Dublin made the short trip back home knowing that they had a league final place within their grasp and let it slip. They led Cork by as many as 12 points at one stage, were nine up at the break, and even as Cork forced the contest, still held a six-point advantage inside the last 10 minutes.
The resurgent Cork did have the breeze at their back in the second half but Dublin should have been able to close the game out. While Cork picked off points, the Dubs’ wide count mounted — they finished with 15 — and it proved costly. Whether or not there is any psychological damage remains to be seen.
Still, this was a far cry from the 11-point embarrassment handed out in HQ last month. Dublin played like a team out to prove that that was an aberration and succeeded. That will provide some solace as they prepare for their championship opener against Galway.
2. Cork dig it out again
As much as Dublin threw it away, Cork once again played like a team who simply don’t know when they are beaten. They came from six points down to turn over Wexford in the quarter-finals, and on Sunday they outscored Dublin by a brilliant 1-6 to 0-2 in the last 10 minutes.
Paudie O’Sullivan’s goal was a game-changer, and Jimmy Barry-Murphy will be delighted by a surge in which leaders put their hands up all over the park.
There are plenty of issues still to be addressed, not least in defence. Damien Cahalane had a nightmare afternoon trying to contain Mark Schutte; he was given an absolute roasting before the latter was moved out deeper to get him on more ball.
Cork came into the game conceding an average of 22 points to their opponents. They allowed Dublin 29 today, and while they still found a way to win, it’s a dangerous game to play.
3. Waterford reaching their Championship pitch
Waterford’s excellent spring campaign is now definitely in bonus territory after they came back from the concession of two early goals to rattle Tipp. The top priority was always to secure promotion — which they did without losing a game — and by beating Galway and now Tipp in knockout hurling, they’ve shown that they can mix it with the big boys.
Today they showed that they’re more than just “the Donegal of hurling” and were able to fight their way back from a seven-point deficit in the first half.
They only managed 1-7 from play, but there were 11 frees in Pauric Mahony’s 0-13 total and plenty of those were won by sheer bloodymindedness in hounding Tipp in possession and foraging dirty ball.
'Bonner' Maher tackled by Tadhg de Burca. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
4. Flat Tipp only have themselves to blame
When Bubbles O’Dwyer rattled in Tipp’s second goal to make it 2-2 to 0-3 after 14 minutes, you would have put your house on the Premier men seeing out a comfortable win. While taking nothing away from Waterford’s dogged performance, Tipp will have to ask themselves why that didn’t happen.
They were, Eamon O’Shea admitted afterwards, quite flat. There was an awful lot of frustrated shooting in the second half as Waterford smothered attacks, and it’s no surprise that eight of their 12 wides came after the break.
It’s not the end of the world by any means but this was a stuttering performance that resembled the defeat to Dublin on opening weekend more so than the side which has impressed since.
Maurice Shanahan leads the Waterford celebrations. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
5. Back to the future
So it will be Cork and Waterford to contest the 2015 Allianz National Hurling League final in a fortnight’s time, most likely in Semple Stadium. For any Cork fans who believe in lucky omens, it’s a repeat of the 1998 decider, the last time Cork won the league title — and also when they were managed by Jimmy Barry-Murphy.
It will tee us up nicely for the start of the Championship season as well. These two will have a five-week break between the league final and the Munster semi-final — where they meet again on 7 June.
Dubs let it slip, Waterford send a warning - 5 talking points from the hurling league semis
Updated 21.45
1. Disappointed Dubs let it slip
Dublin made the short trip back home knowing that they had a league final place within their grasp and let it slip. They led Cork by as many as 12 points at one stage, were nine up at the break, and even as Cork forced the contest, still held a six-point advantage inside the last 10 minutes.
The resurgent Cork did have the breeze at their back in the second half but Dublin should have been able to close the game out. While Cork picked off points, the Dubs’ wide count mounted — they finished with 15 — and it proved costly. Whether or not there is any psychological damage remains to be seen.
Still, this was a far cry from the 11-point embarrassment handed out in HQ last month. Dublin played like a team out to prove that that was an aberration and succeeded. That will provide some solace as they prepare for their championship opener against Galway.
2. Cork dig it out again
As much as Dublin threw it away, Cork once again played like a team who simply don’t know when they are beaten. They came from six points down to turn over Wexford in the quarter-finals, and on Sunday they outscored Dublin by a brilliant 1-6 to 0-2 in the last 10 minutes.
Paudie O’Sullivan’s goal was a game-changer, and Jimmy Barry-Murphy will be delighted by a surge in which leaders put their hands up all over the park.
There are plenty of issues still to be addressed, not least in defence. Damien Cahalane had a nightmare afternoon trying to contain Mark Schutte; he was given an absolute roasting before the latter was moved out deeper to get him on more ball.
Cork came into the game conceding an average of 22 points to their opponents. They allowed Dublin 29 today, and while they still found a way to win, it’s a dangerous game to play.
3. Waterford reaching their Championship pitch
Waterford’s excellent spring campaign is now definitely in bonus territory after they came back from the concession of two early goals to rattle Tipp. The top priority was always to secure promotion — which they did without losing a game — and by beating Galway and now Tipp in knockout hurling, they’ve shown that they can mix it with the big boys.
Today they showed that they’re more than just “the Donegal of hurling” and were able to fight their way back from a seven-point deficit in the first half.
They only managed 1-7 from play, but there were 11 frees in Pauric Mahony’s 0-13 total and plenty of those were won by sheer bloodymindedness in hounding Tipp in possession and foraging dirty ball.
4. Flat Tipp only have themselves to blame
When Bubbles O’Dwyer rattled in Tipp’s second goal to make it 2-2 to 0-3 after 14 minutes, you would have put your house on the Premier men seeing out a comfortable win. While taking nothing away from Waterford’s dogged performance, Tipp will have to ask themselves why that didn’t happen.
They were, Eamon O’Shea admitted afterwards, quite flat. There was an awful lot of frustrated shooting in the second half as Waterford smothered attacks, and it’s no surprise that eight of their 12 wides came after the break.
It’s not the end of the world by any means but this was a stuttering performance that resembled the defeat to Dublin on opening weekend more so than the side which has impressed since.
5. Back to the future
So it will be Cork and Waterford to contest the 2015 Allianz National Hurling League final in a fortnight’s time, most likely in Semple Stadium. For any Cork fans who believe in lucky omens, it’s a repeat of the 1998 decider, the last time Cork won the league title — and also when they were managed by Jimmy Barry-Murphy.
It will tee us up nicely for the start of the Championship season as well. These two will have a five-week break between the league final and the Munster semi-final — where they meet again on 7 June.
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