Tipp find their best form to thrash Cork
Allianz Hurling League Division 1A Rpund 5
Cork 1-16
Tipperary 1-29
By Shane Brophy at Pairc Ui Rinn
Tipperary produced their best performance of the season to date and qualified for the quarter finals of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 in the process with a thirteen point demolition of Cork on Sunday.
Off the back of a four-day training camp in Spain, Tipperary showed no ill-effects and in fact looked much the sharper as their display was their most complete of the campaign, full of energy and crisp clinical hurling.
The sides shared the first six points but with a strong wind at their backs in the first half, Tipperary needed to build a substantial lead and would do that, reeling off seven of the next eight points with Jason Forde unerring from play and placed balls while Niall O’Meara at wing forward continued his impressive form with a strong display.
Cork improved for a spell but relied heavily on the free-taking of Patrick Horgan to keep the scoreboard ticking over but a strong finish to the half which saw Tipp rattle off five unanswered points from John O’Dwyer, Jake Morris and three from Jason Forde helped the visitors into a 0-16 to 0-6 half time lead.
The wind wasn’t the reason for the ten point margin as Tipperary proved after the break as despite Patrick Horgan converting an early 65, Michael Breen responded with his second point (finished with six) before Jason Forde benefitted from a Damien Cahalane error to first to the net on 40 minutes to put Tipp in firm control.
Despite the win getting stronger, Tipp only managed to get better as their use of the ball flummoxed an out of sorts Cork side who were chasing shadows for much of the second period and by the 54th minute, the margin was out to 19 points (1-25 to 0-9) by the time Cork were reduced to fourteen men when Seamus Harnedy was sent off for striking James Barry.
The dismissal sparked Cork into a little life as their subs helped put some respectability on the scoreboard while Aidan Walsh managed to get in for a goal on 59 minutes.
Tipp’s best chance of a second half goal came from Patrick Maher whose shot was saved by Anthony Nash with Jake Morris’ rebound also blocked.
The only blemish on the performance was the ankle injury picked up by Jason Forde on 58 minutes which forced the Silvermines man off following a haul of 1-13.
The win coupled with Wexford’s victory over Kilkenny sees Tipperary finish in fourth place in division 1A and now progress to a quarter final against division 1B winners Dublin next weekend with Tipp having home advantage by virtue of having played only two home games so far with Dublin having played three.
MATCH DIGEST
Man of the Match: Jason Forde (Tipperary)
SCORERS – Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-7 (5 frees, 1 65); Conor Lehane 0-4; Aidan Walsh 1-0; Alan Cadogan, Bill Cooper, Luke Meade, Robbie O’Flynn, Mark Coleman, Shane Kingston 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Jason Forde 1-13 (0-8 frees, 0-1 65); Michael Breen 0-6; Seamus Callanan 0-3 (1 free); Niall O’Meara, Jake Morris 0-2 each; Noel McGrath, John O’Dwyer, John McGrath 0-1 each.
TEAMS – Cork: Anthony Nash; Darren Browne, Damien Cahalane, Stephen McDonnell; Christopher Joyce, Tim O’Mahony, Eoin Cadogan; Cormac Murphy, Bill Cooper; Dan Dooley, Seamus Harnedy, Aidan Walsh; Patrick Horgan, Conor Lehane, Alan Cadogan.
Subs: Shane Kingston for A Cadogan (33 inj); Mark Coleman for E Cadogan (HT); Luke Meade for Dooley (HT); Robbie O’Flynn for Murphy (52); Jack O’Connor for Walsh (70+3).
Tipperary: Paul Maher; Cathal Barrett, James Barry, Joe O’Dwyer; Ronan Maher, Padraic Maher, Robert Byrne; Noel McGrath, Michael Breen; John McGrath, Seamus Callanan, Niall O’Meara; John O’Dwyer, Jason Forde, Jake Morris.
Subs: Patrick Maher for Forde (58 inj); Alan Flynn for Joe O’Dwyer (60 inj); Barry Heffernan for O’Meara (64); Mark Kehoe for Callanan (68).
Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)
Full report and analysis in Wednesday's Nenagh Guardian