Munster SFC semi-final

Cork 4-18 Tipperary 1-12

By Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium

They had to scrap for three quarters before Cork stretched away from Tipperary to secure their Munster final return for the first time since 2021.

It was tied at 1-7 apiece as late as the 49th minute, but the Rebels blitzed their hosts for 3-11 to 0-2 from there to the 67th minute. Chris Óg Jones ended on 2-2, while substitutes Colm O’Callaghan and Conor Corbett bagged goals in front of 1,755 fans in the FBD Semple Stadium sunshine.

It ends the Leesiders’ longest gap between provincial deciders in 91 years (1928-35), setting up the 69th Cork-Kerry provincial final for May 10th at Fitzgerald Stadium. Tipp now head for the Tailteann Cup.

A lot had changed since their last meeting, Tipp’s famous Munster final breakthrough in 2020. None of the Premier starting team that day were available for selection here, with 13 no longer involved and two injured. Clonmel Commercials corner-back Mark Corcoran was handed his first championship start. Emmet Moloney was a late addition for Mark Stokes.

For Cork, O’Callaghan was a late withdrawal, replaced by Seán Walsh. The midfielder would appear early in the second half. Conor Cahalane earned his first competitive start 15 months after swapping over from the hurling panel. Dara Sheedy missed out through injury.

The Tipp full-back line had played together at U20 level in 2024. With a combined 14 previous starts across league and championship between them, it was going to be a tall order to contain Cork’s attacking unit of Mark Cronin, Jones, and Steven Sherlock. They started well, applying plenty of pressure as Cork booted their first five shots wide.

Tipp, playing with the slight advantage of a crossfield wind, got off to the ideal start. Seán O’Connor escaped to point off his left after seven minutes. Then, in the 11th minute, Micheál Freaney’s speculative sideline punt bounced over Maurice Shanley and ran through for the full-forward to tuck away. 1-1 to no score.

Daniel O’Mahony produced two diving blocks to prevent Cork from falling further behind. But once they got a press on the Tipp kick-out, that yielded three points in two minutes. Their first, from Sherlock in the 17th minute, was immediately followed over by Jones and Luke Fahy.

Cork made it 1-3 in four minutes when Paudie Feehan’s pass to Eoin Craddock came off the unsighted attacker’s back. The visitors countered with Cronin teeing up Jones for the lead goal.

A superb James Morris turnover to prevent a goal chance was ferried upfield for Freaney’s levelling two-pointer; 1-3 apiece.

Joe Higgins was emerging as the dominant midfielder with four kick-out marks in the first half and three more in the second. One led to O’Connor’s equaliser, cancelling out a Sherlock free. Another point from the Barrs man sent the Rebels in ahead at half-time; 1-5 from 13 shots against 1-4 from seven.

John Cleary made two half-time changes as the experienced duo of Brian Hurley and Ruairí Deane replaced Seán McDonnell and Cahalane.

They continued to trade points into the second half. Craddock, a Cian Smith free, and O’Connor took it in turns to bring Tipp level after Hurley and Cronin points.

The hosts had to live on their nerves as Shane Garland beat Brian O’Driscoll to a ball squared across goal before Jones blazed wide.

But with O’Callaghan just onto the field, Tipp didn’t get their hands on the ball again until Cork had reeled off eight points without reply from seven shots. It began with a Hurley two-pointer and ended with a Sherlock orange flag sandwiched by a Fahy brace.

Hurley limped off, but Cork hit for home with O’Callaghan drilling low to the net in the 57th minute. That sparked another burst of 2-2 without reply, with another substitute, Corbett, intercepting a short kick-out for Jones to finish.

Freaney was denied a goal by Seán Brady’s block and Cork countered for their fourth green flag in the 67th minute, finished off by Corbett.
Sherlock then smacked the woodwork before Tipp finished with the last three points, including an O’Connor orange flag.

Scorers for Cork: Chris Óg Jones 2-2; Steven Sherlock 0-7 (1tp, 2f); Colm O’Callaghan, Conor Corbett 1-0 each; Luke Fahy, Brian Hurley (1tp) 0-3 each; Brian O’Driscoll, Mark Cronin, Ruairí Deane 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tipperary: Seán O’Connor 1-6 (1tp, 0-1f); Micheál Freaney 0-2 (tp); Eoin Craddock, Cian Smith (f), Daithí Hogan, Killian Butler 0-1 each.

Cork: Micheál Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O’Mahony, Seán Meehan; Brian O’Driscoll, Tommy Walsh, Luke Fahy; Seán Walsh, Ian Maguire; Paul Walsh, Seán McDonnell, Conor Cahalane; Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, Steven Sherlock.

Subs: Brian Hurley for McDonnell (HT), Ruairí Deane for Cahalane (HT), Colm O’Callaghan for S Walsh (48), Conor Corbett for Hurley (56, inj), Seán Brady for Meehan (61).

Tipperary: Shane Garland; Eoin O’Connell, Mark Corcoran, Jack O’Neill; Emmet Moloney, James Morris, Charlie King; Joe Higgins, Paudie Feehan; Eoin Craddock, Micheál Freaney, Kieran Costello; Cian Smith, Seán O’Connor, Daithí Hogan.

Subs: Killian Butler for Craddock (51), Paddy Creedon for Smith (52), Paddy O’Keeffe for Moloney (56), Mark Russell for Feehan (56), Micheál Lowry for Morris (62).

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).