Munster Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final: Tipperary 1-26 Cork 2-27
DURING the week, Cork manager Kieran Kingston urged his players to deliver a performance that the county’s long-suffering fans could be proud of. At Semple Stadium yesterday, the Rebels did just that, stunning reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions Tipperary with a four-point victory.
It was the first time Cork had tasted Championship victory over Tipp since 2010 – and the first time since 2006 that they’d come to Thurles and beaten the Premier county on their home patch.
Conor Lehane led the way with a 10-point haul, while debutants Shane Kingston and Luke Meade contributed 1-7 between them, Kingston hitting 1-4.
In a brilliant Thurles encounter, 18 different players were on the scoresheet and in the first half alone, the sides were level 12 times.
A crowd of 30,103 watched on spellbound as Cork blew the race for the provincial and All-Ireland titles wide open.
Kingston said: “We asked for a performance and I’m certainly delighted in how the lads responded to what we asked of them and particularly how they executed it.”
Tipp had suffered a 16-point League final spanking against Galway but this was Championship, and they lost again.
The sides were level at 0-15 each at half-time before Cork scored two second half goals – Kingston and sub Michael Cahalane on target.
Kingston scored the 43rd minute goal to hand Cork a huge second half boost, a scruffy effort that Tipp goalkeeper Darren Gleeson won’t look back on with too much fondness.
John McGrath’s excellent goal in the 56th minute, created by Seamus Callanan’s sublime pass, had Tipp back in front, leading by 1-22 to 1-21.
But Cork hung in and a critical scoring run of 1-2 in a four-minute spell approaching the finish proved crucial.
Behind by 1-23 to 1-24, Cork levelled and then went ahead with points from Lehane, before Cahalane ghosted in behind the Tipp cover to drive a fierce effort past Gleeson.
That goal provided Cork with the belief that their four-game Championship losing streak against Tipp was coming to an end – and so it proved.
Cork march on to a Munster
semi-final clash against Waterford on June 18, as Tipp face the back door in their quest to retain the All-Ireland title for the first time since 1965.
