TIPP SMASH AND GRAB...
But Waterford left in a rage as ‘hand of Gleeson’ goal given
FOR the summer that’s in it, it’s hard to think there has been as much controversy over a disputed goal involving a player’s hand since Maradona’s Hand of God against England in the 1986 World Cup.
This time, the debate raged over the five fingers belonging to another blue-chip talent: 2016 Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson.
With 14-man Tipperary in the middle of a Lazarus act for the second week in a row, this time rolling back the stone on an 11point deficit with just 15 minutes of normal time to go, the most controversial ‘score’ of the summer was given.
As a long-range free from Jason Forde dropped in the square, Gleeson went to make the catch only for the sliotar to pop out of his hand. In the blink of an eye he snatched at it a second time and looked to have just saved it from crossing the line.
Video replays showed him keeping his arm outstretched even as he diced with the proximity of the goal-line. An eye-catching Sportsfile photograph looked to confirm that the Waterford centre-back had prevented the ball from crossing the line.
Cue mayhem when one umpire decided to reach for his green flag and signal a 62nd-minute goal that suddenly put Tipperary back to within a point, 2-20 to 2-19. An incensed Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe confronted the official as referee Alan Kelly tried to restore order, Gleeson first over to him when the dust settled on yet another incredible instalment in this breath-taking round-robin Munster Championship.
The fact that Kelly overruled the same umpire in injury-time to award a Ronan Maher point — Forde would level the match moments later from a free in the 4th minute of injury-time — didn’t improve Waterford’s mood and the match ended in a sort of chaos in keeping with a logic-defying game — the umpires being shielded by stewards for their own safety as they headed for the sanctuary of the dressing room.
Tipperary though had their own beef with the decision-making on the day, losing Michael Cahill to a soft second-yellow offence just before half-time.
It came after DJ Foran dummied the shot, dropped the shoulder and Cahill just left his hurley in, fooled by the quick change of mind. A free certainly but a second yellow card? It looked innocuous enough and the Tipperary corner-back was stunned as he was given his marching orders, manager Michael Ryan looking on equally disbelieving.
That Tipperary shipped that blow, and the weight of an 11point deficit against a Waterford team that played with abandon in the absence of a sweeper system, says everything about the reserves of character in this team.
A second draw means that they are still alive ahead of hosting Clare at Semple Stadium on Sunday. The same could be true of Waterford, who have a vital point before taking on Limerick.
After the epic contest between Cork and Limerick on Saturday, the new Munster Championship is the gift that keeps on giving.
And so, somehow, despite hurling up a storm from the start to race six points clear via goals from Tom Devine and Pauric Mahony, it’s still 10 years since Waterford last beat Tipp in Championship, dating back to the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park.
Devine’s goal came just eight minutes in, reacting quickest to a ball breaking around the square to pull one-handed to the net.
Just when Tipperary had responded with seven of the last eight points to get back to within one, Waterford kicked on with a second goal.
Gleeson took a free on his own 45, played it sideways to other side of the field where goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe had stolen forward. As the crowd wondered what the hell was going on, it became clear when O’Keeffe’s long ball dropped around the square. In an uncharacteristic error, Padraic Maher panicked and batted the ball straight to Pauric Mahony, who took the gift and made the net billow.
Cahill’s sending off increased the sense of desperation and when Tommy Ryan put Waterford 11 clear it looked over.
On a day when Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh bypassed Henry Shefflin to go second on his own for all-time Championship appearances (72), he deserved better than the ball bouncing out of his hand to result in Patrick ‘Bonner’ goaling to raise Tipp from the dead.
Then came the disputed Gleeson goal in the 62nd minute, just one part of a mad-cap finish that saw Pauric Mahony steady Waterford with a fine point, Jake Dillon add another only for Ronan Maher’s disputed point and a Jason Forde free to ensure an absolute thriller ended level.
TIPPERARY: B Hogan; S O’Brien, S Kennedy, M Cahill; J O’Dwyer, Padraic Maher, B Maher; R Maher, B McCarthy (W Connors 68); D McCormack (S Curran 60), J Forde, N McGrath (C Barrett 55); J O’Dwyer (P ‘Bonner’ Maher 47), S Callanan, J McGrath (J Morris 59).
Scorers: J Forde 1-13 (1-12f), P ‘Bonner’ Maher 1-0, R Maher 0-3, S Callanan 0-2, N McGrath, B McCarthy, C Barrett 0-1. Yellow card: M Cahill 27 & 37; B Maher 48. Red card: M Cahill 37 Wides: 7 (2).
WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; C Gleeson, S Fives, N Connors (S McNulty 66); Philip Mahony, A Gleeson, M Walsh; J Barron, S Roche (C Dunford 62); P Curran (B O’Halloran 55), Pauric Mahony, DJ Foran (J Dillon 59); M Kearney (T Ryan 47), T Devine, Stephen Bennett.
Scorers: Pauric Mahony 1-8 (0-5f), T Devine 1-2, DJ Foran, J Barron 0-3, P Curran 0-2, Philip Mahony, S Bennett, J Dillon, T Ryan 0-1 .
Yellow card: M Walsh 51. Wides: 3 (5). Referee: A Kelly (Galway).