TIPPERARY make it to their first All-Ireland final in six years after a monumental win by Kilkenny in Croke Park in which they scored four goals.
The Premier came into this game as massive underdogs against a Kilkenny side that were two games fresher and had already sealed the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship title against Galway.
The four goals were the clinching factor for the blue and gold of Tipp, with Jason Forde, John McGrath, Darragh McCarthy and Oisin O’Donoghue all making the net bulge.
The game started off in a slow fashion, with both teams feeling their way into this game, TJ Reid and Billy Ryan scored the opening points of the game in the six minutes.
However, Tipperary quickly woke up, with John McGrath netting the first goal for Tipp to put them in the lead early on.
The Cats then went on a run of six points in six minutes with Martin ‘Mossy’ Keoghan and Jordan Molloy getting a double each and TJ Reid and Billy Ryan also scoring.
Conor Stakelum, a late starter for Tipperary in midfield, scored two points in a great performance by the Thurles Sarsfields clubman.
These two points were cancelled out by a trademark TJ Reid dead-ball strike and a white flag by John Donnelly.
Tipp would have a run of their own with fullback Eoghan Connolly plucking the ball from the sky and taking it upon himself to put the ball over the bar to reduce the gap to four points.
Jake Morris added his own score to keep the momentum pulling Tipperary to within touching distance of the Leinster champions.
After a quick reply from Mossy, Darragh McCarthy scored a goal of his own, which trickled in despite Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy getting his hurl to it.
Further points from McGrath and Morris bridged the gap between Tipp’s second and third goal, with McCarthy slipping and being forced into a risky hand-pass into the space behind the fullback line.
Jason Forde is the quickest to react and lifts the ball over the oncoming Eoin Murphy and the sliothar falls the right side of the posts.
TJ Reid does his utmost to help reduce the damage in the 10 minutes before half-time, but his five converted frees, along with Eoin Cody’s first score, couldn’t hold back the tide from Tipperary, who added four more scores before the break.
Coming out in the second half, Darragh McCarthy added a score to continue the momentum Tipperary built in the first half, but Cody and Molloy added scores of their own.
Sam O’Farrell pointed from a free to before Adrian Mullen scored his first two points, to between another McCarthy placed ball white-flag to leave two points in it with 25 minutes left.
Cian Kenny then scored a beautiful point from the midfield as the Cats looked to fight their way back into within a point of the game.
TJ Reid then added three more free scores, with the Ballyhale Shamrocks clubman finishing the game with 13 points (five from play).
Jason Forde then had a shoot-out with Reid as he scored two frees of his own.
The momentum looked to be shifting to Tipperary, but Darragh McCarthy’s dismissal after receiving a second yellow would have taken the wind out of the best of sides in a game like this.
Jake Morris then put the side back on track before Keoghan and Kenny put Kilkenny two in front with seven minutes to go.
Forde then added three more in a brilliant display by the corner-forward from Silvermines.
Having impressed in the game, Conor Stakelum was withdrawn in place of teenager Oisín O’Donoghue. Who knew how crucial that change would be?
A scrum around the small arc in front of the Hill led to a loose ball which O’Donoghue scooped up and served up a moment to savour for Tipperary fans up and down the country.
GAA HQ erupted into roars, and it sealed the win for the Premier county, who booked their place in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final along with Cork.
