Munster SHC Final/ Cork 2-14 Tipperary 1-14: It mightn't have been a precious jewel to set in the crown of this legendary fixture, but yesterday's Guinness Munster hurling final was atmospheric, well-contested and featured a display from underdogs Tipperary that every so often suggested the possibility - as distinct from the likelihood - of a big surprise.
And if champions Cork ultimately ran their well-programmed system to the expected conclusion, the above list of positives certainly made the match a resounding success in the context of a hitherto-disappointing hurling season.
Tipperary showed enough of an improvement to move forward with renewed confidence into next month's All-Ireland quarter-finals, whereas Cork gave themselves something to work on ahead of the same target date.
The champions were too practised in protecting possession and with it their narrow lead for the challengers to break through and exert some real pressure, even though they had some useful possession in the final quarter.
One of Cork's first ports of call when re-creating yesterday's journey will be how their defence conceded so many goal-scoring chances. These lapses allowed Donal Cusack to make a few vital interventions, although he would accept that the finish was in most cases undaunting.
Again, the Cork goalkeeper made his most profound impact with the quick-witted puck-outs, dispatched swiftly and accurately to whichever target runner he chose to hit. Tipp were slow to mark up when their opponents began to shuffle around before the puck-out and, as a result, rarely managed to spot the breaking recipient.
Tipperary will lament that two slick moves which ended with Diarmaid Fitzgerald in possession. The converted defender has been a great success this year in terms of winning possession and using it well, but finishing isn't his strongest suit - unlike his full forward colleagues Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly.
Fitzgerald's first chance came within 25 seconds and he tried to kick the goal from a tight angle, but Cusack saved for a 65. Then, in the 23rd minute, Corbett flipped a pass into Fitzgerald only for the goalkeeper to get smartly off his line and block the chance at the expense of another 65. Both were pointed by Eoin Kelly.
Kelly, as was expected, had a harder day than had become his custom. Brian Murphy marked him tightly and relentlessly.
In the 48th minute, Tipp levelled the match at 1-9 to 2-12 after a great break starting with Paul Ormonde - who overcame a nightmare start to get to the pace of the contest, his first at this level in four years - and continuing through Redser O'Grady to Kelly, who swept over the equaliser with his back to goal.
Twenty minutes later, with another equaliser needed, he tried the same flourish but Murphy on this occasion broke down the attempt and cleared.
Kelly's toughest outing of the campaign - by a light year - might have greatly reduced his average to date of 14.5 points, but his seven-point display included no wides with the main source of regret two shots hit too close to Cusack.
Tipp started well and had 1-1 on the board within four minutes, a 65 from Eoin Kelly and a snappily taken goal from Corbett, who took full advantage of a long-range ball from John O'Brien, which ran nicely for him. But Cork took over for the following 12 minutes and turned the score into 1-3 to 1-1, the goal after Deane tapped back across goal and despite Ormonde's attempt to block, Brian Corcoran roofed it.
Crisis point for the match and everyone who had been hoping for a competitive match came in the 20th minute after a smooth build-up from the back culminated in Tom Kenny creating an opening for Ben O'Connor, who swept in a goal from the right for a 2-5 to 1-3 lead.
Tipp's best spell followed, as they picked up the pieces and with Eoin Kelly playing full forward gradually hauled themselves back on to level terms by half-time, 1-9 to 2-6.
They resisted bravely on the front lines. Although Cork's half backs ended up on top, with Ronan Curran having a particularly effective afternoon, they didn't over-run their opponents early on and neither did Tom Kenny and Jerry O'Connor at centrefield.
Shane McGrath had much to do with the latter effort, putting in a major effort to disrupt the Cork pair. He didn't get sufficient support from a ring-rusty Paul Kelly who hit one typically ambitious point in the first half.
Two early frees from Joe Deane gave Cork the advantage after the break and, from then on, Tipp were chasing the match. As the match became more ragged - and the high tempo excitement of the first 35 minutes abated in the second half - Cork's half backs began to latch on to more and more ball and clear it effectively.
Tipperary made changes to try and get more of a platform in attack where Eoin Kelly was struggling with lack of supply as well as the limiting attentions of Murphy. John Devane came in to try and repeat his heroics of last year's final, but Cork had control of the match, to a greater extent than the score suggested.
Still, there was never more than a score in it and Eoin Kelly was placed by Fitzgerald in the 67th minute. He went for goal when a point would have equalised, but it was snatched and Cusack took the ball comfortably.
CORK: 1 D Cusack; 4 P Mulcahy (capt), 3 D O'Sullivan, 2 B Murphy; 5 J Gardiner (0-2, one free), 6 R Curran, 7 S Ó hAilpín; 8 T Kenny, 9 J O'Connor (0-1); 10 T McCarthy, 11 N McCarthy, C O'Connor; 13 B O'Connor (1-1), 14 B Corcoran (1-1), 15 J Deane (0-8, four frees, one 65). : Subs: 20 N Ronan for C O'Connor (51 mins), 21 K Murphy (Sarsfields; 0-1) for N McCarthy (69 mins).
TIPPERARY: 1 B Cummins; 2 D Fanning, 3 P Curran, 4 P Ormonde; 5 E Corcoran, 6 C O'Mahoney, 7 H Moloney; 8 P Kelly (0-1), 9 S McGrath; 10 J Carroll (0-2), 11 G O'Grady (capt), 12 J O'Brien (0-2); 15 E Kelly (0-7, two 65s, four frees), 13 D Fitzgerald, 14 L Corbett (1-1). Subs: 19 J Devane for O'Grady (55 mins), 25. C Morrissey for P Kelly (61 mins), 20 B Dunne (0-1) for O'Brien (65 mins), 28 M Webster for Moloney (70 mins).
Attendance: 53,286.
Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).
