Darragh McCarthy's stunner seals Munster Final win for Tipp U20s in dramatic final

O’Neills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship Final

Tipperary 1-19

Cork 0-21

Darragh McCarthy has written his name into Tipperary underage folklore with an outrageous winner to give Tipperary an incredible win over Cork in a nail-biting O’Neills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship Final in TUS Gaelic Grounds.

A Cork equaliser with 30 seconds left of the four added minutes in the second half seemed to indicate that this one would be going into the small hour of Friday evening but the Toomevara man had other ideas and hit an incredible winner from the open stand side under immense pressure, time standing still as it just about had the legs to drop over the bar and signal victory for Brendan Cummins and his team.

What a way it was to win a final that was incredibly close throughout and what a response it has been from Tipperary’s underage teams to the turmoil being suffered at senior level, and it will be a huge tonic and uplift for the county going into the winter months.

Reminiscent of the minor final on Monday, this game had a similar pattern in that Cork were wary of the Tipperary goal threat having conceded three in the round-robin game in Thurles earlier in the month, and it was a case of keeping the space between the 21 and 45 with Ben Currivan and Cillian Tobin playing the free role.

In what was probably one of the only one-on-one contested balls into the corner in the whole first half, Oisin O’Donoghue found his team’s opener as the Cashel King Cormacs man started in at corner forward, pointing very well on the run.

Like a broken record, this was cagey stuff from the off and it continued as such with the majority of the scores early on coming from distance with Darragh McCarthy and Jack Leahy frees along with points from Sam O’Farrell and Ciaran Foley for Tipp and Diarmuid Leahy for Cork keeping the teams level at 0-4 apiece after 11 minutes.

The loss of Paddy McCormack to Tipperary was undoubtedly a big blow to Brenda Cummins but his loss wasn't so keenly felt in the first quarter due to the influence of his replacement Ciaran Foley who hit two further points to add to his first in the 11th minute; profiting from brilliant puck-out catches from first Conor Martin, and then Oisin O’Donoghue as Tipp went into a 0-7 to 0-5 lead after 16 minutes.

However, Cork had ball winners of their own causing hassle in the next five or so minutes with Hugh O’Connor continuing his effectiveness from the Clare game (which was his first appearance of the year) and it led to Cork reeling off the next four points in a row up to the 21st minute with Jack Leahy (two, one free), Diarmuid Healy and a hard-earned Ben Walsh reversing the advantage; the Rebels up 0-9 to 0-7 now.

The game was crying out for something to jolt it into life as both sets of supporters were eager to see something to get behind, and that didn’t materialise but Tipp finished the half well and took a slender lead into the break with Sam O’Farrell hitting a lovely second to start the scoring sequence with Darragh McCarthy bagging two frees in the final minutes to put Tipp one to the good at 0-10 to 0-9. A very tight second half is in store for all in attendance.

You could sense a score either way was going to win this game and it looked even more likely after the break with Cork hitting three of the first four points going the way of Ben O’Connor’s men with William Buckley hitting his first along with Diarmuid Leahy and Barry Walsh, all coming around a very well taken point from Oisin O’Donoghue. Cork ahead and rising their game big time.

Darragh McCarthy had been hitting his frees well in the first half but was yet to make a telling impression from play, but that all changed early in the second half when Sam O’Farrell teed him up for a first in the 36th minute and that was quickly followed with a super effort off his right a minute later to regain the lead for his side.

The aforementioned O’Farrell was becoming very prominent and the Nenagh man hit his third of the game to open a two-point lead soon after, but a bigger moment came from the resulting puckout; Cork going short to Cillian Tobin who was turned over by Darragh McCarthy and with Senan Butler gathering the ball and feeding Oisin O’Donoghue on the overlap, the Cashel man made no mistake to goal and put Tipperary in a great position with 20 to go.

