Mission accomplished in Munster for well balanced Tipperary hurling team
Tipp's path will be determined by Sunday's final round of matches
Their finger hovered dangerously close to the self-destruct button at times, particularly in the second half. But Tipperary eventually got the job done to beat Waterford in Sunday’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship clash at FBD Semple Stadium and progress to the All-Ireland series.
Tipp might have flirted with danger, and elimination from the Munster championship for a second successive year, but they eventually avoided an ambush by a Waterford team that performed in fits and starts. It was a deserved win. They may not have been the better team by nine points, as the 1-30 to 1-21 scoreline suggests, but they were the better team nonetheless.
In front of a shirt-sleeved, mostly shorts-wearing attendance of 28,758 in Thurles, Tipp had recovered from a hesitant start, when they fell five points in arrears, following Stephen Bennett’s goal after 12 seconds that they followed up with points from Michael Kiely, Jamie Barron and Kevin Mahony, with Jake Morris providing the sole Tipperary response during that spell. Waterford struck nine first half wides, compared to Tipp’s four.
READ NEXT: Tipperary father goes without sleep for 50 hours to protect daughter protesting outside Dáil
Ahead by three points at the halfway stage, Tipp dictated the terms of engagement early in the second half to lead by six, ten minutes into the new half. However, Waterford rebounded to score six points without reply and level the game, before Tipp pushed on again to close out the victory.
It was a performance that offered further evidence of the burgeoning talent within the ranks. Andrew Ormond followed up his scoring burst of 2-1 against Clare with another virtuoso display that earned him the man of the match award.
Aside from his other considerable talents, 19-year-old Darragh McCarthy is worth his weight in gold as a freetaker. He scored 11 points from placed balls on Sunday, a level of accuracy that’s worth comparing to the three frees that Waterford’s top scorer, Stephen Bennett, missed early in the game.
Another newcomer, corner back Robert Doyle, had Waterford dangerman Dessie Hutchinson under lock and key, restricting him to a single point, before the Ballygunner player was eventually summoned ashore five minutes from the end of normal time.
Alongside him Eoghan Connolly gave another solid display as well as scoring three points, two from long range frees, whileSam O’Farrell was seen at his best in the first half.
Oisín O’Donoghue, the hero of the Munster Under 20 final victory over Clare four days previously, came off the bench in the 68th minute to chip in with 1-1, the goal chance executed with calm authority after an assist provided by Darragh McCarthy.
The necessary balance to the youthful exuberance was provided by the experience of so many others. Jake Morris has developed into a real leader of this side, as he covered an amount of ground all over the pitch, as well as scoring four points. It was a particularly good day too for Jason Forde, with those two sublime sideline cuts, one from either side of the pitch; and other effective performers such as John McGrath, Willie Connors, Bryan O’Mara, Ronan Maher and Michael Breen.
What it all means is that a Waterford win or a draw against Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Sunday would put Tipp through to a Munster final against Limerick on Saturday June 7. A Cork victory would mean that Tipp will go into the All-Ireland series as the third placed team in Munster, with a preliminary quarter-final away to the Joe MacDonagh Cup losers - Carlow, Kildare or Laois - on June 14/15.