Tipperary expose Dublin’s limitations to set up date with Cork

Tipperary 2-23 Dublin 0-16

The continuation of inevitability. Despite some remarkable revivals and the supposed levelling of hurling’s playing field in modern times, the established Munster armies trying to stop Kilkenny remains the underlying and most compelling theme.

Tune in on the two middle Sundays of August for more on that. It’s Limerick versus Kilkenny before Cork and Tipperary reacquaint themselves.

The difference between these sides today was stark. Tipperary have grown into the championship, Dublin were trying admirably to rise having been floored by Kilkenny in the Leinster final. Rhythm is everything in hurling. Tipp found theirs in those heated end-game moments against Galway. Dublin’s 2013 mojo is a fading memory.

Then there is the small matter of winning in Thurles. It hasn’t come easy to Tipperary but it has come often. Dublin know very little of this feeling.

Scoring helps. Early and with regularity, the scoreboard ticked away from Anthony Daly’s Dublin as all six Tipperary forwards got off the mark in the opening stanza.

There were other moments for Dublin but each ended in deep groans from their travelling support. Like Alan McCrabbe wides from Paul Ryan range frees.

Ryan did come off the bench at half-time but saw his 48th-minute penalty stopped by Darren Gleeson. Conal Keaney thundered onto the loose ball only to bash it over the crossbar.

Three minutes later came that tribal Tipperary roar. Séamus Callanan found space and the time to supply John O'Dwyer who dribbled the sliotar past Alan Nolan.

At 1-18 to 0-12 it was time for all the visitors to start thinking about the road home.

Dotsy O’Callaghan was another surprise exclusion from Daly’s starting line-up, although he did relieve Conor McCormack of all hurling activity after just 23 minutes.

But throughout the contest there was an inevitability to it all.

Dublin trailed by seven points, 0-15 to 0-8, at half-time. Many of the 43,088 crowd were still in place – with the Wexford contingent understandably limping home after being decimated by Limerick– as this became a straight fight to see who would face Cork in Croke Park.

Before the end a heavy shower removed all but the covered stand supporters and Tipperary faithful on the terraces. They cleared their voices but the deep guttural roar has been stored for the next day.

TIPPERARY: 1 D Gleeson; 2 P Stapleton, 3 Pádraic Maher, 7 C Barrett; 5 B Maher, 6 J Barry, 23 S McGrath (0-1); 8 K Bergin, 9 J Woodlock (0-1); 10 G Ryan (0-3),11 Patrick Maher (0-1), 12 J O'Dwyer (2-2, one free); 13 N McGrath (0-1), 14 S Callanan (0-11, seven frees, two 65s), 15 L Corbett (0-2).

Subs: 21 Denis Maher for Patrick Maher (temp, 51-53 mins); Denis Maher for Noel McGrath (59 mins); 19 Jason Forde for Ryan (61 mins); 20 Eoin Kelly for Corbett (64 mins); 17 Shane Bourke (0-1) for Patrick Maher (68 mins); 26 Thomas Stapleton for Woodlock (70 mins).

DUBLIN: 1 A Nolan; 2 S Durkin, 3 P Kelly, 18 N Corcoran; 5 S Hiney, 6 L Rushe (0-1, free), 7 M Carton; 9 J McCaffrey (0-1), 14 C Keaney (0-2); 12 R O'Dwyer (0-1), 11 A McCrabbe (0-5, all frees), 10 D Sutcliffe (0-1); 26 D Treacy (0-1), 20 C McCormack, 15 C Cronin.

Subs: 13 D O'Callaghan (0-1) for McCormack (25 mins); 8 Joey Boland for Durkin (temp, 33-36 mins); 24 Paul Ryan (0-2, one 65) for Cronin (half-time); 21 Mark Schutte for Sutcliffe (41 mins); J Boland for McCrabbe (45 mins); 19 E Dillon (0-1) for Treacy (55 mins).

TIPPERARY: 1 D Gleeson; 2 P Stapleton, 3 Pádraic Maher, 7 C Barrett; 5 B Maher, 6 J Barry, 23 S McGrath (0-1); 8 K Bergin, 9 J Woodlock (0-1); 10 G Ryan (0-3),11 Patrick Maher (0-1), 12 J O'Dwyer (2-2, one free); 13 N McGrath (0-1), 14 S Callanan (0-11, seven frees, two 65s), 15 L Corbett (0-2).

Subs: 21 Denis Maher for Patrick Maher (temp, 51-53 mins); Denis Maher for Noel McGrath (59 mins); 19 Jason Forde for Ryan (61 mins); 20 Eoin Kelly for Corbett (64 mins); 17 Shane Bourke (0-1) for Patrick Maher (68 mins); 26 Thomas Stapleton for Woodlock (70 mins).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).