Jake Morris of Tipperary in action against Kieran Bennett of Waterford during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 3 match between Waterford and Tipperary at Walsh Park in Waterford. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 3
WATERFORD 3-21 TIPPERARY 1-27
By Stephen Barry at Walsh Park
Noel McGrath embraced Liam Cahill in a bear hug at full-time as Tipperary produced a last-gasp comeback to reignite their Munster Championship prospects with a draw in Waterford.
In front of 11,966 fans, these sides played out a classic contest with 52 scores from 24 different players.
The Déise looked to have made the winning move when Jack Prendergast’s point left it 3-21 to 0-26 with three minutes of added time remaining.
Tipp were hunting a goal and they found it when Jake Morris’s shot was saved but fell for Seánie Kenneally to force across the line.
They needed one more point. Conor Bowe and Darragh Lyons traded wides as the tension mounted. It came down to a gutsy Alan Tynan run down the heart of the defence and when James Owens signalled a free in, Gearóid O’Connor did the rest.
A point apiece and both will hope a point closer to qualification.
Six days on from their 15-point demolition in Limerick, Tipp came with an unrecognisable performance.
Cahill made three late changes to his team, with Cathal Barrett, McGrath, and full debutant Darragh Stakelum in for Johnny Ryan, Willie Connors, and Seán Hayes. Davy Fitzgerald stuck with the line-up that downed Cork.
There was drama from the off as Michael Kiely was dragged down in front of goal and Stephen Bennett dispatched his second penalty in back-to-back games. Dessie Hutchinson added a point to make it 1-1 to no score.
But Tipp were well up for the fight and found their rhythm with three points on the trot, two from midfielder Eoghan Connolly.
Waterford would lose their full-back Conor Prunty to injury early on, with Jack Fagan coming on and Mark Fitzgerald dropping back to the edge of the square.
Fagan would tee up consecutive points for Neil Montgomery and Kieran Bennett but Tipp would land five of the next six to push 0-10 to 1-5 ahead.
Michael Breen and Ronan Maher launched long-range missiles from defence and Jake Morris turned over a short puck-out for another white flag.
Waterford were testing the Tipp defence, though. Barry Hogan closed down Jack Prendergast and cleared a dangerous dropping shot from Jamie Barron, while Mark Kehoe was blocked down by Kieran Bennett at the other end.
In the 28th minute, the hosts regained the lead. Hutchinson picked out Prendergast all alone on the right flank to fire low to the net. 2-7 to 0-10.
Two Jason Forde frees cut the gap to the minimum but Calum Lyons, as he did against Cork, registered the final score of the half. 2-8 to 0-12.
Tipp resumed with the first four points of the second half to snatch the lead as McGrath grew in influence and Stakelum landed his first. There was also a fourth point for Kehoe, who was effective in leading the attack.
Hogan saved a Stephen Bennett shot but was pinged for lying on the sliotar. From the 21-yard free, Hutchinson swept the ball to the unmarked Bennett to bounce a powerful strike to the net. Waterford back ahead, 3-8 to 0-16, with 43 minutes on the clock.
After Morris briefly levelled, the hosts would maintain a slender lead until the 66th minute, led by Hutchinson’s scoring plus points from replacements Fagan and the fit-again Shane Bennett.
But Morris and Kenneally would bring the sides level, 3-16 to 0-25, with four minutes remaining.
Waterford’s ball-winners stood up at the key moment. Shane Bennett and Kiely caught puck-outs for Patrick Curran and Hutchinson (free) to point. Calum Lyons and Curran burst forward again to push them four ahead.
John McGrath and Prendergast swapped scores before the Tipp burst arrived in the nick of time.
Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett 2-3 (1-0 pen); Dessie Hutchinson 0-6 (3f); Jack Prendergast 1-1; Calum Lyons 0-3; Patrick Curran 0-2; Kieran Bennett, Darragh Lyons, Neil Montgomery, Michael Kiely, Jack Fagan, Shane Bennett 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tipperary: Seánie Kenneally 1-1; Gearóid O’Connor (3f), Mark Kehoe 0-4 each; Jason Forde (2f), Jake Morris 0-3 each; Ronan Maher (1f), Eoghan Connolly, Alan Tynan, Noel McGrath 0-2 each; Michael Breen, Darragh Stakelum, Patrick Maher, John McGrath 0-1 each.
WATERFORD: Shaun O’Brien; Kieran Bennett, Conor Prunty, Iarlaith Daly; Calum Lyons, Tadhg de Búrca, Mark Fitzgerald; Neil Montgomery, Darragh Lyons; Jack Prendergast, Michael Kiely, Jamie Barron; Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Bennett, Kevin Mahony.
Subs: Jack Fagan for Prunty (7, inj), Shane Bennett for Mahony (51), Peter Hogan for Montgomery (58), Patrick Curran for Stephen Bennett (64).
TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; Cathal Barrett, Michael Breen, Craig Morgan; Conor Bowe, Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara; Eoghan Connolly, Alan Tynan; Noel McGrath, Gearóid O’Connor, Darragh Stakelum; Jake Morris, Mark Kehoe, Jason Forde.
Subs: Patrick Maher for Forde (51), Willie Connors for Connolly (54), John McGrath for Noel McGrath (56), Seánie Kenneally for Stakelum (64), Dan McCormack for O’Mara (68).
Referee: James Ownes (Wexford).