Gaelic Games

More silverware for Tipperary as they romp to Under-20 title

Four goals in opening eight minutes see Liam Cahill’s side blow away Cork in Limerick

Tipperary celebrate after their Under-20 final victory over Cork in Limerick. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

John Fallon
Sat Aug 24 2019 - 20:29

Tipperary 5-17 Cork 1-18

Tipperary became the first winners of the All-Ireland U-20 hurling title as a blistering start, which yielded four goals in the opening eight minutes, set them up for a deserved win at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

The win, a year after they defeated Cork in the last All-Ireland U-21 final, crowns a glorious week for Tipperary and in particular Jake Morris, Paddy Cadell and Jerome Cahill who were also part of last weekend's senior win over Kilkenny.

Cork never recovered from a nightmare start as their search for a first All-Ireland underage hurling title since winning the minor in 2001 goes on.

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Cork, having conceded three goals to Tipperary when losing the Munster final and having kept clean sheets in their other three matches in this year’s championship, knew that they couldn’t afford to be loose at the back.

Liam Cahill celebrates during Tipperary’s Under-20 final win over Cork. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

But the game was gone from them by the eighth minute, by which time Tipperary had pulled 4-1 to 0-4 in front.

Man of the match Billy Seymour needed just 19 seconds to shoot home the first goal and while rallied with three points to draw level after four minutes, it all fell apart for them after that as Tipperary hit 2-1 in less than two minutes.

Morris set up Andrew Ormond for their second goal and then Ormond turned provider with Cahill for Seymour to score his second goal.

Ryan Walsh lifted the siege with a point from distance for Cork but they were rocked again after eight minutes as Cahill soloed through to shoot them 4-1 to 0-4 in front.

That helped them lead by 4-9 to 0-10 at the interval and they pulled further clear after the restart through Seymour and Morris.

Cork got a glimmer of hope when Tommy O’Connell, who was later dismissed after picking up a second yellow card, found the net to cut the gap to 4-14 to 1-13 after 47 minutes with two more frees from Turnbull and a 65 from O’Connell reducing the margin to seven with six minutes remaining.

Cork’s Brian Turnbull challenges Tipp’s Craig Morgan. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

But that was as close as they got as Tipperary pulled further ahead with a superb point from a sideline by Seymour and a late goal from Cathal Bourke wrapping up the title and a great week for the Premier County.

Tipperary: A Browne; C Morgan, E Connolly, P Cadell; N Heffernan, C McCarthy, B O'Mara; C Connolly, J Ryan; G O'Connor, J Cahill (1-1), J Morris (0-8, one 65, three frees); C Bowe (0-1), A Ormond (1-2), B Seymour (2-5, one free). Subs: S Hayes for O'Connor (36 mins), K O'Kelly for Ormond (49), J Fogarty for Bowe (53), C Bourke (1-0) for Ryan (58), M Purcell for C Connolly (64).

Cork: G Collins; J Keating, E Roche, S O'Leary Hayes; G Millerick, C O'Callaghan (0-1), R Downey (0-1); D Connery (0-2, one free), R Walsh (0-2); S Kennefick, T O'Connell (1-2, one 65, one free), B Roche (0-1); B Turnbull (0-8, seven frees), S O'Regan (0-1), S Twomey. Subs: E Sheehan for Kennefick (30 mins), J Copps for Keating (40), B Murphy for Connery (41), P Power for Walsh (54).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).

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