Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship – Cork 2-16 Tipperary 2-12

O’Sullivan and Sexton lead Rebels’ second-half surge

Cork 2-16 Tipperary 2-12

By Fintan O’Toole for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Monday, May 30, 2011

CORK’S production line at intermediate hurling level continues to be in fine working order as evidenced by this victory over Tipperary in yesterday at Semple Stadium. Cork were All-Ireland champions two years ago and it was only at the final stage that they came unstuck against Kilkenny last season. Their aspirations of an extended run this year received an early boost as they clinically dispatched a Tipperary team who failed to benefit from a new ruling that allowed them to draw on players from senior clubs. Pat Kenneally’s Cork team performed impressively in the second-half as they took control of a game that had been delicately balanced at the interval when Tipperary lead 1-8 to 1-7. Indeed but for a late Tipperary rally that saw substitute Liam Dwan strike a goal and Johnny Ryan rifle over a free, Cork’s ultimate winning margin would have been greater.

The visitors starting 15 was sprinkled with players from recent U21 teams and the youthful streak through their side was reflected in their dynamic second-half play. The half-forward line of David Drake, Michael O’Sullivan and Colm Casey always posed a danger and contributed a combined total of 2-7. In defence captain Ross Cashman gave a dominant display while midfielder Maurice Sexton was heavily involved throughout. Cork started brightly and raised the game’s opening green flag in the ninth minute when O’Sullivan bundled home after an incisive run by Jamie Wall. That left Cork ahead by 1-2 to 0-2 and the relentless accuracy of Sexton from placed balls ensured Cork lead 1-5 to 0-5 by the 20th minute.

However Tipperary enjoyed their best spell of the match before the interval. Joey McLoughney and Johnny Ryan started to dictate matters in their sectors and up front the Tipperary attack began to cut open the Cork rearguard. Their efforts were rewarded in the 27th minute when Phillip Austin surged through, offloaded to Phillip Ivors who booted to the net. An excellent point by Johnny Ryan capped Tipperary’s comeback as they overhauled Cork to lead 1-8 to 1-7 at the break. Indeed Tipperary’s position could have been embellished further had they not been wasteful in front of goal in the closing stages of the half with Daragh Hickey and Austin both spurning opportunities to grab valuable goals.

In the second-half Cork upped the tempo. Drake, O’Sullivan and Brian Corry snapped over quick points and their fortunes improved significantly when Seamus Corry floated in a ball that broke kindly for Casey whose drive into the far corner of the net propelled Cork ahead by 2-10 to 1-8. Tipperary’s response was points by substitute Brian Fox and Ivors. That would prove to be as close as they got to Cork though. Tony Murphy, Sexton, Drake and Casey all helped Cork string together a superb run of points and by the 55th minute they were 2-16 to 1-11 to the good. Tipperary’s late scoring spree proved immaterial as Cork advanced to a semi-final meeting with Clare.

Scorers for Cork: M O’Sullivan 1-2, M Sexton 0-5 (4f), C Casey 1-1, D Drake 0-4 (0-1 sideline), T Murphy 0-2, J Wall, B Corry 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tipperary: P Ivors 1-2, L Dwan 1-0, R McLoughney (2f), J Ryan (1f) 0-2 each, J McLoughney, T Stapleton (f), P O’Dwyer, D Hickey, E Sweeney, B Fox 0-1 each.

CORK: D McCarthy; J Carey, R Cashman, S White; T Healy, M Ellis, S Corry; B Corry, M Sexton; D Drake, M O’Sullivan, C Casey; J Wall, T Murphy, B Lawton.

Subs: B Withers for White (half-time), E Conway for O’Sullivan (60).

TIPPERARY: J Logue; A Byrnes, G Hannigan, K Maher; J Moloughney, T Stapleton, R Sherlock; J Ryan, P O’Dwyer; D Hickey, W O’Dwyer, P Austin; E Sweeney, P Ivors, R McLoughney.

Subs: B Fox for P O’Dwyer (27), D O’Brien for Austin (40), D O’Brien for W O’Dwyer (47), L Dwan for R McLoughney (50), T Dalton for Ivors (55).

