Below-par Rebels blown out of it by the Premier

Tipperary 1-29 Cork 1-16

FOR the second year in-a-row, Cork won’t be part of the Allianz HL Division 1 quarter-finals as a thirteen-point defeat to Tipperary in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday condemned them to a relegation play-off.

While that clash, against Kilkenny this Saturday in Nowlan Park, will be without the usual tension associated with such clashes due to a revamping of the league structure for next year, it is nevertheless disappointing that John Meyler’s side find themselves in such a position.

Having begun their campaign with losses against the Cats and then Wexford, the Rebels looked to have found form, beating Clare and then winning away against All-Ireland champions Limerick, but they were unable to maintain their momentum.

Playing against the wind, they did lead three times in the early stages in front of an attendance of 3,681, but that was as good as it got. Alan Cadogan, starting his first game for the county in 51 weeks, had the opening point inside nine seconds and Patrick Horgan twice converted frees after captain Séamus Harnedy and Cadogan were fouled, but a burst of three points from Tipp, with Noel McGrath, Niall O’Meara and John O’Dwyer on target, had them in control as they led by 0-5 to 0-3 after 12 mnutes.

Though Horgan replied for Cork with his third point, Tipp reeled off five in-a-row to move 0-10 to 0-4 clear. Jason Forde was just as impressive from dead balls as Horgan was for Cork and he had two of that quintet while Michael Breen was dominating midfield and he got on the scoresheet too along with the excellent Niall O’Meara, who then set up Séamus Callanan.

Bill Cooper at midfield was the only Cork player to make a positive impact in that Tipp spell though Cormac Murphy alongside him battled hard and it was his aerial win which allowed Conor Lehane to point in the 21st minute to reduce the deficit to five points.

After Forde’s fifth points,

Horgan replied for Cork with a close-range effort, but the strength of the wind was shown by his next one from halfway, which travelled as high as it did long. At the other end, there were no such problems and Tipp finished the half with another five points on-the-trot.

Forde brought his tally to eight by the halftime break while

Jake Morris scored one and set up

Breen for his second of the game. A 0-16 to 0-6 interval lead didn’t flatter Tipp and Cork’s task was made all the harder by the injury-enforced departure of Alan Cadogan in the 32nd minute.

Cork needed something positive on the resumption and they almost got it in the form of a fortuitous early goal on after the resumption. Cormac Murphy sent a ball towards goal from midfield and Tipp goalkeeper came to claim Paul Maher, but he couldn’t hold on to possession.

Luckily for him and Tipp, the the ball fell wide of the post. While Horgan converted the ‘65 for his fifth point, Michael Breen replied with his third and Tipp struck for a goal as Damien Cahalane couldn’t claim Noel McGrath’s ball goalwards and Forde pounced to fire past Anthony Nash.

While 29 minutes remained at that stage, a thirteen-point lead was never likely to be overhauled. Cooper had an immediate response with a point but Forde added two for Tipp and though Lehane scored on 45 after sub Shane Kingston forced a turnover, the visitors once again drove on.

This time they had six consecutive points in a seven-minute spell, Breen highly influential and Forde metronomic while O’Meara was only denied a goal by a good Christopher Joyce block but a lead of 1-25 to 0-9 with sixteen minutes remaining told its own story.

Cork sub Robbie O’Flynn did end twelve scoreless minutes but by that stage they were already down to fourteen men as Harnedy had been sent off following an incident with James Barry. Tipp were only to add four more points, but they had done more than enough by then.

The home team did have a goal on 59, Aidan Walsh set up by Conor Lehane’s fine pass and prodding home the rebound after Paul Maher initially saved from him, while Tipp sub Patrick Maher was denied a green flag by Nash.

Six late Cork points, with subs Kingston, Luke Meade and Mark Coleman all on target, could do little to enliven what had been a very disappointing day. They will look for a response against Kilkenny.

TIPPERARY: Paul Maher; Joe O’Dwyer, James Barry, Cathal Barrett; Ronan Maher, Pádraic Maher, Robert Byrne; Noel McGrath (0-1), Michael Breen (0-6); John McGrath (0-1), Niall O’Meara (0-2), Séamus Callanan (0-3, 1f); John O’Dwyer, Jason Forde (1-13, 8f, 1 ‘65), Jake Morris (0-2) Subs: Patrick Maher for Forde (59, injured), Alan Flynn for Joe O’Dwyer (60), Barry Heffernan for O’Meara (64), Mark Kehoe for Callanan (68).

CORK: Anthony Nash ; Darren Browne, Damien Cahalane, Stephen McDonnell; Christopher Joyce, Tim O’Mahony, Eoin Cadogan; Cormac Murphy, Bill Cooper (0-1); Dan Dooley, Séamus Harnedy, Aidan Walsh (1-0); Alan Cadogan (0-1), Conor Lehane (0-4), Patrick Horgan (0-6, 5f) Subs: Shane Kingston (0-1) for Alan Cadogan (32, injured), Mark Coleman (0-1) for Eoin Cadogan, Luke Meade (0-1) for Dooley (both half-time), Robbie O’Flynn (0-1) for Murphy (52), Jack O’Connor for Walsh (70, injured)

REFEREE: Seán Cleere (Kilkenny)