Rebel redemption sweeps past All Ireland champions

keeping with the team’s general attitude on a day when they altered the hurling landscape significantly, making a mockery of the widespread perception that they aren’t serious contenders for championship glory.

They could have been on the backfoot early on, as Tipp’s Noel McGrath booted narrowly over the bar with a clear-cut goal chance, and Brendan Maher had to settle for a point as well after Anthony Nash got a touch on his shot from close-range.

They more than held their own for the rest of the first half, however, with their defence, in which the much-maligned Damien Cahalane kept his end up well on ace full-forward Seamus Callanan, growing in stature as a unit to ensure that Tipp were always forced to work hard for scores.

Callanan did threaten to grab a goal nearing half time, but he was denied by Anthony Nash, and Seamus Harnedy hit the side-netting at the other end shortly afterwards, having skinned Tipp full-back Joe Barry to create the opening.

With Alan Cadogan giving rookie defender John O’Keeffe a torrid time, Tipp switched their corner backs towards the end of the first half, but it did little to stabilise their last line of defence against the threat carried by Cadogan, Harnedy and, to a lesser extent, Patrick Horgan for Cork.

Even more disturbing for Tipp in a defensive sense was the regular headway made by Conor Lehane on the ‘40 for Cork against Ronan Maher, and, likewise, switching Padraic Maher to centre-back during the second half failed to remedy that problem It was 0-15 apiece at the of a pulsating

opening 35 minutes, but Cork’s prospects soared when Harnedy left Joe Barry for dead in the left corner before setting up Shane Kingston, who, having been hooked initially, goaled at the second attempt to make it 1-17 to 0-16 in the 43rd minute.

Cork remained in front until John Maguire struck for his goal, and, crucially, they held their nerve in the wake of that body-blow.

Having regained the lead, they lost it again before the magnificent Conor Lehane landed a brace of points, the second from a ‘65, to which substitute Michael Cahalane added a goal in the 68th minute.

It proved to be the game’s defining moment, giving Cork a four-point cushion, and, while Tipp cut the deficit to two in a gripping finale, substitute Luke O’Farrell and Seamus Harnedy, fed by a measured Patrick Horgan pass, posted the scores that sealed the deal in stoppage time.