Referee: D O’Driscoll (Limerick)

MUNSTER IHC QUARTER-FINAL

CORK…………………………2-16 TIPPERARY………………… 2-12

By Noel Horgan at Semple Stadium, Thurles for the Corkman newspaper

A WHIRLWIND start to the second half did much to pave the way for Cork’s victory over Tipperary in the opening round of the Munster intermediate hurling championship at Thurles last Sunday. Although they appeared to be in a good position at the interval, trailing by just a point after playing into a strong wind, Cork must have been a little concerned at the manner in which Tipp transformed a four-point deficit into a one-point lead towards the end of the opening period. It suggested that the Premier County men were beginning to build up a bit of steam, and that Cork might have their work cut out to regain the initiative on the turnover.But the Rebels hit the ground running after the break, knocking over three delightful points before an opportunist goal from Colm Casey put them firmly back in the driving seat where they remained until the finish.

In the end, they weren’t flattered to run out winners by four points, and their victory was all the more creditable considering Tipp were allowed to call upon players from senior clubs this year. Afterwards elated coach Pat Kenneally described it as a remarkable victory over what amounted to Tipp’s second-string senior side, adding that it was more satisfying than anything achieved last year when Cork lifted the Munster title during his first season at the helm. ” We were effectively playing Tipp’s ‘B’ senior team, and just to compete with them was a thrill for our lads. In fairness, they rose to the occasion in great style, and what pleased me most was that the vast majority of them performed to their potential.” Kenneally said the key factor in Cork’s highly impressive display was that they played a very direct brand of hurling. ” You don’t have the opportunity to get the players together as often as you would like at this level which makes it difficult to develop a gameplan built on fancy teamwork. “So, it was just a case of keeping it simple, letting the ball do the work, and it brought results today, especially when we had the wind to our backs in the second half,” he remarked.

Cork settled quickly, drawing first blood courtesy of a point from full forward Tony Murphy within seconds of the throw-in, and they received a major boost when centre forward Michael O’Sullivan finished a cross from corner forward Jamie Wall to the net in the 9th. minute. That made it 1-2 to 0-2, and Cork were still a goal to the good after 24 minutes, with excellent ‘keeper Darren McCarthy saving well from Tipp centre forward Willie O’Dwyer at that juncture. It was 1-7 to 0-6 after Jamie Wall tacked on a point a minute later, but Tipp, with Eoin Sweeney shaping up well at cornerforward, and Thomas Stapleton stamping his authority at centre back, raised the tempo before half-time. It took an expert bit of hooking on the part of Cork corner-back Stephen White to prevent Tipp midfielder Paudie O’Dwyer from getting in a shot at goal in the 26th minute, and two minutes later Darren McCarthy proved his worth again to deny wing forward Darragh Hickey.

In between, however, McCarthy could do nothing to prevent Tipp’s Philip Ivors from rattling the net after the intervention of wing forward Philip Austin had foiled an attempt by Cork’s Stephen White to clear the ball out of the danger-zone. Add in the fact that Tipp had accumulated eight wides, seven more than Cork, in the first half, and it would be fair to say they were full value for a 1-8 to 1-7 lead at the break. Still, Cork had looked the more convincing side during the opening 20 minutes when Maurice Sexton gave them an edge at midfield, and Seamus Corry stood out on the left flank of a defence in which Mark Ellis and especially Ross Cashman were others to impress at centre back and full-back respectively.

With Sexton continuing to show up well and Brian Corry thundering into the picture, Cork gained a firm grip at midfield on the resumption, and a spell of fairly persistent pressure yielded a hattrick of sublime points shared by David Drake, Michael O’Sullivan and Corry inside 37 minutes. Shortly afterwards, Corry-taking a pass from his brother Seamus, who was my man-of-thematch – delivered a long ball in around the square where Colm Casey, having ghosted behind the Tipp cover, was on hand to finish it to the net from close range. Casey’s strike made it 212 to 1-10, and, while Tipp quickly replied with a quick brace of points, Cork never really looked back in the wake of it. As John Carey, moved on to Evan Sweeney before halftime, put the shackles on Tipp’s chief danger-man, the Cork rearguard grew in stature, while the decision to move Colm Casey to the ‘ 40 also brought results as he kept Thomas Stapleton fully occupied in the second half. With David Drake to the fore too at wing-forward, Cork turned on the power to build up a seemingly unassailable 2-16 to 1-11 lead by the 55th minute. Tipp’s hopes were rekindled by a goal from substitute Liam Dwan two minutes later, but the Cork defence stood firm, conceding just one more point in an exciting finish.

