Cork cruise past 14-man Tipperary to sit atop in Munster Hurling Championship table
Cork have gone top of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship table following a comprehensive 15-point victory over Tipperary at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
It was the most clinical of performances by Pat Ryan's side, a group that raised three green flags during the first half and charged into a 3-13 to 0-12 lead at the break.
The Rebels were relentless, with the only dampener on the day being the future fitness of captain Robert Downey as the half-back was forced off with an injury in just the 19th minute.
For Tipperary, it was a day that could have meant atonement after suffering an 18 point defeat to their near rivals last year on home soil and it was chance to hammer home the news of a resurrection after drawing with Limerick last weekend at Thurles.
Instead it was a reminder of the hype and ability of a Cork team that hammered the Premier County 3-24 to 0-23 in the league final earlier this month.
Everything started with Tipperary's Darragh McCarthy seeing red card inside 60 seconds following an off the ball incident.
The Rebels took advantage of the extra man and used home comforts to blitz Tipperary by scoring 3-06 in just 16 minutes.
Cork rampant now as Pat Horgan rattles the roof of the bet
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Declan Dalton opened the scoring from play and that was followed by Brian Hayes picking out Tim O'Mahony with a cross field pass. The midfielder buried the sliotar in at the Blackrock End and Cork led 1-01 to 0-00 inside five minutes.
Darragh Stakelum opened Tipperary's account but at that point it felt like swimming against the tide as Cork were in full-flow especially when Dalton and Darragh Fitzgibbon raised white flags before Patrick Horgan goaled.
The move that brought the biggest roar involved a neat passing sequence between Hayes and Fitzgibbon. They worked together to create space for an onrushing Alan Connolly, and the full-forward turned in a squared pass to make it 3-06 to 0-04.
Tipperary did finish with a flourish by outscoring Cork 0-08 to 0-07 during the time left to play in the first half, with Jason Forde hitting 0-05 during that run. It wasn't enough to rattle the hosts, who went into the break leading 3-13 to 0-12.
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The Rebel County did not falter in the second half, as talk turned to Clare's seemingly improbable 12-point comeback last weekend in Ennis.
The Rebels continued to generate scores, while Tipperary had their moments in front of the posts.
The game restarted with Horgan and Fitzgibbon splitting the posts and Forde replied with a free.
Liam Cahill then brought on Noel McGrath, and by doing so the Loughmore–Castleiney club-man became the Tipperary player with the most championship appearances, a record previously held by Brendan Cummins.
Cork remained in control as the clock ticked towards full-time, with the final cheer coming from the skill that led to Dalton's goal as the half-forward twisted free and unleashed a shot that went high and beyond Barry Hogan in the 64th minute at the Blackrock End.
At that stage, the win was all but assured as the crowd totalling over 42,000 people counted down until the full-time whistle.
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O'Donoghue, Ciaran Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman, Tim O'Mahony (1-00), Ethan Twomey, Declan Dalton (1-06, 2f), Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-02), Séamus Harnedy (0-05), Patrick Horgan (1-09, 6f), Alan Connolly (1-00), Brian Hayes (0-02).
Subs: Ger Millerick for Robert Downey (19); Luke Meade for Twomey (47), Brian Roche for Connolly (51), Robbie O'Flynn (0-2) for O'Mahony (57), Tommy O'Connell (0-1) for Joyce (66)
Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly (0-01), Michael Breen, Conor Bowe, Ronan Maher, Bryan O'Mara, Craig Morgan (0-01), Darragh Stakelum (0-01), Alan Tynan, Jake Morris (0-03), Sam O'Farrell, Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde (0-15, 11f).
Subs: Andrew Ormond (0-1) for Bowe (42); Noel McGrath for Stakelum (42), Seamus Kennedy for Tynan (45), Gearoid O'Connor for John McGrath (51), Willie Connors (0-2) for O'Farrell (66).
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