Fr. Tom Burke's v Tipperary - July 6

Fr. Tom's Ciaran Moore sets up a shot at goal.

Fr. Tom Burke’s 0-15 Tipperary 1-17

For 55 minutes these teams could not separate themselves from each other. It was all square at the end of the first half at seven points each, and at the end of 55 minutes it was fifteen apiece. It was a Cronan Dempsey goal that proved to be the match winner. The sliothar was forced across the goal to Dempsey who pulled on it from close range to finally put some distance between the teams with 5 minutes remaining on the clock.

Tom’s opened the scoring in the first half with a point from Noel Kelly, which was answered by Alan McCrabbe with a free. McCrabbe put Tipp ahead with another free, and David Buckley made it 3 to 1 with a nice score from play. Kelly got one back for Tom’s, and McCrabbe put one over from play for Tipp. After Adrian Kelly notched one for Tom’s, John McGrath put another score over for Tipp. Tipp were playing some good hurling and supporting each other well. After Noel Kelly got Tom’s back within one, the sides began trading scores. Joe O’Leary put a booming free over from 75 yards for Tom’s, and shortly thereafter bustled through the Tipp defence to score from play. McCrabbe and Ciaran Moore pointed for Tipp and Tom’s respectively and the half ended all square with neither side managing to gain any advantage over the other.

Tipp keeper Jim Howard eludes the advances of Trevor Kelly.

The second half was a case of your free or mine. Noel Kelly opened the second half with a point for Tom’s and McCrabbe answered for Tipp. The half continued in this fashion, each side answering the other for points from frees. Joe O’Leary was the man on the spot for Tom’s and McCrabbe for Tipp. Gareth Sinnott, John McGrath, and David Buckley also notched points for Tipp and Ciaran Moore, Trevor Kelly, and Noel Kelly did the same for Tom’s. The game looked as though it would take a goal to break the deadlock, and so it was as Dempsey’s goal proved too much for Tom’s to come back from. Buckley followed with two insurance points from play. This was a great opportunity for Tom’s to earn their first two championship points, but Tipp will have been satisfied with the win in a game that could have gone either way.

Tom’s: D. Hession, J. Dowling, D. Kennedy, D. Hardiman, Joe O’Leary (0-6), D. Finneran, Trevor Kelly (0-1), K. Dolan, D. Moore, Ciaran Moore (0-2), O. Moran, Noel. Kelly (0-5), Adrian Healy (0-1). Tipp: J. Howard,J. O’Sullivan, R. Hennessey, M. Jordan, F. Devanney, J. Coghlan, Cronan Dempsey (1-1), G. Barry, Alan McCrabbe (0-8), T. Waters, Gareth Sinnott (0-2), David Buckley (0-4), John McGrath (0-2).

By Rory O'Donnell