Scorers CORK: M O’Sullivan 1-2, M Sexton 0-5, 0-4 frees, C Casey 1-1, D Drake 0-4, 0-1 sideline), T Murphy 0-2, J Wall and B Corry 0-1 each

TIPPERARY: L Dwan 1-0, P Ivors 0-3, R McLoughney 0-2 frees, D Hickey, T Stapleton, free, P O’Dwyer, E Sweeney, B Fox, J McLoughney and J Ryan 0-1 each

CORK: D McCarthy (Ballymartle), J Carey ( Dripsey), R Cashman (Kilbrittain), S White (Ballygarvan), T Healy (Buttevant), M Ellis (Millstreet), S Corry (Ballymartle), B Corry(do.), M Sexton (Kilbrittain), D Drake (Carrigaline), M O’Sullivan (Tracton), C Casey (Inniscarra), J Wall (Kilbrittain), T Murphy (Carrigaline), B Lawton (Castlemartyr). Subs: B Withers ( Banteer) for White, E Conway (Fr O’Neill’s) for O’Sullivan

TIPPERARY: J Logue, A Byrnes, G Hannigan, K Maher, J McLoughney, T Stapleton, R Sherlock, J Ryan, P O’Dwyer, D Hickey, W O’Dwyer, P Austin, E Sweeney, P Ivors, R McLoughney. Subs: B Fox for P O’Dwyer, R Ruth for Austin, D O’Brien for W O’Dwyer, L Dwan for R McLoughney, T Dalton for Ivors

REFEREE: D O’Driscoll (Limerick)

Team News

The Tipperary Intermediate hurling team to play Cork on Sunday at 1.45pm in Semple Stadium includes George Hannigan and Philip Austin, both of whom played against Kerry in the Munster senior football championship last weekend, former senior hurling panellists Alan Byrnes, Thomas Stapleton, Daragh Hickey and Evan Sweeney, and goalkeeper from last year’s All Ireland under-21 winning team, James Logue. The team is captained by 2006 All Ireland minor winning captain, Joey McLoughney from Toomevara.

1. James Logue (Ballingarry)

2. Alan Byrnes (Shannon Rovers)

3. George Hannigan (Shannon Rovers)

4. Kevin Maher (Lorrha and Dorrha)

5. Joey McLoughney (Toomevara) Captain

6. Tomas Stapleton (Templederry Kenyons)

7. Ronan Sherlock (Silvermines)

8. Johnny Ryan (Drom and Inch)

9. Paudie O’Dwyer ( Éire Óg Annacarty Donohill)

10. Daragh Hickey (Boherlahan Dualla)

11. Willie O’Dwyer (Carrick Davins)

12. Philip Austin (Borrisokane)

13. Evan Sweeney (Loughmore-Castleiney)

14. Philip Ivors (Ballingarry)

15. Ray McLoughney (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

The Cork Intermediate Hurling team to play Tipperary on today at 1.45pm in Thurles will line out as follows:

1. Darren McCarthy

Ballymartle

2. John Carey 3. Ross Cashman 4. Stephen White

Dripsey Kilbrittain Ballygarvan

5. Tadhg Healy 6. Mark Ellis 7. Seamus Corry

Buttevant Millstreet Ballymartle

8. Brian Corry 9. Maurice Sexton

Ballymartle Kilbrittain

10. David Drake 11. Michael O’Sullivan 12. Colm Casey

Carrigaline Tracton Inniscarra

13. Jamie Wall 14. Tony Murphy 15. Brian Lawton

Kilbrittain Carrigaline Castlemartyr

Captain: Ross Cashman

Subs:

16. Ciaran Cronin Lisgoold

17. Eoin Conway Fr O’Neills

18. Eamon Brosnan Meelin

19. Maurice O’Sullivan Ballyhea

20. Seamus Harnedy St Itas

21. Barry Coleman Ballyhea

22. Brendan Withers Banteer

23. Chris O’Donovan Valley Rovers

24. Dessie Fitzgerald Charleville