McGrath Cup Quarter Final – Cork 1-14 Tipperary 0-12

Cork defeated Tipperary by 1-14 to 0-12 in the Quarter-Final of the McGrath Cup on Sunday January 11th at Clonmel Sportsfield.

Super scenic pic as @OfficialCorkGAA beat @TipperaryGAA in #McGrathCup today! @LiveGAAResults @PunditArenaGAA pic.twitter.com/XtY37Ic6rG

— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) January 11, 2015

O’Connor hits the net as Cork see off Tipperary to reach McGrath Cup semi-final

Cork 1-14 Tipperary 0-12

Report by Conor Kane for thescore.ie

A FIRST-HALF scoring exhibition by Donncha O’Connor gave Cork the foundation for a McGrath Cup win which puts them into next weekend’s semi-finals and gives panellists further opportunity to impress.

Rebel manager Brian Cuthbert welcomed the chance for “game-time” for his extended squad after this victory over home team Tipperary in a game which proved relatively high-scoring for the time of year. “It was a tough game,” Cuthbert said afterwards. “Tipp are a good physical team, they could have beaten us in the championship in Cork last year, maybe they should have beaten us. “Certainly they didn’t hold back today but sure you wouldn’t expect them to hold back. It was a case of a tough game and that’s what you want.”

After a brief flurry at the start, when George Hannigan scored after 40 seconds before a Cork player had touched the ball, Tipp quickly found themselves on the backfoot. O’Connor fired over a couple of quickfire points, added to by others by Colm O’Neill, before O’Connor stroked home a penalty after Jamie O’Sullivan was brought down in the 18th minute. That gave them a three-point lead and the scores were never any tighter than that for the remainder of the fixture.

Tipperary manager Peter Creedon described it as “a great workout at this time of year, considering we’re not back that long,” following a protracted senior club championship which only ended on St Stephen’s Day. Colm O’Neill got all four of Cork’s points after the break and they led by eight with 10 minutes on the clock. However, a late burst of scoring by Tipp, two frees by Conor Sweeney and an effort by Robbie Kiely, gave the scoreboard a respectable look.

Scorers for Cork: Donncha O’Connor 1-4 (1-0 pen), Colm O’Neill 0-7 (0-5f, 1 ’45’), Mark Collins, Dan McEoin, John Hayes 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tipperary: Conor Sweeney 0-5 (0-3f), George Hannigan, Barry Grogan 0-2 each, Robbie Kiely, Seamus Kennedy, Michael Quinlivan 0-1 each.

Donncha O’Connor and Colm O’Neill impress for experimental Cork against Tipperary http://t.co/LwDWWnztw5 pic.twitter.com/ynTSM92omg

— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) January 11, 2015

. @OfficialCorkGAA advance to the semi finals of the #McGrathCup with a 1-14 to 0-12 win over @TipperaryGAA #gaa pic.twitter.com/ZxWmwCvIY4

— Sportsfile (@sportsfile) January 11, 2015

.@OfficialCorkGAA will line up against @TipperaryGAA today in the McGrath Cup quarter final! #GAA pic.twitter.com/XVWpUOPwR9

— Sportsfile (@sportsfile) January 11, 2015

Team News

The Cork team for Sunday’s game will line out as follows –

1. Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown)
2. Stephen O’Donoghue (Ballincollig)
3. Tom Clancy (Clonakilty)
4. James Loughrey (Mallow)
5. Jamie O’Sullivan (Bishopstown)
6. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)
7. Daniel Hazel (O’Donovan Rossa)
8. Michael Cussen (Glanmire)
9. Fintan Goold (Macroom)
10. Colm O’Driscoll (Tadgh MacCárthaigh)
11. Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond)
12. John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers)
13. Dan McEoin (Ilen Rovers)
14. Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough)
15. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)

Subs
16. Ryan Price O’Donovan Rossa)
17. Michael Shields (St. Finbarr’s)
18. Padraig Hodnett (Carbery Rangers)
19. Liam Jennings (Ballincollig)
20. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
21. Kevin O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaig)
22. George Durrant (Ballincollig)
23. Fiachra Ó Deasunaigh (Bishopstown)
24. John Hayes (Carbery Rangers)

Michael Cussen and Fintan Goold continue their midfield partnership from the first round, Colm O’Driscoll gets the nod for this game at ten, while brother Kevin is rested. Dan McEoin, Ilen Rovers, lines out at corner forward. Tom Clancy, James Loughrey and Eoin Cadogan resume their defensive roles.