Gaelic Games

Donncha O’Connor and Colm O’Neill impress for experimental Cork against Tipperary

Waterford and Limerick endure contrasting results against students in McGrath Cup

Alan Campbell and Barry Grogan tackle Donncha O’Connor of Cork. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Alan Campbell and Barry Grogan tackle Donncha O’Connor of Cork. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Sun Jan 11 2015 - 17:14

Cork 1-14 Tipperary 0-12

Cork manager Brian Cuthbert welcomed the opportunity for "game-time" for his extended squad who continued their run through this year's McGrath Cup with a relatively comfortable win against Tipperary.

Donncha O’Connor scored 1-4 in the first half , a converted penalty and four superb points from play, and that fired them to an interval lead which was rarely threatened by the home team in a game which proved relatively high-scoring for the time of year.

“It was a tough game,” Cuthbert said afterwards. “Tipp are a good physical team, they could have beaten us in the championship in Cork last year, maybe they should have beaten us. Certainly they didn’t hold back today but sure you wouldn’t expect them to hold back.”

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After a brief flurry at the start, when George Hannigan scored after 40 seconds before a Cork player had touched the ball, Tipp quickly found themselves on the backfoot with O’Connor firing over a couple of quickfire points, added to by others by Colm O’Neill, before O’Connor stroked home a penalty after Jamie O’Sullivan was brought down in the 18th minute.

That gave them a three-point lead and the scores were never any tighter than that for the remainder of the fixture.

Tipperary manager Peter Creedon described it as "a great workout at this time of year, considering we're not back that long".

Meanwhile Limerick’s Seanie Buckley scored three goals, one from a penalty, but his side were well beaten by UCC in an entertaining McGrath cup tie in Rathkeale.

With the defence of their Siggerson Cup only a few weeks away UCC had the advantage fitness wise and having led by 2-6 to 1-4 at the interval they got a fright when Limerick edged 3-6 to 2-8 after 45 minutes.

But a pointed free and a goal from play by man of the match, Thomas Hickey and two quick points by Conor Horgan put Billy Morgan's side back in control.

UCC had Padraig O’Connor given a black card two minutes before halftime and the awarding of the penalty for handling the ball on the ground by goalkeeper Michael Martin provided most talking points.

Waterford survived a second half Cork IT resurgence to progress to a McGrath Cup semi-final against Cork next Sunday following a four-point win on a heavy, churning Clashmore sod.

A cheeky 60th minute goal from substitute Lorcán Ó Curraoin, who dinked the ball over CIT and fellow Deise panellist Sean Barron from 12 yards, edged Waterford ahead after the students had overturned a two-point interval deficit to lead by one.

Five points off the boot of towering midfielder Shane Aherne, including a magnificent 55-metre free inside two minutes, also proved vital for Waterford on an afternoon which featured the return of Liam Lawlor to the senior football fold.

Cork IT rallied well, having trailed by 0-6 to 0-1 after 23 minutes, with half-forwards Jason Lonergan and Jerry O’Connor, along with insider liners Donal Óg Hodnett (scorer of five excellent frees) and Barry O’Mahony keeping the home defence on their toes throughout the contest. But it was Waterford whom prevailed in the home stretch.