GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Semi-Final
Cork5-9
Tipperary 1-11
Report: Liam Hogan at FBD Semple Stadium
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Game: Sean Coakley (Cork)
SCORERS – Cork: Sean Coakley 2-2 (0-2 frees); Dara Sheedy 1-3 (0-1 free); Denis Mullane 2-0; Gary Holland 0-2; Mark O’Brien, David O’Leary 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Shane Ryan, Charlie Walsh (2 frees) 0-3 each; Charlie Grace 1-0; Billy Tierney 0-2; Michael Connellan, Liam Freeney (free), Ronan O’Brien (free) 0-1 each.
Tipperary players could leave Semple Stadium with their heads held high despite the ten point defeat to the champions Cork following an entertaining Munster Minor Football Championship semi-final played on Thursday evening.
On entering the last ten minutes it was anybody’s game with Cork leading 2-6 to 0-8 but suddenly Cork were out of sight when their front duo Denis Mullane and Sean Oakley had goals inside sixty seconds. That was the difference really because Tipp continued to rally and in the final minutes, they matched Cork score for score with both sides adding 1-3 as the Rebels won by ten points.
Having lost the Daryl Darcy Cup final to Limerick a week ago, Tipp had entered this game very much the underdogs. However, the opening half betrayed the sceptics.
That was despite the concession of 1-1 to the Rebels inside the opening three minutes after corner forward Garry Holland had the opening point before his fellow corner forward Denis Mullane had crept in along the endline before driving low with left foot for a goal after the Tipp kickout broke down.
But undeterred, Tipp settled to the task and were level by the fourteenth minute thanks to points by Shane Ryan, Liam Freaney and two Billy Tierney frees. Cork posed a threat or two in the intervening period but the Tipp defence, especially their full backline, worked extremely hard. The visitors missed a few potential frees as Dara Sheedy was not up to his usual form, but he put it right in the 20th minute with his latest effort from a placed ball, closely followed by another free from the boot of full forward Sean Coakley while Gary Holland increased the Cork lead to three after 24 minutes.
But yet, Tipp were full of ideas and the pace of Shane Ryan, Liam Freaney, Sean Lewis, Michael Connellan and Billy Tierney brought them back into contention with Ronan O’Brien scoring from a free and Shane Ryan and Connellan each scoring from play and at half time it was Tipp 0-7 Cork 1-4.
Shane Ryan gave Tipp the lead after thirty seconds of the restart as the Premier sensed positivity in their cause but one of the combined runs was turned over and at the other end Sean Coakley had the ball in the Tipp net as Peter Boland could little to deny him.
Yet, Tipp pressed at every opportunity but one pass too many saw the Cork defence recover. It was the same at the other end as Cork were confined to just two points the first a free by Coakley in the 41st minute and the second eight minutes later a subdued Dara Sheedy made it 2-6 to 0-8.
Both scores came either side of Tipperary goalkeeper Peter Boland producing a great save when he denied Denis O’Mullane from close range. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come as O’Mullane and Coakley both their just rewards with each raising green flags, quickly followed by points from midfielder Mark O’Brien and David O’Leary in the 54th minute.
But as quick as a flash Tipp were creating danger in front of the Cork goal with Charlie Grace finding the net after a second time of asking. Dara Sheedy replied with a point before Charlie Walsh pointed a free for Tipp.
A quick goal would have done Tipp justice but they were unable to final a gap and instead it was Cork who found the gaps as Dara Sheedy had Cork’s fifth goal. Yet Tipp refused to die as Charlie Walsh replied with two points, including one from a free to finish the scoring.
TEAMS – Cork: Billy Curtin; Niall O’Shea, Frank Hurley, Matthew Ahern; Odhran Foley, Gearoid Daly, Trevor Kiely; Mark O’Brien, Mark Hetherington; Timothy Cullinane, Dara Sheedy, David O’Leary; Denis Mullane, Sean Coakley, Gary Holland.
Subs: Oier O’Callaghan for O’Shea (HT); James O’Leary for Hetherington (40); Adam Dineen for Holland (48); Liam Hourihane for Ahern (56); Cian O’Sullivan for O’Leary (57)
Tipperary: Peter Boland (Moyle Rovers); Ronan Myles (Ardfinnan), Cillian Ryan (Ballina), Shane Flanagan (Newport); Michael Connellan (Clonmel Commercials), Billy Tierney (Clonmel Commercials, Capt), James O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials); Michael O’Reilly (Moyle Rovers), Sean Lewis (Arravale Rovers); Louis Coughlan (Moycarkey/Borris), Liam Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Shane Ryan (Ardfinnan); Joey Quinn (Loughmore/Castleiney), Ronan O’Brien (Durlas Og), Emmett Bonner (Galtee Rovers).
Subs: Charlie Grace (Ballina) for O’Brien (45); Darragh Landers (Clonmel Commercials) for Freaney (45); Mark Neville (Fethard) for Ryan (52); Charlie Walsh (Fethard) for O’Keeffe (56); Milo McNamara (Clonmel Commercials) for Quinn (60).
Referee: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick).