Tipperary hurlers are still standing despite late drama in Waterford
Half-time lead of 11 points wiped out at Walsh Park
It was a tough week for Tipperary hurling. The Under 20s were undone by a late Clare onslaught on Wednesday of last week at Semple Stadium and there were more end-game dramatics at Azzurri Walsh Park on Sunday. Kevin Mahony’s late sizzler frustrated what would have been a precious Tipperary win in a game where we led by 11 at half-time.
Lost leads feature prominently in our collective memory. Seamus O’Doherty reminded me of one that, perhaps, began the unwelcome tradition. In the 1955/56 league final we led Wexford by 2-10 to 0-1 at half-time but eventually lost by 5-9 to 2-14. That’s a whopping 19-point turnaround.
There have been many other dramatic swings through the decades. A snapshot selection here will suffice. The 1981 championship game against Limerick is one that still stings. We were 13 up at half-time and that stretched to 14 on resuming. Eventually we drew the match and lost the replay at the Gaelic Grounds. The famine roared on.
More recently there was the 2021 Munster final. We led Limerick by 10 at half-time but eventually lost by five. Even last year in Ennis we were 10 up at one stage but eventually got pegged back to parity before pushing ahead again in what was a season-defining game. Mind you, Clare were just one pass away from getting a late leveller that day, so the parallels with Sunday are evident.
There are lots of other examples of significant leads being surrendered, so it has become something of a county trait, a slack mindset perhaps. We certainly can’t be accused of ruthlessness.
Anyway, the first half evidence on Sunday was hugely encouraging. This was several notches above the Cork performance. The team was buzzing, the first touches were cleaner and the finishing was sharper. A lead began to open.
There was a brief sniff of goal after four minutes but Sam O’Farrell drove wide. No matter, a wide selection of scorers kept the scoreboard ticking. The four replacements on the starting fifteen – Seamus Kennedy, Sam O’Farrell, Darragh McCarthy and Alan Tynan - were all doing well. Wind backing was a factor, as was Waterford’s prodigality (10 first half wides), but there was no denying this was a spirited display by Tipperary.
Our accumulation of points was eventually supplemented by a goal. John McGrath did well to hold up the ball before nudging it out to Andrew Ormond, who beat goalie Billy Nolan from close quarters.
Unfortunately, that major was instantly cancelled by Jamie Barron’s crisp finish at the other end. Our defence got pulled apart in the build-up, which offered a hint of second half events.
However, that Deise goal was only a brief interruption to the game’s flow as Tipperary restored dominance. In the remaining 12 minutes of the half, we outscored Waterford seven-three to go in 11 up. It was a commanding first half, though Waterford were expected to up the ante on resuming.
And up it they did. We should be wary of half-time leads. Worryingly, the Tipperary energy dropped significantly on the restart as the locals began to take a grip. They started to crowd the half back and midfield areas particularly, sweeping up ball at will and launching pacey counter attacks, with runners off the shoulder. Tipperary now were struggling to win possession, with key players not getting to the pace of the game. The lead began to disappear, point by point.
We might have halted the flow on 39 minutes when John McGrath was pulled down for a penalty. However, Darragh McCarthy’s shot was poorly-hit and easily saved by Billy Nolan. It was McCarthy’s second penalty miss this season – he sent wide against Limerick in the league – and it was a crucial lapse in the context of this game.
Incidentally, should the penalty decision have resulted in a black card? That was my instant reaction but on later reflection the referee got this one right. John McGrath wasn’t in possession of the ball, so the offence didn’t qualify under the cynical foul rule.
It’s one of the many terms and conditions that surround this rule and leaves followers – even referees – confused at times. Playing rules should always be clear and unambiguous. The cynical foul rule is as clear as muddy water, especially the interpretation of a goal-scoring opportunity.
Brian Gavin’s suggestion in the Irish Examiner that the penalty decision wouldn’t have been blown as a foul anywhere else on the field has to get first prize for the most nonsensical statement of the weekend.
The penalty save was a let-off for Waterford, giving added oxygen to their second half push. And push they did, led by Stephen Bennett’s goal - and general playmaking. The lead shrank and after 58 minutes the teams were level. It got even worse as the home side went two-up; it was a thirteen-point turnaround from their interval position.
And yet, when we look for encouragement from this game it can be found in the latter stages of the contest. Despite being on the backfoot Tipperary reacted with outstanding scores from the likes of Oisín O’Donoghue, Eoghan Connolly and substitute Stefan Tobin. When Ronan Maher pointed over three minutes into injury time Tipperary went three-up and looked set for a stirring win.
But there was a final kick from Waterford in the dying seconds. As Ronan Maher tried to retreat back into defence, Billy Nolan lofted another missile into our goal area. Kevin Mahony latched onto the break and a pair of defenders failed to prevent the shot that hit the net for the most dramatic of levellers.
We experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. There was delight with Tipperary’s regained form as evidenced in the first half and again while regaining the lead near the end. However, that is counter balanced by our third quarter dip and the frustration of the late leveller.
With only six wides over the hour, Tipperary’s shooting efficiency was streets ahead of Waterford’s and that was crucial to the game. The Deise had 16 wides so their conversion ratio was poor, despite having far more shooting opportunities. Less was more in Tipperary’s case.
It was a mixed bag then for Tipperary with both positives and negatives. The second half decline is a real worry after a match where our efficiency saved the day. We may have conceded 3-24 but there were positives in defence. Doyle and Breen improved on their Cork form and Eoghan Connolly had a big game, especially the second half where his 0-4 was critical.
In the outfield area too many key players went missing in the second half. A glorious exception was Oisín O’Donoghue, scorer of 0-4 and man of the match. Since his juvenile days a Cashel friend has been telling me about this guy’s potential. And no, it’s not his dad!
John McGrath’s 0-4 was significant too; he also won the penalty and was only denied a goal by the excellent Billy Nolan after 61 minutes.
The result keeps our season alive – only just. The outcome between Limerick and Clare this weekend will be keenly watched.