Munster Senior Hurling Championship

TIPPERARY 2-20 CORK 1-23

By Denis Hurley at Semple Stadium, Thurles

Substitute Jake Morris earned Tipperary their first point of the Munster SHC round-robin as his injury-time equaliser secured a draw against Cork at Semple Stadium on Sunday.

In a pulsating game, Cork looked to have done enough to secure a second straight win as late points from Séamus Harnedy and Shane Kingston (two) gave them a cushion following an excellent Tipperary fightback.

When Anthony Nash saved brilliantly to deny John O’Dwyer a goal, it looked as if it wouldn’t be Tipp’s day, but points from Jason Forde and John McGrath gave them hope. Even still, the equaliser looked to be elusive as Seán O’Donoghue blocked down O’Dwyer and Noel McGrath shot wide, but at the very end, Morris – with his first touch – fired over after Cork uncertainty. After a brief wait for clarification from the score-adjudication system, the point was awarded and that was that.

Cork had begun at a break-neck pace, with seven unanswered points inside 14 minutes as they operated at a tempo that Tipp couldn’t deal with. Daniel Kearney, nominally wing-forward, was everywhere, chipping in with two points while captain Séamus Harnedy had three and was fouled for another, the free converted by Patrick Horgan.

In the midst of all of that, Tipp should have had a goal with one of their few cohesive attacking movements. Séamus Callanan’s good crossfield ball found John McGrath on the run and he fed Patrick Maher, but while most of thee 22,456 in attendance prepared for the net to dance, Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash pulled off a wonderful save.

However, Nash could do nothing to drive Jason Forde’s drive on 14 after he picked up a loose ball when Patrick Maher was blocked down, and quick points in the wake of that from Brendan Maher and Noel McGrath left just two in it all of a sudden.

When a Horgan shot was waved wide after consultation, Patrick Maher reduced that gap to just on after winning the puckout, but Cork came stronger again.

They reeled off another five points in a row, Shane Kingston really coming to the fore with two points from searching deliveries, while Harnedy, Horgan and Kearney continued their impressive output.

After Noel McGrath’s second left it 0-13 to 14, Kingston struck for a Cork goal. When he won the ball from a Nash puckout, he exchanged passes with the ever-lively Darragh Fitzgibbon and, though he looked to have been dispossessed as he came in from the left, he managed to get his shot in, beating Brian Hogan from a narrow angle.

The nine-point advantage still pertained at half-time, Cork 1-15 to 1-6 to the good, but Tipp – with John O’Dwyer on – responded strongly at the outset of the second half, putting together five points in a row, three from Forde with the McGrath brothers getting one each.

Horgan ended Cork’s drought with a free after he had been fouled himself and Conor Lehane got on the scoresheet after Luke Meade had blocked down a Séamus Kennedy clearance.

When the next four points were shared, Cork looked to have settled again, but a good Tipp move ended in a second goal, O’Dwyer and Forde feeding Noel McGrath for a good low finish across Nash.

Bill Cooper moved Cork four in front again but Tipp were coming. Nash had to be quick off his line to deny O’Dwyer a shot, however points from Forde (65), O’Dwyer and John McGrath (two) had the home side level by the 60th minute.

That was how it finished, but not without plenty more twists and turns in the final 10 minutes.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 1-6 (4fs, 265s), Noel McGrath 1-3, John McGrath 0-5, Brendan Maher, Billy McCarthy, Patrick Maher, Séamus Callanan, Jake Morris, John O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

**Scorers for Cork: **Shane Kingston 1-5, Séamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan (2fs) 0-5 each, Daniel Kearney 0-4, Bill Cooper, Conor Lehane 0-2 each.

TIPPERARY: Brian Hogan; Seán O’Brien, Séamus Kennedy, Michael Cahill; Joe O’Dwyer, Ronan Maher, Pádraic Maher; Brendan Maher, Billy McCarthy; Patrick Maher, Noel McGrath, Dan McCormack; Séamus Callanan, Jason Forde, John McGrath.

Subs: John O’Dwyer for Patrick Maher (HT), Jake Morris for Callanan, Ger Browne for McCarthy (both 70).

CORK: Anthony Nash; Seán O’Donoghue, Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane; Mark Ellis, Christopher Joyce, Mark Coleman; Darragh Fitzgibbon, Bill Cooper; Luke Meade, Conor Lehane, Daniel Kearney; Séamus Harnedy, Shane Kingston, Patrick Horgan.

Subs: Brian Lawton for Meade (54), Tim O’Mahony for Kearney (59), Jamie Coughlan for Kingston (70).

REFEREE: John Keenan (Wicklow).