Tipperary 3-19 Waterford 1-18:Tipperary will get another crack at defending champions Kilkenny in next month's All-Ireland hurling final after they shrugged aside the challenge of Munster rivals Waterford this afternoon. Beaten finalists last September, Tipperary are all that now stands between the Cats and their unprecedented 'Drive for Five'.
A brace of second half goals from Eoin Kelly made sure Waterford were kept at arms length but Tipperary were thoroughly deserving of their place in the final. For Davy Fitzgerald and his management team, there was more disappointment at Croke Park as his side underperformed at GAA headquarters once again.
Brian O’Halloran came into the Waterford starting line-up before throw-in for Seamus Prendergast but, in the first half at least, John Mullane was the Deise’s only real threat. Typically livewire, Mullane was left isolated for too long as Fitzgerald packed his defence.
Despite the numbers, Tipperary were able to find a way through the traffic with John O’Brien, restored to the side during the week, and Noel McGrath keeping the scorers busy. And their early dominance was rewarded with the game’s first goal after 25 minutes.
Patrick Maher sent a long ball into the heart of the Waterford defence, and with full back line struggling to cope with his presence, Lar Corbett plucked the sliotar out of the sky and kicked past Clinton Hennessy.
Trailing by six at the break (1-11 to 0-8), Waterford offered more support to Mullane in the opening stages of the second half and scores from Tony Browne and Eoin Kelly helped claw back the deficit.
But that good work was undone when Tipp’s Kelly put further daylight between the teams. The forward was first to react when McGrath's sideline flashed across the Waterford goal and a neat flick allowed him the space to fire home.
And the former All-Star applied the final nail to Waterford’s coffin 10 minutes from time, Corbett finding him in plenty of space and he made no mistake with the finish.
Waterford did manage a late consolation, substitute Eoin McGrath, finally finding a way past Brendan Cummins, but by that stage the Munster champions were well beaten.
Tipperary:1. B Cummins; 2. P Stapleton, 3. P Curran, 4. M Cahill; 5. D Fanning, 6. C O'Mahony, 7. Pádraic Maher; 8. B Maher, 9. S McGrath (0-1); 10. G Ryan, 13. N McGrath (0-7, one free, one 65), 11. Patrick Maher; 14. E Kelly (2-3, two points frees), 15. L Corbett (1-2), 12. J O'Brien (0-6).
Subs:19. S Callanan for Ryan (50 mins), 17. P Bourke for Patrick Maher (62 mins).
Waterford:1. C Hennessy; 2. E Murphy, 3. L Lawlor, 4. N Connors; 5. T Browne (0-3, free and two 65s), 6. M Walsh, 7. D Prendergast; 8. S O'Sullivan, 9. R Foley (0-1); 11. S Molumphy (0-1), 10. K Moran (0-1), 12. E Kelly (0-5, all frees); 14. S Walsh, 27. B O'Halloran, 13. J Mullane (0-3).
Subs:15. S Prendergast (0-1) for O'Halloran (22 mins), 20. K McGrath (0-3, one free) for E Kelly (52 mins), 21. D Shanahan for Moran (55 mins), 18. E McGrath (1-0) for S Walsh (55 mins), 29. T Ryan for Molumphy (66 mins).
Referee:John Sexton (Cork)
Attendance:49,754