McGrath Cup Semi Final – Tipperary 1-12 Waterford 2-8

Tipp boss relishing test against Kerry as final date switched

By Jackie Cahill for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Tipperary 1-12 Waterford 2-8 (After extra-time)

The McGrath Cup final between Tipperary and Kerry looks set to be brought forward by 24 hours to Saturday, January 26. Tipperary have agreed to a request from Kerry to switch the game as Kingdom boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice is due to play for Finuge against Monasterevin in next Sunday’s All-Ireland Club IFC semi-final. Tipp are happy to accommodate them as it gives their players an extra day to prepare for the Allianz Football League opener against Carlow on Sunday week, February 3.

Tipp, fresh from their shock victory over Cork a week before, booked their place in a second successive final with a hard-fought victory over Waterford at a bitterly cold Sean Treacy Park yesterday. In a dour struggle, the hosts needed extra-time to see off a Waterford side rocked by the early losses of centre back Shane Briggs and midfielder Tommy Prendergast, both through injury. Briggs limped off with a knee problem in the 23rd minute and Prendergast was gone two minutes later, suffering with a groin complaint. At half-time, Tipp led 0-4 to 0-3 as Barry Grogan, scorer of 1-6, contributed all of the home side’s scores.

Eight minutes from time, wind-assisted Waterford poached the game’s opening goal from Paul Whyte but Tipp rallied to force extra-time as Brian Fox fisted over the equaliser. The sides were deadlocked at the end of 70 minutes, 0-10 to 1-7, but it seemed Waterford would snatch victory when sub Liam Ó Lionain scrambled home a goal on the stroke of half-time in extra-time. But Tipp rallied again and after Darren Lowry rattled the crossbar with a fisted effort, Grogan palmed Hugh Coghlan’s centre from the right touchline to the net in the 83rd minute.

There were no further scores in the remaining seven minutes and Tipp held on to set up a dress rehearsal for next May’s Munster SFC clash against Kerry. Fitzmaurice’s outfit will start as favourites to claim a third McGrath Cup title in four seasons but Tipp boss Peter Creedon is relishing the challenge. The Cork native said: “We’ll approach it the same way – trying to get the most out of the players we have. We may not train as hard this week as we have for the previous couple of weeks.” Creedon admitted that yesterday’s game was a dour affair but a heavy recent training schedule may have contributed to that. Creedon revealed: “We trained very hard this week and played DIT on Friday night. I think some of the lads’ legs were heavy but we showed a great bit of spirit to win it.”

Waterford boss Niall Carew reflected: “I was pleased enough but when you lose your centre back and midfielder, you’re always going to be playing catch-up. But in fairness to the boys, they responded well and we were always going to hit a flat spot for 10 or 15 minutes until we regrouped because they’re pivotal in our system. Our boys kept going and you always have a threat with the Hurneys. Shane Ahearne came into it as well. I was pleased with the performance.”

Scorers for Tipperary: B Grogan 1-6 (0-3f), B Fox 0-3, L McGrath, H Coghlan & C McDonald 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: L Ó Lionain & P Whyte (0-1f), 1-1 each, G Hurney 0-4f, S Ahearne (f) & T Grey 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; A Morrissey, P Codd, J Coghlan; C McDonald, S Kennedy, J O’Callaghan; G Hannigan, L Egan; C Sweeney, A Matassa, B Maher; L McGrath, P Quirke, B Grogan.

Subs: H Coghlan for Matassa (ht), B Fox for O’Callaghan (ht), B Jones for Sweeney (53), S O’Brien for Quirke (58), A Campbell for Kennedy (70+2), D Lowry for Maher (78).

WATERFORD: S Enright; J McGrath, S Prendergast, C Phelan; T Grey, S Briggs, J Hurney; T Prendergast, S Ahearne; P Whyte, P Hurney, M O’Gorman; D Guiry, G Hurney, G Nugent.

Subs: S O’Hare for Briggs (inj, 23), R Cahill for T Prendergast (inj, 25), L Ó Lionáin for Cahill (56), A Brophy for J Hurney (68), S Dempsey for O’Hare (77), D Grey for O’Gorman (87).

Referee: E Walsh (Kerry)

Team News

The Tipperary senior football team to play Waterford in the McGrath Cup semi-final on Sunday at Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary Town at 2pm is as follows:

1. Paul Fitzgerald (Fethard)

2. Andrew Morrissey (Galtee Rovers)

3. Paddy Codd (Killenaule) Captain

4. John Coghlan (Moyne Templetuohy)

5. John O’Callaghan (Ballyporeeen)

6. Seamus Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials)

7. Alan Campbell (Moyle Rovers)

8. George Hannigan (Shannon Rovers)

9. Steven O’Brien (Ballina)

10. Conor Sweeney (Ballyporeen)

11. Aldo Matassa (Clonmel Commercials)

12. Bill Maher (Kilsheelan Kilcash)

13. Liam McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney)

14. Philip Quirke (Moyle Rovers)

15. Barry Grogan (Aherlow)

The Waterford Football team to play Tipperary on Sunday is as follows –

1 Stephen Enright Ballinacourty

2 Tadgh O Huallachain An Rinn

3 Stephen Prendergast Killrossanty

4 Conor Phelan Brickey Rangers

5 Tony Grey Stradbally

6 Shane Briggs Ballinacourty

7 Ronan Cahill Rathgormac

8 Tommy Prendergast Killrossanty

9 Sean Dempsey Colligan

10 Conor McGrath Brickey Rangers

11 Paul Whyte Killrossanty

12 Maurice O Gorman The Nire

13 John Wall Colligan

14 Patrick Hurney Ballinacourty

15 Gavin Nugent Rathgormack

For the Record

Fixtures and Results

Preliminary Round

Saturday January 5^th

@ Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney       Kerry 4-22 IT Tralee 0-10

Sunday January 6^th

@ Miltown-Malbay                            Clare 1-19 LIT 1-2
@ Cork IT GAA Grounds                 Cork 1-15 CIT 0-10

Quarter-Finals
Sunday January 13^th

@ Foynes                                          Limerick 2-16 Clare 2-13 (after extra time)

@ Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney       Kerry 2-12 UCC 0-10

@ Pairc Ui Rinn                                Tipperary 2-9 Cork 1-9

@ WIT GAA Grounds Carriganore Waterford 0-16 University of Limerick 0-12 (after extra time)

Semi-Finals (Extra time)

Sunday January 20^th

@ Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney                   Kerry v Limerick                                            @ 2:00pm

@ Sean Treacy Park Tipperary Town        Tipperary v Waterford                                   @ 2:00pm

Final (Extra time)

Sunday January 27^th

Kerry or Limerick v Tipperary or Waterford

Venue Permutations

@ Tipperary venue                           Kerry v Tipperary (last meeting – 2010 S-Final in Killarney)
@ Limerick venue                             Limerick v Tipperary (last meeting – 2007 Q-Final in Cahir)
@ Waterford venue                           Kerry v Waterford (last meeting – 2010 Q-Final in Killarney)
@ Limerick venue                             Limerick v Waterford (last meeting – 2004 S-Final in Ardmore)

McGrath Cup Senior Football – Odds and Ends

Since 2000, Kerry have won 13 of their 15 matches (a 87% success rate – best of any county). In the same period, Cork’s McGrath Cup success rate is 85% with 17 wins out of 20 in the competition.

In the 7 games to date in the 2013 McGrath Cup, there has been an average of 2.3 goals per game. This compares with 2.4 goals per match in 2012 and 1.4 goals per match in 2011.

The record of the Third Level Colleges in the McGrath Cup since entering in 2005 is Won 21, Lost 49 (30% success rate). None of the six colleges have a winning record in the competition during that period. UCC have the best record, winning 7 of their 16 matches (44% success rate) while UL have won 5 of their 13 matches (38% success rate).

Since 2011, the record of Third Level Colleges when playing an Inter-County team in the McGrath Cup is Won 2, Lost 16 (11% success rate)

Kerry have not lost a match in the McGrath Cup since the 2006 final where the Kingdom lost to Cork by 1-9 to 0-6 at Pairc Ui Rinn.

Limerick footballers have won 2 of their last 7 matches in the McGrath Cup. Waterford have won 2 of their last 6 matches.

Tipperary is the only team to have won at least 1 match in the last 4 years of the McGrath Cup with a 70% record during that period, Won 7 Lost 3.

McGrath Cup Senior Football Roll Of Honour

Clare (12) – 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2008

Cork (6) – 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Limerick (5) – 1985, 1987, 2001, 2004, 2005

Tipperary (3) – 1989, 1993, 2003

Kerry (3) – 1996, 2010, 2011

Waterford (1) – 1981

London (1) – 1988

Visit the Munster GAA web site History section to view the complete Roll of Honour since the competition began in 1981 – https://munster.gaa.ie/history/mcgrath-cup-football/

McGrath Cup

Presented by Joe McGrath on June 21st, 1981 for the promotion of Senior Football in Munster

McGrath Cup – 2013 Scorers