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Connolly hat-trick inspires Cork to Tipperary trouncing

Updated / Sunday, 19 May 2024 21:33

Alan Connolly's third hat-trick in two months powered Cork to an 18-point trouncing that eliminates Tipperary from the Munster Hurling Championship at Semple Stadium.

The sides had been evenly matched until the Blackrock poacher’s first on the stroke of half-time. After the break, they outgunned the hosts by 3-15 to 0-09.

It lifts the Rebels to second in the standings and strengthens their prospects of qualification to the All-Ireland series.

They even broke the Munster round-robin scoring record, taking their four-game total to a whopping 11-107.

The Premier have now gone six games in Munster without a win (three draws and three losses) and their final-round game against Clare is now a dead rubber.

Despite their statement victory, Cork are not yet assured of progression from Munster, however the only combination of results that would eliminate them next weekend is a draw between Limerick and Waterford in the TUS Gaelic Grounds alongside a Clare victory in Thurles.

There was a huge Cork turnout among the sold-out 43,972 crowd at FBD Semple Stadium.

It was the Tipp supporters who raised the first big cheer within 15 seconds of the throw-in. Noel McGrath’s visionary pass picked out Conor Bowe’s through run and while Patrick Collins saved, Mark Kehoe was on hand to tap in.

Cork had an immediate goal chance in response but Barry Hogan pulled off a flying save from Brian Hayes. Kehoe had another run at goal ended by a tangle of legs with Seán O’Donoghue.

Referee Thomas Walsh deemed it accidental rather than cynical and awarded a free rather than a penalty.

Liam Cahill showed his confidence in Jason Forde’s free-taking and he slotted five points in the first half, converting three of his four placed balls.

Cork were able to replicate some of their puck-outs successes that troubled Limerick. Five of their first six points came from that source to level at 1-03 to 0-06, including three from Patrick Horgan.

They would be level another seven times before the half-time whistle.

Shane Barrett completed a three-point streak to give the Leesiders their first lead. It took until the 20th minute for them to push two ahead with a Darragh Fitzgibbon off-the-hurl score, his third, and a Declan Dalton intercept. 0-12 to 1-07.

Tipp replied with five of the next six. When McGrath split the posts, all six forwards had registered. He was followed by a Forde pair and two sublime catch-and-point efforts from Hogan’s puck-outs, finished by Alan Tynan and the roving Jake Morris.

Their lead was two but Cork struck the final 1-02. First, Séamus Harnedy and Horgan raised white flags. Then, in the second minute of added time, Barrett’s run created space and Connolly beat two defenders to spin his shot into the far top corner to give Cork a three-point cushion at the break.

Hayes was the only forward not to score in the first half but he landed two in the space of a minute from quality Luke Meade supply.

Then Connolly took over. Dan McCormack had been warming up to replace the struggling Cathal Barrett. The corner-back wasn’t the best target for a short puck-out in the circumstances and the Blackrock livewire turned him over and wrongfooted Hogan with his reverse strike.

Hayes wafted another chance wide before Connolly had his third in the 47th minute after a sharp passing exchange with Meade.

That sparked a 1-08 unanswered burst as Tipp fell away. The final quartet came from impact sub Shane Kingston to make it 3-25 to 1-16. A 15-point difference.

Conor Lehane added another with his first touch and the home exodus hit its peak after Barrett punished Bowe’s sloppy pass by feeding Horgan for a fourth goal on the hour.

The championship’s all-time top scorer could’ve even had a second but for a square-ball call ruling out his late tap-in.

Tipperary: B Hogan; C Barrett, M Breen, C Morgan; B O’Mara, R Maher (0-01f), C Bowe (0-01); E Connolly, A Tynan (0-01); G O’Connor (0-02), J Forde (0-05, 3f), N McGrath (0-02); M Kehoe (1-00), D Stakelum (0-02), J Morris (0-03).

Subs: P Cadell for R Maher (32-h-t, temporary), C Stakelum for Connolly (h-t), D McCormack for Barrett (42, inj), J McGrath (0-03, 3f) for Forde (44), P Maher for D Stakelum (48), S Hayes (0-01) for O’Connor (56).

Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary (0-01), E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, R Downey (0-02), M Coleman; E Twomey, D Fitzgibbon (0-03); D Dalton (0-01), S Barrett (0-02), S Harnedy (0-03); P Horgan (1-09, 0-05f), A Connolly (3-01), B Hayes (0-02).

Subs: L Meade (0-01) for E Twomey (32, temporary), S Kingston (0-04) for Dalton (45), G Millerick for O’Donoghue (52, temporary), C Lehane (0-01) for Harnedy (60), J O’Connor for Barrett (62), T O’Connell for Fitzgibbon (64), S Twomey for Connolly (67).

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford).

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