Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cork pop the champagne
MASSIVE WIN FOR REBEL ARMY AS GUNS GET TURNED ON TIPPERARY
Cork 2-24 Tippeary 1-25
PATRICK HORGAN led the way as Cork defeated All-Ireland champions Tipperary with a tiny bit to spare.
Horgan hit 1-9 in a superb display and the Rebels held off a late Tipperary rally to secure the win in a thriller at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
The sides were level eight times in a highly entertaining opening half but a strong finish to the half saw Cork lead by 2-13 to 0-15 at the break.
Both teams thrived in the perfect weather and the superb surface at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and scores were struck from all angles and distances by both sides.
Robbie O’Flynn got the opening goal after 11 minutes after being put through by Alan Cadogan and points from Patrick Horgan and Cadogan saw the Rebels lead by double scores at 1-7 to 0-5 after 15 minutes. The response from Liam Sheedy’s men in front of a crowd of 9,821 was impressive as they hit five in a row with Jason Forde getting a brace and Mark Kehoe, McGrath and Ronan Maher hit the target to draw level eleven minutes from the interval.
The sides then exchanged points four times before Paudie Maher’s second long-range effort pushed Tipperary 0-15 to 1-11 in front in injury-time at the end of the opening half.
But Cork finished strongly with Seamus Harnedy and Darragh Fitzgibbon pointing before Horgan dispatched a penalty to the bottom right corner of the net after O’Flynn was fouled by Sean O’Brien after a short puckout was overturned and that left Cork leading by 2-13 to 0-15 at the interval.
The sides continued to exchange points in the third quarter but Tipp, having introduced Hurler of the Year
Seamus Callanan, got the gap down to two going into the final quarter.
But another magnificent free from 80 metres on the right wing by Horgan left Cork leading by 2-19 to 0-22 with 14 minutes left in the game. Another free from Horgan left Tipperary four adrift and while Forde and Morris responded, Horgan’s first point from play left Cork leading by a goal with seven minutes remaining.
McGrath flashed a goal chance over the bar and Cork went four in front when Fitzgibbon and Mark Coleman scored, but then Tipp got a lifeline when Kehoe was fouled by Bill Cooper and goalkeeper Brian Hogan came forward to blast the resultant penalty to the net and leave just a point between them after 68 minutes.
Play was held up in the final minutes for an injury to John O’Dwyer.
Seamus Harnedy doubled Cork’s lead to two deep into injury-time when play resumed while Tipp failed to convert goal chances from McGrath and Callanan in a hectic finish as Cork held on for a priceless win against their biggest rivals.