that will probably mean more in score difference than it made on the outcome of the game.

TEAMS – Waterford: Jack Sheehan; Arlo McManus, James Skehan, Cian Power; Shay Healy, Eoin McNamara, Liam O’Grady; Theo Meagher, Tomás Walsh; Enda Bloomer; Aidan McMaugh; Peter Murray; Dara Gough; Rian Hallahan, Ronan Kirwan.

Subs: Eoin Keane for O’Grady (47), Charlie Kelly for Walsh (52), Darragh Hutchinson for Murray (56), Caolan Johnston for McNamara (56), Eoin Lavery for Hallahan (60+2).

Tipperary: Danny Cashin (Killenaule); Nicholas Walsh (Cashel King Cormacs), Oisín McCarthy (Moyle Rovers), Oisín O’Reilly (Clonmel Óg); Colin Maher (Cashel King Cormacs), Evan Lonergan (Emly), Conor Hurley (Moyle Rovers); Cian Cahill (JK Brackens), Aidan O’Callaghan (Portroe); Tadgh Dunlea (Ballylooby/Castlegrace), Reuben Grace (Galtee Rovers), Hugh Carolan (Moyle Rovers); Cillian Morrissey (Moyle Rovers), Sam Gallahue (Portroe), Conor O’Meara (Grangemockler/Ballyneale).

Subs: Jack Donnelly (Golden Kilfeacle) for Maher (23), Eoin O’Connell (Aherlow) for Dunlea (27), Charlie Brazil (Aherlow) for Gallahue (38), Rory Dunphy (Clonmel Commercials 7) for Grace (60).

Referee: Eoin Keane (Clare).