Tipperary 2-17 Offaly 1-15
Michael Ryan’s tenure as Tipperary senior hurling team manager got off to a winning start in Templemore on Sunday afternoon.
The Premier County scored a five-point victory over neighbours Offaly in bitterly cold conditions at the home of JK Brackens.
In a game lacking any real quality due to the heavy underfoot sod, which still held up well, Ryan was nonetheless pleased by what he saw.
He said: “You’re never going to get quality, all you’re looking at here is application and a little bit of progress. We were happy enough with that.”
For Offaly, this was a big step up in class after their comfortable opening round victory over DIT in the Walsh Cup, as Eamonn Kelly took charge of a clash against his native county.
Kelly said: “We got a poor contest last week so it was definitely up a few gears.”
Tipp led by 2-10 to 1-8 at half-time, with Patrick 'Bonner' Maher and Adrian Ryan scoring the goals.
James Mulrooney, Offaly's best player on the day, scored a first half goal to keep the visitors in touch but without dual players Shane Dooley and Joey O'Connor, both on duty with the footballers, it was an uphill battle.
Tipperary: D Gleeson; Joe O'Dwyer, M Breen, C O'Brien; W Ryan, J Meagher, Pádraic Maher; J Gallagher, B Maher (0-1); D McCormack (0-1), Patrick Maher (1-1), S Curran (0-4, 2f, 2 65s); L McGrath, C Kenny (0-5, 1f), A Ryan (1-2). Subs: D Fitzell for Gallagher (30), J Forde (0-1) for Patrick Maher, M Cahill for Breen, D Quinn (0-1) for B Maher, K Morris (0-1f) for McGrath, D Mooney for Gleeson (all half-time), L Ryan for W Ryan (40), John O'Dwyer for McCormack (43), B Maher for Morris (61).
Offaly: C Slevin; D Mooney, C McDonald, N Wynne; D Shortt, C Doughan, R Hughes; S Ryan (0-1), S Kinsella (0-1); P Murphy (0-3), C Egan (0-1), J Mulrooney (1-7, 0-4f, 0-1 65, 0-1 sl); S Quirke (0-1), B Murphy, S Cleary. Subs: J Sampson for Ryan (23), J Dempsey for Slevin (h.t), J Gorman (0-1) for Egan (40), P Camon for Hughes (41), B Mulrooney for McDonald (43), B Leonard for Shortt (43), F Hannon for Quirke (63), S Connolly for Wynne (67).
Referee: A Stapleton (Laois)