Cork 2-27
Tipperary 1-26
Fintan O’Toole reports from Semple Stadium
SECOND-HALF GOALS from youngsters Shane Kingston and Michael Cahalane enabled Cork to stun Tipperary in this afternoon’s Munster senior hurling championship opener at Semple Stadium.
Despite being outsiders entering the game, Cork produced a brilliant display with Mark Ellis and Conor Lehane both in outstanding form.
Substitute Cahalane pounced for the crucial late goal in the 68th minute after he gathered a Darragh Fitzgibbon delivery to drill the ball to the net.
Tipperary reduced the deficit to two points after that but Cork finished in style with Luke O’Farrell and Seamus Harnedy sealing a four-point success.
The teams were tied at 0-15 apiece at the interval before Kingston whipped home the first goal in the 43rd minute.
But Tipperary, who had Michael Breen in excellent point-scoring form, rallied and John McGrath unleashed a bullet to the net in the 57th minute, following a sublime pass by Seamus Callanan to pick him out.
However Cork never wilted and secured a major scalp to book a semi-final clash with Waterford on 18 June.
Cork hit the opening two points of the game and that set the tone for a first-half where they matched the reigning provincial kingpins. They were grateful to see goalkeeper Anthony Nash tip a shot from Brendan Maher over the bar early in the half and then bravely block a drive from Callanan before the interval.
Youngsters Kingston and Luke Meade both hit early points to settle them while Lehane, Alan Cadogan and Horgan also raised white flags. Tipperary had no shortage of scorers themselves with Breen, Noel McGrath and Dan McCormack all showing up well.
The sides were level on 12 occasions in that high-scoring opening period before Cork made that early breakthrough after the break when Kingston profited from the spade work of Harnedy to find the net.
Tipperary faced a four-point deficit but never allowed the gap to increase further and when McGrath hit that cracking goal, they were back in front by 1-22 to 1-21.
Cork’s response was timely with Lehane and Kingston edging them back ahead, and in a frenetic finale extra-time looked a distinct possibility. Then Cahalane pounced and Cork supporters in the attendance of 30,103 were left celebrating an early summer victory.
Scorers for Cork: Conor Lehane 0-10 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65), Shane Kingston 1-4, Patrick Horgan 0-4, Michael Cahalane 1-0, Luke Meade, Alan Cadogan 0-3 each, Seamus Harnedy 0-2, Luke O’Farrell 0-1.
Scorers for Tipperary: Michael Breen, Seamus Callanan (0-4f) 0-6 each, John McGrath 1-1, Noel McGrath, Dan McCormack 0-3 each, John O’Dwyer (0-1 sideline), Brendan Maher 0-2 each, Padraic Maher, Niall O’Meara, Sean Curran 0-1 each
Cork
1. Anthony Nash (Kanturk)
4. Colm Spillane (Castlelyons)
3. Damian Cahalane (St Finbarr’s)
2. Stephen McDonnell (Glen Rovers)
5. Christopher Joyce (Na Piarsaigh)
6. Mark Ellis (Millstreet)
7. Mark Coleman (Blarney)
8. Bill Cooper (Youghal)
9. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville)
15. Luke Meade (Newcestown)
11. Conor Lehane (Midleton)
12. Shane Kingston (Douglas)
13. Alan Cadogan (Douglas)
10. Seamus Harnedy (St Ita’s)
14. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
Subs
23. Luke O’Farrell (Midleton) for Cadogan (57)
24. Michael Cahalane (Bandon) for Meade (66)
19. Lorcan McLoughlin (Kanturk) for Fitzgibbon (70)
Tipperary
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane)
4. John O’Keeffe (Clonoulty-Rossmore)
5. Seamus Kennedy (St. Mary’s)
6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
8. Brendan Maher (Borris-Ileigh)
11. Sean Curran (Mullinahone)
10. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh)
9. Michael Breen (Ballina)
12. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
13. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
14. Seamus Callanan (Drom & Inch)
15. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
Subs
25. Niall O’Meara (Kilruane McDonaghs) for Curran (51)
24. Joe O’Dwyer (Killenaule) for Kennedy (58)
17. Alan Flynn (Kiladangan) for Barrett (inj) (64)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
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And that’s why it’s the greatest game in the world… incredible stuff.
@Darragh Brennan: unbelievable! Two teams going toe to toe, no sweeper sh!t just pure hurling. Nobody gave Cork a hope but I’m sayin all week these group of lads will give tipp a right go, and that they did. Great win. Rebels Abú!!!
@Jeremy McCarthy: Spot on. Why do teams try complicate it ? Huge and badly needed win for us but no doubt Tipp will regroup.
That’s the game that shows why hurling is the best sport in the world.
Great game of Hurling
Unbelievable
What a game!!!
Magic rebels
Was at my cousins communion in Holycross, Co.Tipperay yesterday. Said up Cork to him and his brother atleast 30 times. Didn’t think they’d actually pull it off. UP THE REBELS!
@Sean o sullivan Your going soft:-)
@Seán O’Sullivan: Great to see them winning, the GAA need a strong Cork.
@john Carroll Kerry football, cork hurling. Cork football aswell but not vs Kerry. Unlike most Kerry people I have no problem with cork. My dad is from castletownbere you know. The only thing that would turn me against cork would probably be you
@Sean sullivan Thats more like it :-):-):-):-). Talk soon.
@Seán O’Sullivan: thats gas as my mother is Bere Island, never had anything but good craic with cork fans.
@Seán O’Sullivan: we don’t want any plastic fans.
@neil gooch never been to bere island believe it or not. Will have to go out on the ferry some day. The beara lads are great craic. Really friendly too. Live the place
@david I’m a plastic fan because I’m from Kerry?
