Tipperary catch Cork on the line

Tipperary 0-18 Cork 0-17:TIPPERARY set-up a Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship semi-final with holders Limerick after producing a dramatic late burst to deny Cork in front of a crowd of 3,026 at a sodden Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday evening.

The home side looked to be heading for victory after David Drake pointed eight minutes from the end of time to open up a 0-16 to 0-12 lead, but Tipp outscored their great rivals 0-6 to 0-1 in the closing stages.

Captain John O’Dwyer began the revival with a couple of scores before Seán Curran fired over one of the best points of the game to reduce the deficit to the minimum after 55 minutes.

Cork’s most prominent performer, Jamie Coughlan, eased home nerves with a point two minutes later only for Tipp to come again, David Collins and O’Dwyer levelling matters for the first time, 0-17 apiece, approaching the hour.

As the tie ticked into two minutes of injury-time and extra-time looking likely, Tipp grabbed a winner through Curran.

The win seemed beyond Tipp’s reach for much of the contest as Cork led by three at half-time, 0-11 to 0-8, with Coughlan and Conor Lehane prominent.

The pattern continued on the resumption, but Tipp’s storming finish proved decisive in difficult conditions.

TIPPERARY: P Ryan; S Maher, A Ryan, P Ryan; W Ryan, D Maher, J Cahill; B Stapleton (0-1), D McCormack (0-1); J O’Dwyer (0-9, 0-5 frees), S Curran (0-3), N O’Meara; E Murray (0-1), D Collins (0-2), L McGrath (0-1). Subs: C Hogan for D Maher (44 mins), A McCormack for Murray (47 mins), T Heffernan for D McCormack (51 mins).

CORK: S Nyhan; P O’Mahony, D Cahalane, C Spillane; D O’Mahony, C Joyce (0-1, 65), P O’Brien; N Kelly, D Drake (0-3); M Sugrue, J Cronin, C Lehane (0-3); J Coughlan (0-9, 0-7 frees), D Brosnan, E O’Sullivan (0-1). Subs: K Kavanagh for Spillane (inj, 8 mins), B Murray for Brosnan (43 mins), C Murphy for Kelly (51 mins), P Haughney for Cronin (59 mins).

Referee: P Casey (Waterford)