Tipperary 1-17; Cork 1-14: It may have been off the pace of championship hurling despite the perfect conditions, but the paying customer was still given value for money reassured at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.
The 13,000 sun-splashed crowd was treated to most of the essentials of championship fare, particularly classy long-range points and full commitment. Holders Tipperary made an astute second-half substitution that brought Eugene O'Neill into the attack and the move virtually springboarded Nicky English's team back into contention at a time when Cork were looking winners with a five-point lead.
"Tipp went on a roll in the last quarter and finished up the more impressive side," admitted Cork manager Bertie Óg Murphy.
The issue was suddenly on a knife edge after O'Neill capitalised on a Donal Óg Cusack mistake for a vital goal which he followed up with two glittering points before the end.
Long before O'Neill had perpetrated the damage on an up till then competent Cork rearguard, Joe Deane was very much in line to emerge as the game's key figure with his spectacular goal six minutes into the second half. The Killeagh star tore the Tipperary defence apart with a darting run in from the left before sending home with from close range.
The consensus was that Tipperary, with 10 of their All-Ireland winning team, deserved to win and clinch a place in the quarter-finals against Galway. They opened in blistering fashion, putting four long-range unanswered points on the board before Cork got off the mark after 15 minutes.
Throughout the first half, however, Cork managed a higher rate of possession, but lacked Tipperary's composure. The quality of scores from way out the field continued to delight the crowd. Tommy Dunne, who later had to retire due to the effects of midweek 'flu, set the pattern of long-range scoring with Liam Cahill and Eoin Kelly following suit.
Late Cork call-up Ben O'Connor and Alan Browne also showed deft touches from far out. Positional switches in the Cork attack were necessary given the dominance of the Tipperary rearguard. These alterations were duly made with Deane switching wings with Sean McGrath and Niall McCarthy moving inside to the fringe of the square.
Ironically, though, when the Cork attackers were restored to their original positions for the second half, the home supporters were treated to a flurry of unanswered scores. An interval deficit of three points, 0-6 to 0-9, was dramatically transformed into a four-point lead within seven minutes of the restart.
Deane's goal set Cork up for what looked like being a potentially easy win. But Tipperary's reply was almost instant as Cahill was denied a goal by Cusack.
English afterwards questioned the wisdom of the League format and the pressure it now puts on his team ahead of the championship. "I don't think we need a quarter-final stage in the competition," he said. "There is a lot of punishment being shipped in these matches, with teams trying to position themselves for the championship."
The Tipperary boss added: "We like to win here. It is always difficult to come down here. I couldn't be happier the way the players have worked in training over the last six weeks."
Tipperary's early and late sparkle said a lot for their training regime. They tacked on their last four points to close the door on Cork in the last seven minutes.
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; T Costelloe, P Maher, P Ormonde; P Kelly, D Kennedy, B Dunne; N Morris (0-1, free), T Dunne (0-2, one free); M O'Leary (0-4), J Carroll, J Enright (0-1); L Cahill (0-2), J O'Brien (0-1), E Kelly (0-4, three frees). Subs: C Gleeson for T Dunne (49 mins), E O'Neill (1-2) for Carroll (54 mins), M Ryan for Kelly (58 mins), J Butler for Cahill (71 mins).
CORK: D Og Cusack; W Sherlock, P Mulcahy, F Ryan; D Barrett, J Browne, S O hAilpin; A Cummins, T McCarthy; N McCarthy (0-2), A Browne (0-2), B O'Connor (0-2); S McGrath (0-2), E Collins (0-3), J Deane (1-3, two frees). Subs: K Murphy for N McCarthy (67 mins), K Murray for Browne (69 mins), M Prendergast for F Ryan (70 mins).
Referee: P Ahern (Carlow).
