By Darragh Barry
Cork 1-16 Tipperary 3-16
Newly promoted Tipperary got their 2018 Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign off to a superb start when they held off a second-half Cork rally to deservedly claim victory in a cracking clash at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Tipp did it the hard way, having trailed at the break even though they played with the breeze, but they were superb after the restart and well worth their victory.
Liam McGrath led the way for a Tipperary side who scored 3-8 in the second period to lay down a marker that they mean business this year.
Cork led by 0-09 to 0-08 at the interval despite playing against the breeze but they should have been further ahead when they were awarded a penalty in stoppage time when Sean Powter was fouled by Tipperary captain Robbie Kiely.
But Stephen Sherlock, one of six debutants in the Cork side, saw his penalty superbly saved by Tipperary goalkeeper Evan Comerford to leave the minimum between the sides at the break.
Tipperary, playing in Division Two for the first time since 2010, made good use of the breeze early on and deservedly led by 0-04 to 0-01 after eight minutes, with Steven O’Brien marking his return after being away with the hurlers for two years with a point after just 14 seconds.
Sean White responded for the Rebels but McGrath, Michael Quinlivan and Jack Kennedy hit the target for the Premier county.
New Cork manager Ronan McCarthy saw his men show plenty of aggression and their high workrate was rewarded as they reeled off six points without reply to lead by 0-07 to 0-04 after 22 minutes.
Mark Collins was in superb form, hitting three points in the opening half, with White adding a second point and Sherlock, Powter, John O’Rourke and Ruairi Deane also finding the range.
Liam McGrath pulled back a couple of points for Tipperary and efforts from Kennedy and Liam Boland gave them up, but they faced an uphill battle when they turned around to face the breeze trailing by a point.
Sherlock was clearly unfazed by his penalty miss and he hit two good points in less than two minutes after the restart before McGrath and Collins exchanged points for Cork to lead by 0-12 to 0-9 after 39 minutes.
But then Tipperary, continuing to use the long ball well, hit back and after Conor Sweeney rattled the crossbar with a thundering shot, McGrath found the net when Cork failed to clear their lines after 42 minutes.
Sweeney followed with a point and Brian Fox made it 1-12 to 0-12 after 48 minutes of an entertaining game.
It got better for Tipp when Michael Quinlivan slotted home a sublime goal after turning inside Cork corner-back Michael McSweeney, with another point from Sweeney pushing Liam Kearns’ men 2-13 to 0-12 ahead with 17 minutes remaining.
The introduction of Colm O’Neill proved decisive in Cork’s comeback and he fisted to the net after being set up by Deane after 54 minutes, while two minutes later he set up Sherlock but his fisted effort came back off the left upright.
But a point from O’Neill and another free from Sherlock cut the gap to two points with eleven minutes remaining, but a free from McGrath after a good run by Bill Maher left Tipp ahead by a goal with five minutes left.
They sealed the issue three minutes later when McGrath pounced on a loose ball and expertly slotted the ball into the left corner.
Cork: M White; S Ryan, J O'Sullivan, M McSweeney; K Flahive, K Crowley, B O'Driscoll; I Maguire, D O'Callaghan; S White (0-02), S Powter (0-01), R Deane (0-01); J O'Rourke (0-01), M Collins (0-05, 0-1f), S Sherlock (0-05, 0-03f).
Subs used: C O’Neill (1-01) for Powter, C O’Hanlon for O’Callaghan, M Hurley for O’Rourke, T Clancy for B O’Driscoll, K O’Drisoll for White, C Dorman for Maguire.
Tipperary: E Comerford; S O'Connell, J Feehan, E Moloney; B Maher, A Campbell, R Kiely; S O'Brien (0-01), J Kennedy (0-3, 0-02f); J Keane, C Sweeney (0-03, 0-01), B Fox (0-01); L Boland (0-01), M Quinlivan (1-02, 0-01 ’45), L McGrath (2-05, 0-02f).
Subs used: L Casey for Boland, J Meagher for Feehan, K Fahey for Kiely, B Martin for McGrath, C O’Shaughnessy for O’Connell, G Hannigan for O’Brien.
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).
