Tipperary snatch championship lifeline in hectic finish
Waterford's Jamie Barron causing havoc in the Tipperary defence during their Munster SHC clash in Walsh Park on Saturday evening. Photos: Inpho/Ken Sutton.
With four minutes of added time called by referee Owens, Waterford were poised for the victory that would see them well placed to achieve at least their place in the All-Ireland playoffs while still in contention for a place in the Munster final.
Tipperary had come to packed Walsh Park as a wounded animal, determined to purge the stigma of that 15 point loss to Limerick a week earlier and had matched the home favourites score for score but over the previous three minutes the momentum had been with Waterford.
Four unanswered points in that period had Davy Fitzgerald’s side firmly in the driving seat with four minutes of added time announced. Tipperary moved within three points with John McGrath sending over but Jack Prendergast’s instant reply allayed any fears in the minds of the large home following. Slack marking under the Tipperary puck out conceded possession and the consequences were disastrous as Jake Morris got through on goal to be denied by Shaun O’Brien only for Sean Kenneally to be on hand to send the loose ball to the net.
Possession from the puck out was all important and it went to Tipperary with Alan Tynan being fouled on route to goal. Gearoid O’Connor must have thought about going for the goal from the twenty metre free but instead sent it over leaving the door open for both teams, and Cork, to snatch at least the third qualifying place with each having two games to play.
With so much at stake for both sides this was a Munster Championship in the finest tradition with both sides going flat out for victory. Fifty two scores, of which all but ten came from open play, could not separate these teams at the final whistle. That there was no let up in the pace of the game as the teams traded score for score can be attributed to the refereeing of Wexford official James Owens and his reluctance to penalise clear physical fouling by both sides. While such a decision may have frustrated mentors on both sides it made for a game of nonstop action with hurling and scores of the highest quality.
Waterford named their fifteen as started against Cork while Liam Cahill named his starting fifteen against Limerick in an apparent vote of confidence but then made three late changes with Cathal Barrett recalled to defence and Noel McGrath and Darragh Stakelum coming into the attack..
Waterford could not have got off to a better start with Stephen Bennett shooting the penalty to the net following the foul on Michael Kiely. Waterford were clearly playing with the same intensity that saw off Cork but here they were facing a Tipperary side with the same sense of purpose and the added incentive of restoring county pride and with the score at 1-1 to 0-3 after eight minutes it was clear that this game was going to go right down to the wire.
Waterford suffered a blow as early as the seventh minute with Conor Prunty being forced off with the apparent recurrence of an earlier injury to be replaced by Mark Fitzgerald with Jack Fagan coming on to take up Fitzgerald’s position at wing back.
The pace of the game never slackened throughout a highly competitive first half.with both sides creating clear scoring chances and Tadhg De Burca and Ronan Maher dominating respectively from their central positions in defence. Dessie Hutchinson and Stephen Benett were looking particularly dangerous up front for Waterford with Hutchinson in particular winning possession on wide deliveries but being narrowly off target when shooting for points on at least three occasions. At the other end Mark Kehoe was always threatening for Tipperary.
The sides were level at 1-7 to 0-10 when Dessie Hutchinson picked out Jack Prendergast who finished to the net for Waterford’s second goal in the 21st minute and Waterford went on to take a halftime lead of 2-8 to 0-12 thanks to Shaun O’Brien’s great save from Darragh Stakelum.
The game looked like slipping away from Waterford on the resumption as Tipperary sent over four unanswered points from Ronan Maher (F), Mark Kehoe, Darragh Stakelum and Noel McGrath while in the same period Dessie Hutchinson, from a close in free, and Stephen Bennett had squandered easy chances. The picture changed dramatically however in the 43rd minute when, after Barry Hogan had saved, Waterford were awarded a 20 metre free from the ensuing scramble. Not for the first time in such a situation Stephen Bennett made himself available to take a short ball from the free taker Hutchinson and with the Tipp defenders wrong footed he crashed the ball to the net for his second goal and a one point lead.
It was the turning point as the Tipperary momentum was broken and it was point for point as both sides looked to their bench with the game going into the final twenty minutes. The teams were still level at 3-16 to 0-25 on the 66th minute when Waterford made a drive for the finishing line with unanswered points from sub Patrick Curran, Dessie Hutchinson (F), Calum Lyons and Curran again to take a four point lead into added time. Waterford looked set for victory and a place in the McCarthy Cup draw but in a game such as this there could always be another twist and so it was that Seanie Kenneally’s goal followed by O’Connor’s point changed all and made for an unpredictable climax to the Munster Round Robin phase of the championship with all still to play for.
Tipperary will be happy to have put the Limerick result behind them while Waterford will be disappointed at not holding out in a winning position. Once again Tadhg de Burca, Calum Lyons, Darragh Lyons, Dessie Hutchinson and Stephen Bennett were big players for Waterford while Shaun O’Brien made dome great saves in goal.
– Calum Lyons for work rate and three vital points.
– Hutchinson and Bennett combining for the second goal after Tipp had scored four points.
- The referee crossing Barry Hogan as Bennett was about to take the penalty. Should the penalty have been retaken?
– Waterford V Clare in Ennis and Tipperary V Cork in Thurles on Sunday week.
– Stephen Bennett 2-3 (1-0 pen.), Dessie Hutchinson 0-6 (3Fs), Jack Prendergast 1-1, Calum Lyons 0-3, Patrick Curran 0-2 , Kieran Bennett, Neil Montgomery, Darragh Lyons, Shane Bennett, Michael Kiely and Jack Fagan 0-1 each.
– Sean Kenneally 1-1, ark Kehoe and Gearoid O’Connor (3Fs) 0-4 each, Jason Forde (2Fs) and Jake Morris 0-3 each, Eoghan Connolly, Alan Tynan and Noel McGrath 0-2 each, Michael Breen, Darragh Stakelum, Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher and John McGrath 0-1 each.
– Shaun O’Brien, Kieran Bennett, Conor Prunty, Iarlaith Daly, Mark Fitzgerald, Tadhg de Burca, Calum Lyons, Darragh Lyons, Jack Prendergast, Jamie Barron, Michael Kiely, Neil Montgomery, Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Bennett, Kevin Mahony. Subs – Jack Fagan for Prunty (7), Shane Bennett for Mahony (51), Peter Hogan for Montgomery (58), Patrick Curran for Stephen Bennett (64).
– Barry Hogan, Cathal Barrett, Michael Breen, Craig Morgan, Conor Bowe, Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara, Eoghan Connolly, Alan Tynan, Noel McGrath, Gearoid O’Connor, Darragh Stakelum, Jake Morris, Mark Kehoe, Jason Forde. Subs – Patrick Maher for Forde (51), Willie Connors for Connolly (54), John McGrath for N. McGrath (56), Sean Kenneally for Stakelum (64), Dan McCormack for O’Meara (68).
– James Owens (Wexford).
