Electric Ireland Munster MFC Semi-Finals

Cork 1-13 Clare 0-8

Kerry 2-19 Tipperary 2-5

By Stephen Barry

Kerry and Cork will meet for their third consecutive Electric Ireland Munster minor football final on Monday after seeing off Tipperary and Clare in the semi-finals.

The Kingdom were left worried when brought level early in the second half before going through the gears, while the Rebels could afford to coast having done the hard work early on.

At FBD Semple Stadium, Tipp were sensing a shock at the brea, but once the defending champions penned them in, starved them of possession, and transformed this into an open contest, that was it.

They reeled off the next 1-8 without reply and didn’t miss a shot until the last kick. By that time, they had racked up 2-13 from 15 efforts. Incredible accuracy.

As against Cork, Kerry had nine different scorers, led by Jack Joy (1-3), while Éanna Murphy netted off the bench.

Charlie Walsh kicked all but one point for Tipp. His eye-catching 2-4 tally was the home highlight. As the fourth-ranked team in Munster, they will now head into tier 3 of the new All-Ireland series.

The Premier’s early pressure did slow Kerry’s progress, but three overcarrying frees coughed up possession for three points. Joy celebrated a lovely outside-of-the-boot point, Gearóid White added a routine placed ball, and Ben Murphy whistled a goal chance inches over after a quickly-taken free.

Tipp came with a late flurry. Gavin Neville’s rob turned a misplaced kick-out into an attacking opportunity which ended in a soaring Dylan Cotter point.

A flowing Kerry move produced a Joey McCarthy score in response but Tipp finished with a goal.

From a short dropped short, they countered down the right and a dangerous ball from Danny Morris was palmed to the net by Walsh. 0-6 to 1-2 at the break.

Walsh’s free levelled proceedings and Tipp could’ve even edged ahead before Kerry wrestled back control and stormed ahead.

After a White free, Ruairí O’Connell’s sweet dinked pass with his first touch found Joy to execute a sidestepping finish. 1-7 to 1-3.

Scores streamed from there with seven points in the next eight minutes, including two from White and one each from the midfield pairing of Ben Murphy and Killian Dennehy, who scored with his final act before being called ashore.

With five minutes to go, they added a goal with a smart passing move across the 21 involving three subs and ending with Joy feeding Éanna Murphy.

Tipp hit right back with Jack Garrett’s perfect set-up play allowing Walsh to find the corner. 2-14 to 2-4.

Two stylish Horan scores were the standouts from there to the finish.

In Quilty, Danny Miskella’s second goal in back-to-back games helped Cork to a 1-5 to 0-0 head start inside 11 minutes.

Dylan O’Neill added a pair of points and like their western neighbours, numbers 8 and 9 both scored in Ben O’Shea and Harry Cogan.

Seán Fennell registered Clare’s sole point of the half as Cork moved 1-7 to 0-1 clear. The hosts were further hampered by a straight red card for Aidan Weaver in the 22^nd minute.

The team with 14 did keep fighting to outscore their opponents in the second half by 0-7 to 0-6. Conor Burke hit the target with five points while O’Neill kicked three in reply. The Carbery Rangers corner-forward ended with 0-6 across the hour.

Clare, owing to their Darrel Darcy Cup victory over Tipp last week, will enter tier 2 of the new All-Ireland series, while Cork will advance with Kerry to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship

Tipperary 3-20 Cork 0-18

By Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium

Senan Butler’s hat-trick halted the Cork U20s’ winning streak and placed Tipperary in pole position to take the direct route to the Munster final.

The reigning All-Ireland champions entered with nine victories on the spin since Ben O’Connor took over as manager last year but they were on the receiving end of a major statement of intent in this 11-point loss.

For the third game in a row, all six of Tipp’s forwards scored and both midfielders have also registered in their last pair. Brendan Cummins will be equally happy with the back-to-back clean sheets they have kept, with Eoin Horgan producing a fine save to maintain their lead.

Cork, who were already guaranteed a minimum of a semi-final spot, rewarded goalscorer Barry Walsh with a start. Tipp introduced Chris O’Donnell, Mason Cawley, and Paddy McCormack, after serving his one-match suspension.

The visitors found acres of space for William Buckley’s opening point, but they weren’t granted such luxuries for the remainder of the half. McCormack twice levelled with early points, one from a sideline cut.

Between the seventh and 17^th minutes, Tipp kicked on. They outscored Cork 1-6 to 0-2 in that spell as they stretched the Rebel defence to breaking point.

Darragh McCarthy slotted three frees, two of which were called back after Tipp had threatened goals. He also laid on three points in a row, including two for Sam O’Farrell, and would assist both first-half goals.

The first was fortuitous as his shot struck the post and the pacy Butler won a ball he had no right to before finding the net. 1-9 to 0-5 for the hosts.

Cork kept in touch with points from Buckley, James Dwyer, and Jack Leahy but their forwards missed more than their fair share of chances. By the break, the wide count read 8-3.

Tipp finished the half with their second goal. Oisín O’Donoghue intercepted a poor Cork sideline and a precise running move went through O’Farrell and McCarthy before Butler rifled home. 2-10 to 0-7 at the break.

Tipp added the first two points of the second half from O’Donoghue and McCarthy before Cork briefly rallied. Diarmuid Healy struck a pair either side of a Barry Walsh goal chance, well saved by Horgan.

Paudie O’Sullivan denied McCormack and Conor Martin at the other end but Butler had his hat-trick by volleying home the latter rebound in the 40^th minute.

When O’Donoghue added a point, the gap was 11, 3-13 to 0-11, and they maintained that to the finish as Cork clipped the final three points.

Scorers for Tipperary: Senan Butler 3-1; Darragh McCarthy 0-6 (6fs); Oisín O’Donoghue, Paddy McCormack (1 s/l) 0-3 each; Sam O’Farrell, Conor Martin 0-2 each; Eoin Horgan (f), Adam Daly, Cathal English 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: Jack Leahy 0-6 (5fs); James Dwyer, William Buckley 0-3 each; Diarmuid Healy, Adam O’Sullivan 0-2 each; Barry Walsh, Timmy Wilk 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan; Podge O’Dwyer, Aaron O’Halloran, Chris O’Donnell; Jack Collins, Ben Currivan, Mason Cawley; Sam O’Farrell, Adam Daly; Cathal English, Conor Martin, Oisín O’Donoghue; Darragh McCarthy, Paddy McCormack, Senan Butler.

Subs: Jack O’Callaghan for Cawley (41), Sam Rowan for Butler (53), Ciarán Foley for O’Farrell (56), Eoin Craddock for O’Donoghue (60), Dylan Fogarty for English (60+1).

Cork: Paudie O’Sullivan; Darragh O’Sullivan, Denis Cashman, Kevin Lyons; James Dwyer, Óran O’Regan, Cillian Tobin; Mikey Finn, Ben Walsh; David Cremin, William Buckley, Diarmuid Healy; Tadhg O’Connell, Barry Walsh, Jack Leahy.

Subs: Adam O’Sullivan for O’Connell (HT), Timmy Wilk for Ben Walsh (h-t), James O’Brien for O’Regan (42), Peter O’Shea for Tobin (50), Eoin O’Leary for Cremin (56).

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare).