Good afternoon and welcome to our live minute-by-minute coverage of what will hopefully be a cracker as Tipperary and Cork open the Munster senior hurling championship at Semple Stadium.
Throw-in is at 4pm.
TEAM NEWS: Here’s the Cork side as named earlier this week — Stephen McDonnell’s injury sees Mark Ellis shift to full-back for Kieran Kingston’s men.
1. Anthony Nash (Kanturk)
2. Damian Cahalane (St Finbarrs)
3. Mark Ellis (Millstreet)
4. Conor O’Sullivan (Sarsfield)
5. Lorcan McLoughlin (Kanturk)
6. Christoper Joyce (Na Piarsaigh)
7. Cormac Murphy (Mallow)
8. Daniel Kearney (Sarsfield)
9. William Egan (Kilbrin)
10. Bill Cooper (Youghal)
11. Conor Lehane (Midleton)
12. Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr)
13. Alan Cadogan (Douglas)
14. Seamus Harnedy (capt, St Itas)
15. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
TEAM NEWS: Four championship debutants in this Tipp side including John McGrath, younger brother of Noel.
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane)
4. Michael Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields)
5. Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s)
6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
8. Brendan Maher (capt, Borris-Ileigh)
9. Michael Breen (Ballina)
10. Sean Curran (Mullinahone)
11. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh)
12. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
13. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
14. Seamus Callanan (Drom & Inch)
15, John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
Earlier today, we asked who you thought would win.
More than 3,500 of you had your say — with a huge 61% going for Tipp to get the job done.
I think “manky” is the most appropriate word for today’s conditions in Thurles.
Just ask the King and Ger…
The bookies make this a four-point game in Tipp’s favour, which is no real surprise based on the league form — but there seems to be a quiet confidence among the Rebels fans. Could they pull off a shock and set up a showdown against Limerick?
Before we get underway in Thurles, there’ll be a moment of reflection for former GAA presidents Jack Boothman and Joe McDonagh.
1 min — Tipperary 0-1 Cork 0-0: Noel McGrath takes a quick sideline cut and Paudie Maher points the opening score just 30 seconds in.
William Egan, wearing the number nine jersey for Cork, has dropped in as sweeper in the early stages here.
3 mins – The first bits of pulling and dragging as Damien Cahalane and Seamus Callanan wait for a sideline on the edge of the square. Barry Kelly has a word but that’s all.
4 mins — Tipperary 0-2 Cork 0-0: John McGrath skips away from Mark Ellis and picks a pass to John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer who points.
It’s fairly lashing down now in Thurles.
5 mins — Tipperary 0-2 Cork 0-1: Alan Cadogan gets Cork up and running.
Before that passage of play, both Cormac Murphy and Sean Curran were booked for an off-the-ball tussle.
7 mins – This is all getting a little bit heated here. Cathal Barrett and Bill Cooper get tangled up, and both men grab at the helmet of the other. Cooper loses his helmet, Barrett’s jersey looks like it might have been torn, and both get yellow cards.
9 mins — More digging! This time it’s Lorcan McLoughlin who looks like he’s gets a bit of a puck in the ribs from Noel McGrath as they both watched a Tipp free sail over the heads and wide.
No quarter asked or given at this point.
10 mins — Tipperary 0-3 Cork 0-1: Seamus Callanan is up and running for championship 2016. He breaks into space and, going away from Anthony Nash’s goal, points off his right before the angle gets too narrow.
12 mins — Tipperary 0-4 Cork 0-1: Great battling by John McGrath who comes through a forest of bodies and manages to hold onto possession. Brendan Maher is waiting to receive the pass, and he fires over a point. That was all about the younger McGrath brother though — lively start to his championship debut.
15 mins — Tipperary 0-5 Cork 0-1: Super score by Seamus Callanan who peels away from Damien Cahalane and points effortlessly from what looks to be an impossible angle.
Moments before that, Seamus Kennedy got in a great block to deny Pa Horgan what looked to be a certain point.
16 mins — Tipperary 0-7 Cork 0-1: This is sensational hurling by Tipp — exhibition stuff!
First, Callanan sets up John McGrath with a sublime touch; then Bubbles adds another. Cork all at sea here and this is in danger of getting away from them.
19 mins — Tipperary 0-7 Cork 0-3: Cork won’t give it up so easily. Horgan knocks over a free and then Brian Lawton points to cut the gap to four. Can Kieran Kingston’s side build on this now?
21 mins – Another set of yellow cards, one apiece for Bubbles and for Conor O’Sullivan. Barry Kelly’s certainly consistent, that much is for sure.
22 mins — Tipperary 0-8 Cork 0-4: Bubbles lines up a long-range free and points it, but it’s cancelled out almost immediately by Conor Lehane at the other end.
24 mins — Tipperary 0-9 Cork 0-4: Once again, it’s John McGrath who’s doing some really determined battling in the channels. It looks like he’s lost out against Mark Ellis but does just enough to nick it away from the Cork full-back, and then wins the free from William Egan as he tries to make the angle to shoot. Callanan points the free.
25 mins — Tipperary 0-10 Cork 0-4: John O’Dwyer points a free from his own 65 line — he makes it look so easy.
29 mins — Tipperary 0-11 Cork 0-4: Noel McGrath steps on to the breaking ball in midfield and swings over another Tipp score.
30 mins — Tipperary 0-11 Cork 0-4: Bit of wrestling between Damien Cahalane and Seamus Callanan, and despite the Cork man’s appeals, it’s a free in to Tipp. Callanan points and there’s eight points between the sides now.
31 mins — HAWK-EYE! For the first time in a senior championship game outside Croke Park, we need technology to rule on a score. It’s Dan McCormack’s effort and Hawk-Eye rules that it would have hit the post — no score!
33 mins — Tipperary 0-12 Cork 0-5: Pa Horgan points a free to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
36 mins — Tipperary 0-13 Cork 0-5: A Cork mistake leaves Bubbles in acres of space and he points his fifth of the day.
Kieran Kingston is going to need to go to Plan B in the second half.
37 mins — Tipperary 0-14 Cork 0-5: Another for Bubbles. Tipp are punishing each and every Cork mistake here… and there are a few of those.
HALF TIME: Tipperary 0-14 Cork 0-5
Here are the first-half stats, via The Sunday Game:
Ger Loughnane on RTÉ:
Tipperary are used to the sweeper system; they’ve played it against Waterford. Cork haven’t a clue what they’re doing.
38 mins — Tipperary 0-15 Cork 0-5: Seamus Callanan buys himself a yard or two of space, and that’s all he needs to point.
39 mins — Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-5: John McGrath has been doing Trojan work to set up Tipperary scores, and this time it’s big brother Noel who benefits. Eleven points in it.
41 mins — Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-6: Pa Horgan knocks over a free.
Cork sub: Conor O’Sullivan replaced by Killian Burke.
44 mins — Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-7: Alan Cadogan weaves his way past Michael Cahill and floats a point off the upright and over the bar.
45 mins — Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-8: Another Horgan free and Cork are back within eight. They’ve been marginally the better side in a flat start to this second half.
48 mins – Chance for Conor Lehane to really ignite a Cork comeback but the wind catches his shot and it hangs right and wide.
49 mins – Confusion as Bubbles O’Dwyer wins possession and breaks towards goal… but Barry Kelly has spotted an infringement as he contested for the ball and blows for a free out.
Bubbles is confused.
50 mins — Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-9: Cormac Murphy steps up and points. It seems that Cork’s decision to abandon the sweeper has allowed them to get a bit more of a foothold here.
52 mins — SAVE! Horgan has a chance to knock over an easy free and cut the gap to six, but decides with less than 20 minutes left, he has to go for goal. His shot is at straight at Brendan Maher who saves — and Tipp are right back down the other end where they win a 65.
Will that decision prove to be crucial?
53 mins — LET OFF! Callanan lines up the 65 but sends it left and wide.
Subs: Luke O’Farrell on to replace Horgan; Jason Forde on for Noel McGrath.
55 mins — WIDE! Hawk-Eye called into action again to rule on a Michael Breen effort — but it’s just to the right of the posts. Still seven between the sides.
56 mins — Tipperary 0-17 Cork 0-9: John O’Dwyer points a 65 in difficult conditions; that’s Tipp’s first point since the 39th minute, but they’ve still kept Cork at arm’s length.
58 mins — Tipperary 0-18 Cork 0-9: Callanan knocks over another free and any threat of a Cork comeback seems to have really subsided at this point.
62 mins — Tipperary 0-19 Cork 0-9: Another Callanan free and Tipp lead by 10, but to describe this second half as flat would be a bit of an understatement.
64 mins — Tipperary 0-19 Cork 0-10: Seamus Harnedy gets his first of the day but this has been a clock-watching exercise for the last little while. Wouldn’t blame you if you turned over for the end of the golf…
66 mins — Tipperary 0-19 Cork 0-11: No advantage accruing to Cork so Barry Kelly brings play back for a free, which Conor Lehane points.
Michael Duignan reminds us that we haven’t even seen a shot on goal today, never mind a goal. Cheers.
68 mins — Tipperary 0-20 Cork 0-12: Niall O’Meara finds Jason Forde who points; Luke O’Farrell responds immediately with a long-ranger.
Nearly there now.
69 mins — Tipperary 0-20 Cork 0-13: Luke O’Farrell is still battling away for Cork and he sets up Alan Cadogan for his third of the day.
