Tipperary 1-21 Cork 0-22
Stefan Tobin's six points from play helped Tipperary to an edgy opening round victory over 14-man Cork in the Dalata Hotels Munster U20 Hurling Championship.
John Murphy was red-carded before half-time with the Rebels one ahead, but they soon moved six in front. Senior star Barry Walsh scored 0-14 from a whopping 21 shots, including 13 out of 18 scoreable frees.
But Jamie Ormond’s 42nd-minute goal sparked a Premier comeback in front of 2,669 fans at FBD Semple Stadium. Cormac Fitzpatrick, scorer of 0-11 (8 frees), and Oisín O’Donoghue struck the winning points in added time.
Brendan Cummins called upon four starters from last year’s All-Ireland U20 triumph over Kilkenny in Cathal O’Reilly, Adam Ryan, captain O’Donoghue, and David Costigan. Three of his team, O’Reilly, O’Donoghue, and Tobin, have seen league action for the Tipp seniors this spring.
They got off to a flier, reeling off the first six points, with the first brace coming from the roaming Tobin. O’Donoghue provided a long-ball outlet, flashing a dropshot over the crossbar.
Walsh would score Cork’s first five points in the opening 20 minutes, including his only effort from play, to get it back to a one-score game.O’Donoghue had a couple more half-chances for goal, with one called back for a free and the other cannoned wide from a tight angle.
Michael T Brosnan, John Murphy, and Zach Biggane expanded the scoring spread to narrow the gap to the minimum.
Brilliant scores from Fitzpatrick and Tobin, after throwing the perfect dummy, pushed Tipp further ahead, but Walsh closed with the final four frees.
They lost the impetus after the latter score when Murphy was caught for an off-the-ball incident involving Shane Cleary and sent off just before Nicky O’Toole blew the half-time whistle; 0-12 to 0-11.
The Rebels had time to reorganise and slotted the opening pair through Walsh’s frees for a three-point lead. By that juncture, Tipp had conceded 14 frees, 13 of which were scoreable, and 10 of which Walsh had converted. The free count ended 22-13 in Cork’s favour.
After two more Walsh frees, Johnnie Murphy became the first player to score from play for 14 minutes, making it 0-17 to 0-12. Biggane and Walsh soon opened a six-point cushion.
Tipp’s hopes were revived as Fitzpatrick latched onto Paddy McCormack’s long delivery and drilled the sliotar low, smacking the post. Ormond was on hand to sweep home the rebound; 0-19 to 1-13.
Eoghan Doughan and Finn O’Brien traded points before Tipp began to spark. Fitzpatrick strung together three in a row to level before Tobin rode a tackle to retake the lead.
O’Donoghue was denied a goal by Óisín Walsh before Johnnie Murphy levelled for a third time.Tobin ducked between two defenders, surviving a foul for the lead point. Walsh missed one tricky free and dropped another short, but Barry O’Flynn mopped up to level entering three added minutes.
The last three shots were all Tipp’s as Fitzpatrick’s free edged them ahead before O’Donoghue applied the clincher.
Tipperary: P McCormack; C O’Reilly, E Morris, S Ryan; D Ryan, S Rowan, E Murray; T Ryan, S Cleary; A Ryan, S Tobin (0-06), D Costigan (0-01); J Ormond (1-00), O O’Donoghue (0-02), C Fitzpatrick (0-11, 8f).
Subs: E Doughan (0-01) for A Ryan (h-t), P Ryan for S Ryan (44), J Hackett for Cleary (58)J Hayes for Costigan (60).
Cork: Ó Walsh; M Barrett, D O’Leary, D Heavin; MT Brosnan (0-01), D Fitzgerald, Ben Walsh; John Murphy (0-01), C Noonan; Z Biggane (0-02), Barry Walsh (0-14, 13f), Jack O’Brien; B O’Flynn (0-01), Johnnie Murphy (0-02), F O’Brien (0-01).
Subs: C Garde for Ben Walsh (44), C O’Sullivan for Biggane (48), James O’Brien for Jack O’Brien (55), C Deane for Noonan (58).
Fred Hegarty's late goal turned a low-scoring game in Clare's favour as they edged out Waterford by a single point in their Munster opener in Sixmilebridge.
Waterford led a suffocating encounter 0-07 to 0-04 at the break, with Sean Mackey, Gearóid O'Shea and the placed balls of Davy Comerford proving the difference.
Clare gradually worked their way back in the third quarter, a brace of points from Daniel Costello and one from substitute Jack Mescall edging them 0-08 to 0-07 midway through the half.
However, that was Waterford's cue to regain the initiative and they seemed to have done enough when points from Fiachra Cooney and Mackey pushed them 11-9 ahead with minutes remaining in a game where scores were hard to come by.
On 58 minutes, a long ball into the square was won on the ground by Paul Rodgers and he popped the ball off to Hegarty who lashed a low shot to the net.