However, the drama was far from finished with Cork storming back into contention, taking over the restarts and running into space countless times in the final quarter, and even allowing for some very wasteful shooting by the Rebels, they had the game back to a point with team captain Darragh O’Sullivan leading the way with two class efforts.

Tipperary were struggling to keep possession from their own restarts as the Cork half-back line kept coming out with the ball, but Darragh McCarthy won and converted two important frees in the next ten minutes which kept Tipp’s noses in front; along with Cork wides which were well into double digits at this point.

Cork though were relentless at this stage and they were threatening in a big way with their hard runners and were keeping the game close as Tipp managed to get back into a two-point lead coming up to injury time; McCarthy again drawing a free to convert. Tipp ahead 1-18 to 0-19.

Four minutes of added time went up on the fourth officials board now and it was loads of time for Cork to pull back the deficit and they did just that although it could have been worse for Tipp.

Ross O’Sullivan made it a one-point game in the 62nd minute but the equalising score could easily have been a goal for Cork; Diarmuid Healy broke in behind with a path to goal and as he turned inside to get his shot off, Adam Daly did the sensible thing and dragged him down to give Cork an easy free to level, but stopping a certain goal chance.

William Buckley floated over that levelling free but the drama wasn’t done. With 30 seconds left, Eoin Horgan lumped his puckout to the open stand side into a mosh pit of bodies and somehow, Tipperary shooter Darragh McCarthy found room to fire a no-look shot off his left to send the Tipperary supporters wild and despite Cork having a late sideline cut to try and manufacture a chance, they couldn’t breach the Tipp defence as the referee blew the final whistle to massive celebrations from the Tipperary faithful.

It really is a massive win for Tipperary but they will have to thank a big shot of poor officiating in the 45th minute with Tipp two up, as a long-range point from Cork dropped short to Eoin Horgan and replays have suggested that the Knockavilla netminder actually played the ball off the roof of the net. Umpires failed to spot it and Tipp scrambled the ball out of danger but that could have been crucial to Cork at the time and they will feel aggrieved as a result.

Regardless, the day belongs to Brendan Cummins, his management, and of course, the players who have won the Munster crown and can now look forward to a highly anticipated rematch with Offaly in the All-Ireland Final Saturday week in UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.

Scorers: Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy (0-10, 0-7f), Oisin O’Donoghue 1-2, Ciaran Foley, Sam O’Farrell 0-3 each, Senan Butler 0-1.

Cork: Jack Leahy (0-6, 0-4f), Diarmuid Healy 0-3, William Buckley (0-3, 0-1f), Darragh O’Sullivan, Ross O’Sullivan 0-2 each, Ben Walsh, Timmy WIlk, Hugh O’Connor, Barry Walsh, Mikey Finn all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams); Chris O’Donnell (Ballylooby Castlegrace), Aaron O’Halloran (Carrick Swans), Podge O’Dwyer (Killenaule); Jack Collins (Ballina), Ben Currivan (Golden Kilfeacle), Mason Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg); Adam Daly (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams), Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg); Ciaran Foley (Borrisokane), Conor Martin (Cappawhite), Cathal English (Fr. Sheehys); Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), Senan Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash), Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs).

Subs used: Jack O’Callaghan (Portroe) for Cawley (48); Eoin Craddock (Holycross Ballycahill) for Foley (51); Ronan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs) for Collins (55); Sam Rowan (Mullinahone) for English (60); Joe Egan (Moycarkey Borris) for O’Donoghue (63).

Cork: Paudie O’Sullivan (Dr. O’Neills); Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers), Kevin Lyons (Ballygarvan), Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); James Dwyer (Ballincollig), Cillian Tobin (Bride Rovers), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); Mikey Finn (Midleton), Timmy Wilk (Cobh); Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), William Buckley (St. Finbarrs), Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket); David Cremin (Midleton), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Jack Leahy (Dungourney).

Subs used: James O’Brien (Fermoy) for Cashman (43); Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig) for Finn (44); Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for Leahy (47); Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields) for Dwyer (61).

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)