Tipperary 1-22

Cork 0-29

JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS

BEN O’Connor was pleased to being his championship career as Cork manager with a win – but put little significance on Sunday’s result against Tipperary beyond the two points.

While plenty of the narrative around the clash at FBD Semple Stadium centred around Cork’s second-half collapse in last July’s All-Ireland final, it was not a factor in the Rebels’ preparation.

Instead, in a game that never caught fire before a crowd of 44,348, they methodically moved clear in a dominant third quarter after the first half finished 0-13 each.

‘I suppose we probably upped the workrate a small little bit,’ O’Connor said, ‘and I think there was a slight breeze helping us in the second half, which does make a difference.

‘We were winning a lot of the individual battles around us and I suppose we were playing on the front foot at that stage, where maybe at times before that we were maybe striking the ball going backwards, but we were on the front foot at that stage.’

Given that Cork’s opening two fixtures gave them Tipp and then Limerick on consecutive Sundays, extra importance was placed on the first outing. However, having the win on the board does not change O’Connor’s approach.

‘No, no change at all,’ he said.

‘Only we’ve two points in the bag. The best team in the country for the last 10 years coming to town next weekend, league champions, they're on a bit of form.

‘So look, we know we'll have to improve a lot from today, but we have a chance of doing that.

‘We'll get back to work during the week and we'll work on a few more bits and pieces and hopefully next Sunday we'll get two points.’

There was much to be happy with for Cork, not least 20 points from play for the starting six forwards, even allowing for All-Star Brian Hayes not exerting the influence he can. His St Finbarr’s club-mate William Buckley compensated with a superb debut outing, while his fellow greenhorn Barry Walsh grew into the game and played a big role as Cork pushed clear after half-time.

The Cork team pictured ahead of their Munster SHC round one clash with Tipperary in FBD Semple Stadium. (Photo: James Lawlor/INPHO)

The foundation for that was a dominance around the middle, with Robert Downey excellent at centre-back having operated in the full-back line in the opening period.

Captain Darragh Fitzgibbon excelled as Cork pushed into 0-4 to 0-1 and 0-6 to 0-3 leads, but Tipp looked to have gained a foothold as they pressured Cork’s short passing game and reeled off six points on the trot.

On 21, a lovely Cork move ended with Alan Connolly pointing to cut the gap to 0-9 to 0-7 and, with Shane Barrett coming to the fore, they had clawed their back to parity by half-time.

While Tipp sub Darragh McCarthy had a couple of early frees after his half-time introduction, Cork kept pace and good defending prevented the hosts from making any kind of a mark from play.

A super pass from Barry Walsh allowed Brian Hayes to make it 0-16 each in the 44th minute, the eighth time the sides had been level up to that stage – and the last, as Cork seized control.

Buckley continued to find space while Connolly put over good frees – an area in which Cork struggled from distance, something which can be improved upon.

Connolly’s seventh of the day, his second from play, came from a lovely Robert Downey pass on 56 and though Tipp sub Darragh McCarthy did end their drought, Cork responded through Shane Barrett, Tim O’Mahony and Buckley to lead by 0-26 to 0-17 with 11 minutes of normal time left. 

The flow of the game was best summed up by the fact that Tipp had used all five of their substitutions before Cork made one.

However, following a second McCarthy free, another Tipp sub, Sam O’Farrell, had their first two points from play of the second half and McCarthy left five in it with the clock showing 68.

Barrett and sub Alan Walsh stretched that advantage but Tipp gave themselves hope as Alan Tynan forged through for a goal and McCarthy sent over a free in injury time to give themselves a faint hope of a draw. 

Thankfully for Cork, possession was claimed from the puckout and sub Pádraig Power was fouled, with Buckley sending over his sixth point to secure the win and early points on the board.

Scorers

Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-7f, Darragh McCarthy 0-3f, Alan Tynan 1-0, Sam O’Farrell, Jake Morris, Oisín O’Donoghue, Eoghan Connolly (2f) 0-2 each, Willie Connors, John McGrath, Conor Stakelum 0-1 each. 

Cork: Alan Connolly 0-7 (5f), William Buckley 0-6 (1f), Barry Walsh, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett 0-4 each, Tim O’Mahony 0-2 (1f), Alan Walsh, Brian Hayes 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Ronan Maher, Robert Doyle, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Eoghan Connolly, Bryan O’Mara; Willie Connors, Conor Stakelum; Oisín O’Donoghue, Andrew Ormond, Jake Morris; Stefan Tobin, John McGrath, Jason Forde. 

Subs: Darragh McCarthy for Tobin (half-time), Noel McGrath for John McGrath (41), Alan Tynan for Conor Stakelum (46), Darragh Stakelum for Forde (54), Sam O’Farrell for Connors (58).

Cork: Patrick Collins; Seán O’Donoghue, Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey; Mark Coleman, Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey; Tim O’Mahony, Tommy O’Connell; Barry Walsh, Shane Barrett, Darragh Fitzgibbon; William Buckley, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes. 

Subs: Diarmuid Healy for O’Connell (59), Alan Walsh for Hayes (61), Hugh O’Connor for O’Mahony (69), Séamus Harnedy for Barry Walsh (70), Pádraig Power for Connolly (70+2).

Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).