Mackey levelled it up for Waterford but Ronan Kilroy had the final say, the wing-forward who featured for the seniors in the league, raining over the winning score to win 1-10 to 0-12.
FOOTBALL
Leinster
Luke O'Boyle's goal with 15 minutes remaining as Dublin dug themselves out of a hole to beat Wexford in Chadwick's Wexford Park in their Leinster Group 1 opener.
With Wexford football on a high following their seniors' dramatic promotion, Cathal Kehoe's goal gave them a three-point advantage at half-time, on a 1-10 to 0-10 scoreline.
They retained the advantage throughout the third quarter, with both sides blowing chances, until O'Boyle's strike changed the dynamic of the contest.
Both teams traded two-point frees until the Dubs kicked for home, a clutch of late scores seeing them home a 1-18 to 1-15 score.
Elsewhere in Group 1, the Westmeath-Louth fixture was called off due to an unplayable pitch at St Loman's.
In Group 2, Meath devoured Carlow 5-19 to 2-09 in Netwatch Cullen Park.
John Harkin (below) and substitute Adam Ducie scored a brace of goals, after Cian Commins had found the net first as Meath ran out very easy winners, establishing their credentials in Leinster.
First-half goals from Mark Cooney and Luke Donnelly were crucial as Longford beat Laois 2-17 to 1-15 in Portloaise in Group 2.
When Donnelly found the net for the visitors' second goal, they led by nine after 17 minutes but Darren Brennan hit back with a goal to give Laois a lifeline.
The home side rattled off seven without reply in the third quarter to bring it back to a two-point game before a Donnelly two-pointer settled the nerves and Longford eased home from there, pushing seven clear again before a Laois two-pointer on the final play put a kinder gloss on the scoreline.
In Group 3 in Roundwood, a brace of goals from Ronan Kelly and a third from Jimmy Lynch meant Kildare had it far too easy against Wicklow, the Lillies running out 3-16 to 0-07 winner to get their Leinster campaign up and running.
Ulster
Cavan held off Tyrone to win their Ulster U20 Group 2 opening round 1-14 to 0-15.
Shane McCabe's goal was the key score of the first half, in which Shea McDermott was responsible for all of Tyrone's scores.
The hosts continued to build their lead in the third quarter, Odhran Madden's point pushing them 1-13 to 0-10 pushed them six clear.
Jamie Concannon responded with a two-pointer for Tyrone, the first player other than McDermott to score and it sparked a late surge which just fell short, Cavan holding on to win 1-14 to 0-15, Nathan Quigley grabbing a vital settling score.
Elsewhere in Group 2, Armagh were too strong for Down, running out 0-19 to 1-12 winners.
Liam McGeary was to the fore as Armagh led all the way through in Páirc Esler. Eoghan Travers' goal gave Down a glimmer of hope to bring it back to a four point game on 42 minutes but Armagh held steady, points from McGeary, Diarmuid O'Rourke, Aron McGuinness and Eoin Duffy helping them home.
In Group 1, Kevin Muldoon's early goal was vital as Donegal held off Monaghan in a low scoring encounter to win 1-09 to 0-08 in Castleblayney.
The win is Donegal's second of the campaign, having edged out Fermanagh last week, while Monaghan are badly in need of points, having lost to Derry in their opener.
Fermanagh grabbed their first win of the campaign at home to Antrim, with goals from Mattie McDermott and Daire Chapman vital as they held off the visitors on a 2-11 to 2-07 scoreline.
Connacht
Galway made it two wins from two in the Dalata Hotels Connacht U-20 Football Championship after defeating Leitrim by five points, while Roscommon gained their first victory after wiping out an 11-point deficit to defeat Sligo by ten.
Because of heavy rain, Leitrim were forced to concede home advantage with the game switched from Cloone to the Connacht COE in Bekan.
Matthew Collins and Ciarán Mulhern raised green flags for the Tribes just before the break to give them a six-point advantage at the short whistle, this after a couple of Paul Honeyman two-pointers had Leitrim briefly in front.
It was Galway who kept their opponents at arm's length, eventually winning on a 2-11 to 0-12 scoreline.
A classic game of two halves at King and Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, with the Rossies prevailing on a 2-19 to 0-15 scoreline.
A strong breeze blew towards the graveyard end in the opening 30 and Sligo took full advantage.
Two-pointers from Eamonn O'Mahony, Eli Rooney and Cian Nicholson contributed to the Yeats County building up a 0-14 to 0-03 two minutes out from the break. It was then the hosts got in for their opening goal, Colin Murray the scorer. Shortly after the resumption, the deficit was further reduced when Eoin Collins netted.
That was the cue for Rossies to take over. Charlie O’Carroll kicked a hat-trick of two-pointers, while Conor Grogan also raised an orange flag.
Sligo only registered one point in the second period.
