Tipperary surge clear after the break

Tipperary 3-11 Cork 1-9:TIPPERARY TURNED in a superb second-half display to dethrone champions Cork in Killarney yesterday. Tipperary, after a nervous first half, upped the tempo and blew Cork out of the water with Liam McGrath, TJ Ryan and Michael Quinlivan outstanding.

TJ Ryan gave Tipperary a seventh-minute lead but three points from Brian O’Driscoll (45), Mark Sugrue and Dan McEoin (free) saw Cork jump 0-3 to 0-1 in front at the end of the opening quarter. Then Tipperary struck for a crucial goal when Philip Quirke sent Liam McGrath through and he clinically finished to the net.

Cork took over with Stephen O’Mahony winning crucial ball at midfield and points from O’Driscoll and Tadgh Brosnan was followed by a goal by McEoin in the 24th minute as Cork jumped 1-5 to 1-2 clear. Points from TJ Ryan and Conor O’Riordan closed the gap but Cork added two more points to take their tally to 1-7 by the 28th minute but only posted two more scores for the rest of the game. Three late first-half points from Tipperary, two from Ryan, saw the sides level at 1-7 apiece.

After the sides swapped early second-half points, Tipp struck two hammer blows, a brilliant Greg Henry goal in the 38th minute and another in the 50th minute by Michael Quinlivan from a penalty. Cork ran out of ideas as Tipperary dominated.

TIPPERARY: G Slattery; N Sullivan, C O’Sullivan, S Kennedy; C O’Riordan (0-2), D Fitzell, A McGuire; S O’Brien, I Fahey (0-1, 45); G Henry (1-1), P Quirke, B Maher; L McGrath (1-0), M Quinlivan (1-1, 1-0 pen), TJ Ryan (0-6, 0-2 frees). Subs: J Meagher for McGuire (30 mins), C Kennedy for Ryan (53 mins), J Lonergan for Henry (55 mins), D Lonergan for Quinlivan, D Butler for Maher (both 60 mins).

CORK: J McDonnell; J Davis, K Fulignati, S Cronin; K Crowley, B O’Driscoll (0-2, 45s), T Brosnan (0-1); S Kiely, D Murphy; M Sugrue (0-1), A Cadogan, C Vaughan, D McEoin (1-4, 0-3 frees), S O’Mahony, C O’Sullivan. Subs: C Dorman for K Crowley (3 mins), D Harrington (0-1) for Cadogan (half-time), K Kavanagh for Dorman (35 mins), K McIntyre for Brosnan (42 mins), J Corkery for OSullivan (52 mins).

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Kerry).