70 mins – Cork doing their best to engineer a goal opportunity and they win a free in. It’s take short quickly, but Luke O’Farrell’s drive is blocked away and Lehane snatches at the rebound to send it wide.
71 mins — Tipperary 0-21 Cork 0-13: We’re into the second of three additional minutes as Kieran Bergin adds his name to the scoresheet.
70+3 mins — Tipperary 0-22 Cork 0-13: The afternoon has been lit up by occasional flashes of brilliance and Callanan adds a lovely eighth to wrap things up.
FULL TIME: Tipperary 0-22 Cork 0-13
So that’s that. Tipperary book their place in the Munster semi-finals against Limerick after a one-sided afternoon that petered out into a bit of a non-event.
That’s hardly Tipp’s fault, mind you. They comfortably had enough in hand to win by nine points without ever stepping up from second gear.
Cork will need a good long look in the mirror before the qualifiers, you feel.
Defoe will run riot up there
@Blackie Connors: how can he run riot from the bench?
@Blackie Connors: Not Sure , Celtic still 1/5 to win the league . He is 36 BTW and scored feck all in the last few years.
@Blackie Connors: Rangers are going to go broke again at this rate.
The desperation to stop 8 in a row continues.
This should be a good signing for Rangers. He’s more than good enough for Scotland.
@Stephen Foster: yeah he’s so good for Scottish football that he will mostly sit on the bench.
We heard this before about Championship POTY joey Barton, Bruno Alves, Niko Krancjar the list could go on. They were going to boss Scottish football and all failed miserably.
@Ciaran Rice: Defoe is different quality to them players mentioned.
@irishoverseas: again, the list isn’t exhaustive.
if he’s different quality then why will he be on the bench? Defoe is 36 and has been bought to replace Lafferty as a more effective option off the bench.
@Ciaran Rice: how do you know he’s gonna be on the bench ?
@irishoverseas: Stephen Gerrards Rangers play 433 with one central striker flanked by two wingers to support attacks. He isn’t taking the place of their best player who has scored 20 goals this season. He isn’t a winger either. To play Defoe and Morelos would mean a complete change to their formation and system. I don’t see that happening.
The Rangers problem is that Morelos is the only one that scores goals and when he doesn’t play they struggle to score. Lafferty is not trusted by Gerrard and rarely gets off the bench. Defoe has clearly been brought in as an option off the bench or to replace Morelos when he is inevitably suspended or picks up an injury.
@Ciaran Rice: so sounds like a great signing then. If you need a goal in the last 30 mins not many are as great a Defoe. Id say ever club in Scotland would take him.
@irishoverseas: as I said. It might turn out to be a decent option off the bench but like the other English Journeymen who have come to the SPFL he may well be a flop.
If Celtic had signed Defoe I would be feckin livid. I also think Motherwell signing Ross McCormack is a better piece of business.
@Ciaran Rice: so when Celtic signed journey men like Robbie Keane and Craig Bellamy were you not happy or excited?
@Ciaran Rice: also Ross McCormack is joke very unprofessional look at his time at Villa
@irishoverseas: Robbie Keane and Craig Bellamy were 29 and 26 years old when they played for Celtic. Celtic didn’t win the league those years either.
@irishoverseas: look at Defoe’s time at Bournemouth. Barely kicked a ball in a year and is 36. McCormack is 30 I think and is going to a side to be a starter and who are in need of goals. He could be their answer.
Tends to score on his debut. If he gets game time he’ll do well over there.
Might be a decent option to come off the bench for The Rangers to give Morelos a rest or they are expecting to sell Morelos in this window and don’t want to have to rely on Lafferty as their main striker.
@Ciaran Rice: or just fill in when he is suspended if he ever gets one again
There are those who will say he is well past it but Ian Wright was the same age when he went to Celtic and look how that wen… Oh wait a minute. There have too many players well past their best who presume Scotland will be like shooting fish in a barrel but it does not always work out like that.
@Patrick Ryan: I had blocked Ian Wright’s signing from my memory. Was beyond woeful at Celtic.
@Ciaran Rice: Remember Dion Dublin’s 5 month spell in ’06 as Chris Sutton temp replacement.. :)
@Andy Mahony: Dublins spell was much better than Ian Wright’s. Wright was god awful. Dublin could at least come on and help see a game out and chip in with the odd goal.
Great signing. Not many managers would attracted him up there
Don’t be surprised if Moreles sold after this signing. Rangers still in desperate need of cash.
Stupid Article , Says this “Celtic, clear of Gerrard’s side at the top of the table only on goal difference, for the title.” Mentions Goal Difference and leaves out the fact Celtic have a game in hand,,,,,,,,,,,