Cork Chastening leaves us in Table Trouble.
By Noel Dundon
What a difference a week makes. Last week the county was on cloud nine after a brilliant showing from the senior hurlers against Limerick. This week – deflation and dejection. A fifteen point hammering on Leeside made for a long and painful journey from Cork.
Beating the league champions in their own park was always going to be a big challenge. But, throw in the fact that it was going to have to be done with numerical disadvantage from the very off, and it made the task nigh on impossible.
Not that Tipperary could have had many complaints about referee Johnny Murphy’s decision to reach for the red card – Darragh McCarthy’s goal of laying down a marker resulted in him laying out his marker instead and the young Toomevara man was off on a Greyhound bus to the showers before even a minute of the game had passed.
McCarthy had been on the receiving end of some very close Cork attention in the Allianz National Hurling League Final a few weeks ago in the same venue and he obviously felt the need to make a statement – you won’t do that again. But, it went too far and with his departure went Tipperary’s chances. The dismissal ended the game before it started.
Cork’s running power is potent enough without them having an extra man to come off the shoulder all the time to enhance their movement and mobility.
Referee Johnny Murphy was more than lenient when it came to Rebel cynicism – a yellow card was eventually dished out to Eoin Downey for a third offence, but there were plenty of other occasions when runs were blocked, bodies were held and paths cut off when potential breaks were on. The Cork lads have developed the knack of stopping runners and they are getting away with it – this could be as important a weapon in their armoury as their undoubted scoring threat.
Not that it mattered in the overall scheme of things, but why was the Alan Tynan opening game point cancelled? – if scoring difference comes into play in the championship run-in, that point could prove crucial.
By the half way mark there was a ten point gap and Cork did not look like losing a second sizeable half time advantage in succession. They didn’t and it really was a case of damage limitation for Tipperary who did stem the tide to some extent – the second half defeat was of the five point variety, resulting in a total deficit of fifteen.
A chastening defeat then and one which leaves us scratching the heads again. Thankfully, there is a two week break now to ready the minds and the bodies for the clash with Clare in Ennis – the Banner men’s defeat in Waterford has really put the cat amongst the pigeons. That game in Ennis is a real winner takes all – defeat for Tipp would probably mean that whatever happens in the final clash with Waterford will be irrelevant. Clare, on the other hand, will have to win it if they are to have any designs on defending their All-Ireland crown.
Another difficult place to go to, Cusack Park will not be a place for the faint hearted and though Tipperary has a decent recent record Shannonside, one would have to feel that we will be really up against it.
On a positive note though – and it has been hard to find one from this latest outing – Tipperary have been here before this season. The league final was a tough day at the office, but the next outing two weeks later, saw us produce our best showing for some time. The hope is that this latest lesson in Cork, will see us bounce back with as much aplomb and roll into Ennis with real purpose and drive. Anything less will prove fatal again.
U20’s continue their form.
It’s great to see the U20’s continuing their form as they made it back to the Munster Final again. Following a difficult start, the side has worked their way back into the decider and Brendan Cummins charges are to be credited with producing some decent hurling along the way. Tipperary needs to keep the conveyor belt moving and even allowing for the fact that Darragh McCarthy and Sam O’Farrell did not play against Waterford, they still had enough for the Deise. Roll on the final now and a chance to put titles back to back. We really could do with a lift and the U20’s might just be the men to give it to us.