Cork were the more fluent team in the opening quarter but were guilty of racking up wides and overplaying the ball, which at times handed Tipperary frees.

Source: Irish Examiner

A monster free by Jason Forde secured Tipperary a share of the spoils in Thurles just as it appeared Alan Connolly had worked his magic again after coming off the Cork bench.

The Blackrock man, who impressed in the win against Waterford last week, won a free which was converted by Patrick Horgan and also scored a point himself to keep Cork’s noses ahead coming down the final stretch.

However, Cathal Barrett stepped up to put one between the teams in the fourth minute of additional time and then Forde nailed the equaliser following a Tim O’Mahony foul to earn a second successive draw for Tipperary.

There was still time for Liam Sheedy’s side to add two wides to bring their total count to 16 and if that inaccuracy was their biggest regret here, Cork’s video review will focus on the six frees they coughed up for overcarrying.

Cork trailed by three points seven minutes into the second half but finished that third quarter the superior team, Horgan’s 43rd minute goal putting them level. Horgan batted to the net after a slick move involving Darragh Fitzgibbon and Luke Meade with referee Johnny Murphy playing advantage for the score.

Horgan followed it up with a free in the 47th minute to put the visitors ahead for the first time since the 26th minute and they were a point ahead at the second water break, 2-10 to 0-15.

Cork were the more fluent team in the opening quarter but were guilty of racking up wides and overplaying the ball, which at times handed Tipperary frees. They did create the two standout goal chances of the first half, the first going abegging when Jack O’Connor shot wide in the second minute after being set up by Alan Cadogan.

Tim O’Mahony converted the second opportunity in the 10th minute, although it appeared the fizz had gone out of the attack when, after catching Mark Coleman’s diagonal ball, his hand-pass to Horgan went awry. However, the Cork captain was able to square the ball back towards O’Mahony who finished with a groundstroke.

Two Forde frees followed and the teams were level at the break by which stage Tipperary were also putting together their own tally of stray shots. Cork’s defence was stout enough and Tipperary were resorting to shots from distance.

The teams were on level terms for a sixth time in the 28th minute when Forde fired over his fifth free. Barry Heffernan and John McGrath followed it with scores from distance before O’Mahony seized on some slackness from Noel McGrath. Forde and Horgan then exchanged frees and the difference was the minimum at the break, 0-12 to 1-8.

Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde (0-10, frees); J. McGrath, N. McGrath, B Heffernan (0-2 each); J. O’Dwyer, J. Morris, P. Flynn, R. Maher (free), B. McGrath, C. Barrett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (1-6, 0-5 frees); T. O’Mahony (1-1); A. Cadogan (0-3); C. Cahalane (0-2): R. O’Flynn, D. Connery, D. Fitzgibbon, A. Connolly (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; C. Barrett, Pádraic Maher, B. McGrath; B Heffernan, S. Kennedy, R. Maher; A. Flynn, N. McGrath (c); J. Forde, W. Connors, J. Morris; J. McGrath, J. O’Dwyer, N. O’Meara.

Subs for Tipperary: M. Breen for A. Flynn (40); P. Flynn for N. O’Meara (44); P. Cadell for N. McGrath, Patrick Maher for J. O’Dwyer (both 55); B. Maher for W. Connors (59); D. Quirke for J. Morris (65).

CORK: P. Collins; N. O’Leary, D. Cahalane, S. O’Leary-Hayes; R. Downey, M. Coleman, N. Cashman; B. Hennessy, T. O’Mahony; R. O’Flynn, D. Fitzgibbon, L. Meade; A. Cadogan, P. Horgan (c), J. O’Connor.

Subs for Cork: C. Cahalane for R. O’Flynn (inj 28); D. Connery for N. Cashman (45); E. Cadogan for R. Downey, T. Deasy for J. O’Connor (55); A. Connolly for A. Cadogan (both 59); S. Twomey for L. Meade (70+5).

Referee: J. Murphy (Limerick).