Defeat to Tipperary means Cork must play in the semi-final

Tipperary 3-20

Cork 0-18

Cork will have to contest the oneills.com Munster U20HC semi-final in a fortnight’s time after a disappointing defeat to Tipperary on Friday night prevented them from finishing top of the provincial group table.

Since a defeat to the same county on the same turf two years ago, Cork had not lost a game in the grade, but there was no doubting the result here. All is not lost for the Rebels, who have completed their round-robin schedule, but they must wait for other results to determine whether they finish second or third and who exactly their opponents will be in the semifinals. However, improvement is imperative.

An open tally of 13 will be one of the first things management consider, as well as the fact they were outscored three to nil, with Senan Butler the Tipp hat-trick hero. Premier County now join Cork on six points and if they beat Clare next week they will finish top with a 100 per cent record.

Cork had left themselves a task of considerable proportions when they went away at half-time with a nine-point deficit, 2-10 to 0-7.

Although they led three times in the opening stages of the game, they squandered other opportunities: the first 13 minutes brought four open spaces and Tipp were yet to register a wayward effort, while the interval score on that front was 8-4.

Tipp always looked dangerous in attack against a Cork defense that couldn’t always maintain its form and, after Darragh McCarthy drew 0-3 apiece, points from Conor Martin and Sam O’Farrell helped the hosts take the lead for the first time. It was an advantage that would never be relinquished.

While James O’Dwyer pushed Cork back, Tipp midfielder O’Farrell responded and then set up Paddy McCormack for his third before McCarthy, free from midfield, made it 0-8 to 0-4.

William Buckley claimed the puckout and shot over, but on the next play Tipp threatened a goal when Oisín O’Donoghue fed McCarthy, who saved from Paudie O’Sullivan. The game was interrupted by a foul in the previous period, McCarthy opened a four-point lead and they didn’t have to wait long for the goal anyway.

It came in the 17th minute and there was some luck as McCarthy’s point attempt off the post created the chance, but it was still too easy for Butler to get in and shoot.

Cork had the next points after that blow, Leahy and Dwyer reducing the gap to five points, but Tipp were given another kick before the break.

Midfielder Adam Daly slipped as he shot but had enough reach to get over despite O’Sullivan’s efforts and McCarthy was then able to run towards the Cork defense before offloading to Butler. He scored a shot from a tight angle and Brendan Cummins’ side were in a wonderful position as they went into the break.

Cork made two changes at the break, with Adam O’Sullivan and Timmy Wilk called into action, but O’Donoghue singled out Tipp on the restart and McCarthy opened up an 11-point lead.

Cork took the next four points (two from Diarmuid Healy, one from Buckley and one from Leahy), while Barry Walsh tested Eoin Horgan in the Tipp goal, but Tipp had their own scoring chance, and O’Sullivan rejected McCormack.

When Tipp’s mini-drought ended in the 40th minute, it was with another green flag, again from Butler’s stick. Martin engineered the chance after being fed by McCormack and although his run ended with a shot saved by O’Sullivan, Butler was there to tap into the loose ball.

O’Donoghue’s second made the score 3-13 to 0-11, but Tipp continued to add points and were 3-16 to 0-12 when Butler added a white flag to accompany this three-goal haul. Cork substitute Adam O’Sullivan fired a couple of late points and Jack Leahy had a goal-scoring effort from a free-kick deflected by Horgan, but Tipp’s supremacy was never in danger.

Tipperary Scorers: S Butler 3-1, D McCarthy 0-6f, O O’Donoghue, P McCormack (0-1 on wing) 0-3 each, C Martin, S O’Farrell 0-2 each, A Daly, C English, E Horgan (0-1f) 0-1 each.

Cork: J Leahy 0-7 (0-6f), W Buckley, J Dwyer 0-3 each, A O’Sullivan, D Healy 0-2 each, T Wilk, Barry Walsh 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: E Horgan; C O’Donnell, A O’Halloran, P O’Dwyer; Collins J, Currivan B, Cawley M; SO O’Farrell, A Daly; C English, C Martin, O’Donoghue; McCarthy D, McCormack P, Butler S.

Subs: J O’Callaghan for Cawley (41), S Rowan for Butler (53), C Foley for O’Farrell (56), E Craddock for O’Donoghue (59), D Fogarty for English (60+1).

CORK: P O’Sullivan (P. O’Neills); K Lyons (Ballygarvan), D Cashman (Bride Rovers), D O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); J Dwyer (Ballincollig), O O’Regan (Erin’s Own), C Tobin (Bride Rovers); M Finn (Midleton), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); D Cremin (Midleton), W Buckley (St Finbarr’s), D Healy (Lisgoold); J Leahy (Dungourney), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), T O’Connell (Ballincollig).

Substitutes: T Wilk (Cobh) for Ben Walsh, A O’Sullivan for O’Connell (both at half-time), J O’Brien (Fermoy) for O’Regan (42), P O’Shea (Erin’s Own) for Tobin (50), E O’Leary (Glen Rovers) for Cremin (56).

Referee: N. Malone (Clare).