Love the place*
After all the gloomy talk of last year about dull hurling, that was a cracker to start the season with. Big game for Deise against the Rebels now. Munster up for grabs. Great stuff
Well done Cork, nice to see Tipp get bate.
@ÁM: clown. Best team on the day won. Can you not enjoy the moment without digging it in. If you think tipp are out of the equation now you have another think coming.
@ÁM: why is it that when Tipp are defeated, people love to rub it in? We have only won 6 of the last 9 Munster championships. Time for someone else to win it.
@Donal Killackey: fierce chip on the shoulder there bud, no1 rubbing it in. A great game of hurling was played today and Cork were just the better side!
The young lads played out of their skin. Hon Cork.
Fully Deserved victory for Cork, in an amazing open game. But WTF Tipp, the freedom and space that Cork players had to launch attacks and get scores was just shocking. At times it looked like Cork were playing with an extra man or two, such was their space. Despite the defeat, really looking forward to Waterford v Cork semi-final!
@Hakaman: totally, didn’t seem up for the fight, tipp will still make the semi finals, possibly even a final, but can’t see them winning anything this year
@Hakaman:,tipp looked like scoring goals at the start but it didn’t continue,the pace cork have in their forwards is just frightening,give them the right ball and their unplayable,the problem is our backs aren’t great for me,should be very interesting against waterford though,cork are dangerous for everyone now,we are in bonus country already.happy days
4 teams can win MSHC this year and Tipp aren’t one of them … happy days !!
@John Ryan: almost as good as spurs winning nothin again
@John Ryan: only one team can win it
Christ, we needed that !
@Zossima: makes it even sweeter kid.
Mighty performance by Cork, showed some great heart today. Wouldn’t fancy the chances of the next team to face Tipp.
@Sam Walsh: they said that after the Galway game
@Chicken George: Perhaps so but its almost a guarantee they will be there at the business end of the championship.
@Sam Walsh: I’d agree and the stats show that the qualifiers are an easier route to the final than playing 3 games in Munster. They’ll stroll to the semi finals and should be in great shape with a settled team when they get there.
@Chicken George: playing the losers of Kilkenny and Wexford?! Hardly be a stroll now ffs!
What a game of hurling to start the season!! There’s no way that standard can be kept up!
Hon the Rebels!
Like mushrooms boy, like mushrooms.
@Colm Buckley: love it kid,the pace of that forward line is something to behold,for once it’s our backs im not too sure about.coleman looks like he has it all though,these boys will challenge in the next few years.
What a difference a year makes! Going down to Wexford last year in the qualifiers to beating reigning all Ireland champions in a real championship battle. Very encouraging!
So delighted for Cork. We had forgotten how good it feels to play well and win ❤️
No one has given cork the credit they deserved for today’s win…biased pundits like Henry shefflin saying “as good as cork played they only won by 4 points” they followed what Galway did against tipp which was they didn’t let them play…rte punditry are a joke in boyh codes unless its dublin kerry tipperary or kilkenny they do not show any other counties the respect they deserve and by the way they forget that cork have 30 all irelands…3 more then tipp!!!
Both sides contributed to a wonderful game of skill full of great scores.Cork played out of their skins and Tipp minus a few regulars could still have won it had they taken a few goal chances but the day belongs to Cork and now the challenge will be to repeat the performance against a now very happy waterford i would think!!!.
Great to see a a Cork team perform like we expect. Even if we lost that game i would have been proud of the way they approached it
Told ye
Beimíd thar n-ais,
Tiobrad Árann abú!
The best one in a row team ever ….
@Tom Gorey: at least we win one every so often
@Micheal Of course ye will Tipp and Cork are eternal!! Today Cork needed this one a bit more than ye today Corcaigh abu.
CHRIST WHAT A GAME.HAD EVERYTHIN
@Michael cunnane: spurs game?
@An_Beal_Bocht: Ye wouldn’t listen a few months ago. The league game with Kilkenny showed that Tipp were a long way short. Tipp are nowhere near the perfect team. Looks like they are still enjoying the few pints after the All Ireland with a few of em carrying a few pounds. If Galway can keep the head, it’s there for em this year.
@James Quinn: what are you talking about, who other than some in the media ever said they were a “perfect team”, sure they only barely scraped past Galway last year by a point and lucky to do so. You need to be hungry beyond belief to win 5 knockout championship matches in a row, Clare in ’97 were the last team to do it before Tipp
Seeing how cork were being dismissed so easily beforehand It came into my mind a quote I heard years ago from a kilkennyman (pat treacy radio kilkenny)when he said ,again at a time the rebels were being dismissed. ..”the time to write off cork is ….Never!”# wise words!
Hopefully cork win it now anybody bar Waterford
@42 major trophies: what’s your problem about Waterford?
Hurling at its Best! Careful rebels nothing won yet
Great game brilliant stuff by both sets of players. Hopefully it’s the first of many crackers this summer.
It’s s great win but its only one game… consistency now needed …lets keep our feet on the ground enjoy this win tonight and continue the work ahead tomorrow
Great to win, let’s win Munster 1st, hurling is cork
Nice
what a game,fairplay to our young lads,talk about stand up and fight,sums up what cork hurling and cork people are all about.
Great to see the mighty Rebels back, always such stylish hurlers , well done KK , and good to be rid of DOC and I’m not a Cork man …..
@Tom Gorey: After reviewing your comments Tom, I don’t think you’re a man at all…
Cork probably won 11 of the 14 outfield positions and yet it was a draw with 5 minutes to go…
Waterford bill beat cork and anyone else in Munster.
Cork
Proper hurling, shame there had to bo a looser.