Tipperary booked their place in the All-Ireland final with a thrilling and controversial two-point win over Kilkenny, sealed by a thunderous 69th-minute goal from Oisín O’Donoghue.
However the scoreboard error late in the game – after the umpire had waved Noel McGrath’s shot wide – was a big talking point.
Kilkenny thought they were four points down at that point, rather than three, potentially influencing their decision to pursue a goal rather than taking points.
Jordan Molloy reduced the gap to two, but Kilkenny kept pressing for a goal, unaware they were only two down rather than three. John Donnelly’s late effort was repelled by Robbie Doyle, and TJ Reid, with a chance to point, instead looked for goal.
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Adding to the tension was the dismissal of Darragh McCarthy on 59 minutes for a second yellow card, although the numerical disadvantage appeared to galvanise Tipp.
First half of toing and froing
The first half was defined tactically by how Kilkenny offered the short puckout to Tipp. The puckout map below highlights below how Tipperary gained more distance and secured cleaner possession off their restarts, pushing Kilkenny on to the back foot.
Tipp’s forwards showed intent all day, though it took them 15 minutes to settle into the game – their only score during that opening period being John McGrath’s sublime finish, a goal created by clever movement that pulled Huw Lawlor out of position.
Andrew Ormond had a similar chance moment earlier but opted for a shot when he might have passed to John McGrath, as we can see below.
The shot map above reveals how Tipp were clinical with their goal chances, netting three times from inside positions despite registering 12 first-half wides. Darragh McCarthy’s goal came from direct running and Jason Forde’s strike – set up by McCarthy’s sublime handpass – was a sensational one-handed flick finish, improvising under pressure and deceiving Eoin Murphy.
Kilkenny looked dominant in those first 15 minutes, as Tipp struggled with the dimensions of Croke Park.
Kilkenny led by five at one stage in the first half, but Tipperary’s ability to score in bursts proved critical.
The turning point of the first half came in the five-minute spell from the 18th minute. With Kilkenny leading 0-10 to 1-2, the momentum shifted dramatically. Eoghan Connolly sparked the revival with a point, stemming from a hard-earned turnover on a Kilkenny puckout by Conor Stakelum.
Jake Morris followed that with a point after a mis-hit sideline ball by Forde. Tipp then struck with goals from McCarthy and Forde, propelling them into the lead by the 23rd minute. Kilkenny’s composure began to fray as they conceded a string of chances, while Rhys Shelly’s precise deliveries into the inside line continued to cause chaos.
The sharp movement of John McGrath and McCarthy consistently disrupted Kilkenny’s full-back line, culminating in 2-2 from the Tipp full-forward trio during that blistering spell.
Tipp hold firm
The second half began with Kilkenny edging their way back into contention, but Tipperary remained composed and clinical in key moments. The game’s dynamic shifted dramatically when McCarthy was shown a second yellow card, reducing Tipp to 14 men with over 10 minutes left to play.
But Kilkenny failed to exploit the numerical advantage. Rather than creating space or working the extra man to stretch Tipp’s defensive shape, Kilkenny defaulted to hitting hopeful 50/50 balls – particularly from Paddy Deegan and Richie Reid – into a well-drilled Tipp defence. Their ball handling and decision-making deteriorated, and instead of using the width of Croke Park, their attack became narrow and predictable. Tipp, looking compact and disciplined, protected the scoring zone effectively. While they conceded frees that TJ Reid converted, they gave up no clear goal chances – a testament to their structure, tracking, and sheer workrate in the closing stages.
Meanwhile, Tipperary’s resets remained sharp, with Mikey Breen repeatedly available from short puckouts, helping Tipp retain control. Kilkenny’s own puckout strategy stuttered – Eoin Murphy was slow to restart when options were available. More importantly, Tipp punished Kilkenny mistakes with 1-10 from turnovers. This was evident in the last 10 minutes when Reid, Deegan and Carey were each caught in possession.
A crucial moment came when Jordan Molloy’s effort − with Kilkenny two points up − was floating just over the bar, and goalkeeper Shelly reached high with his hurl and took the ball down from going over the crossbar. Soon after, O’Donoghue’s brilliant solo goal off an Alan Tynan turnover below, extended Tipp’s lead and deflated Kilkenny.
Tipp’s full-forward line ended with 3-3 from play, plus O’Donoghue’s goal, while Kilkenny, despite hurling well in patches, failed to land a knockout blow when it counted most.
Jeffrey Lynskey managed Galway to three All-Ireland minor hurling titles. He is also a former Galway under-20 manager and is currently an MSc student in Sports Performance Analysis at Setu Carlow.
