Team captains Liam Kelleher, left, and Cathal O’Reilly with referee Seaghan Walsh ahead of their Electric Ireland Munster SHC clash.
Electric Ireland Munster MHC round 1
Tipperary 1-19 Cork 2-12
Clare 0-22 Waterford 0-13
By Stephen Barry
A lightning-fast start in a downpour earned Tipperary a hard-fought four-point victory over Cork in their Munster MHC opener.
The hosts’ electric full-forward line of Eoghan Doughan (0-6, 5 frees), Stefan Tobin (0-5), and Cillian Minogue (1-2) combined for 1-13 before Tobin’s injury-enforced replacement Aaron Cagney picked off three points to seal the win.
As Semple Stadium reopened for business after a period of remedial works, Tipp were totally dominant under the dropping ball and used that platform to build a 1-11 to 1-3 lead by the 25th minute.
Eye-catching centre-forward Euan Murray won three long puck-outs for a 0-3 return, converting two himself and winning a free for the other. Tobin added three points, with one low-trajectory shot threatening a goal as it fizzed just over.
Their goal arrived in the seventh minute with Minogue dispatching the sliotar to the net after Killian Cantwell had a shot saved.
Tipp won 13 of the 17 puck-outs Cork sent long in the first half but from the four they did retain, the Rebels mined two goals.
The first came 40 seconds after Minogue’s strike. Cormac Deane, son of Cork icon Joe, won an almighty scrap for possession and Mark O’Brien skidded his shot to the bottom corner.
The second came just as Tipp’s lead had been pushed out to eight. O’Brien’s initial shot was somehow taken off the line by Toby Corbett but Luke Murphy followed in. Three further points from O’Brien (1-5) cut the half-time deficit to two, 1-11 to 2-6.
Cork, managed by John Meyler, continued their scoring streak to 1-5 on the spin to level but Tipp, led by Tobin, responded with three of their own.
In a low-scoring second half, Cagney made the key impact. He was involved in all five points after his introduction, scoring three, while fellow substitute Jack O’Brien responded with a pair.
Meanwhile, All-Ireland champions Clare were 0-22 to 0-13 victors over Waterford in the earlier game at Cusack Park.
The Banner established their advantage in the first half, going in 0-13 to 0-7 ahead at half-time.
Marc O’Brien tallied 0-8 (7 frees) and Harry Doherty clipped 0-3 among 10 different scorers.
Top scorers for Waterford were Mark Hartley 0-6 (4 frees) and Jack Power, who contributed three points off the bench.