Tipperary 0-31 Waterford 2-15:ELEVEN TIPPERARY players scored during another high-scoring display against Waterford at Semple Stadium.
Tipperary, who led by 0-15 to 1-7 at half-time, ran riot in the second half and picked off another 16 points, despite playing against the wind. With a second successive win under their belts, Tipp are in contention for a top-three finish and appear to have consigned a disappointing opening day defeat against Kilkenny to the history books
Waterford, meanwhile, are locked in a desperate relegation battle.
The statistics from a Waterford perspective make for grim reading as 43 efforts on goal yesterday yielded 31 points, 11 wides and a save from Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe.
A move towards better, lower delivery into the forward line is paying rich dividends as the route-one approach did not work against Kilkenny.
Remarkably, 11 home players were on the score sheet as man-of-the-match Noel McGrath and Pa Bourke helped themselves to seven points each.
Tipperary led by 0-15 to 1-7 at half-time before they piled on the misery for Waterford in the second half.
Stephen Molumphy’s 29th-minute goal brought Waterford back into contention, trailing by 1-6 to 0-14, but Maurice Shanahan’s penalty with 11 minutes remaining proved to be a mere consolation for the visitors.
TIPPERARY: D Gleeson; D Maher, P Curran, M Cahill; J O’Keeffe, C O’Mahony, P Maher (0-2); B Maher (0-2), J Woodlock (0-2); J Ryan (0-1), N McGrath (0-7, 1f), P Bourke (0-7, 4f); J O’Neill (0-2), B O’Meara (0-3), S Bourke (0-2).Subs: S Maher for O’Keeffe (h.t.), J O’Brien for O’Neill (55), S Curran for Ryan (60) T Stapleton (0-1) for P Maher (64), S McGrath (0-2) for Woodlock (67).
WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; D Fives, L Lawlor, Philip Mahony; T Browne, K Moran (0-1), J Nagle (0-1); M Walsh, S Molumphy (1-0); S O’Sullivan (0-2), S Walsh (0-1), G O’Brien (0-1); M Shanahan (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-1f), M O’Neill (0-4f), P O’Brien. Subs: J Dillon for O’Neill (49), E McGrath (0-1) for P O’Brien (55), T Ryan for S Walsh (68). Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath).