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Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
How Tipperary capitalised on Cork's chronic lack of flexibility to take All-Ireland title
Tipperary produced one of the most emphatic second-half performances in All-Ireland final history, overturning a six-point half-time deficit to defeat Cork by 15 points. The final scoreline of 3-27 to 1-18 was a result of a dominant 3-14 to 0-2 second-half burst from Liam Cahill's side. The win preserves Tipp's proud tradition of winning at least one All-Ireland title in every decade. Tipp's defensive structure Tipperary controlled the terms of engagement from the very start. Liam Cahill's decision to position Bryan O'Mara as a sweeper was crucial in shaping the contest. This allowed Tipperary's full-back line to go touch-tight on Cork's inside forwards without fear of being exposed behind. O'Mara consistently drifted into the space behind the central channel, especially on puckouts and in live turnover phases, cutting off options down the right flank of the Cork attack. Cork failed to adapt to Tipperary's system, which became increasingly dominant throughout the game This positional security gave Tipp the confidence to push their wing-backs and midfielders into more aggressive pressing roles. The impact was clear: Cork ball into their forwards was repeatedly smothered. Cork struggled to build any meaningful platform, despite scoring 1-16 in that half. It was a case of volume over quality — and Tipp were happy to absorb it, wait for turnovers, and then strike with speed and precision. READ MORE Cork entered the interval with a 1-16 to 0-13 lead, thanks to efficient long-range shooting and a well-taken goal from Shane Barrett. They found joy between the lines early on, and Barrett's link-up with Mark Coleman capped off a strong attacking half. However, most of Cork's scores came from outside the scoring zone, which masked underlying issues with their inside line and delivery success. Below we see a Niall O'Leary delivery from a short puckout. Cork continued to play long passes into the forwards despite Tipperary's set up nullifying most of these deliveries The sliotar arrives to Craig Morgan who breaks it to the recovering midfielders, Sam O'Farrell and Conor Stakelum. Craig Morgan bats the ball away, knowing that his midfielders will be the first to arrive to the breaking ball Delivery efficiency – Cork's first-half breakdown Cork made 24 deliveries into the opposition half during the first half, of which 12 were retained (50%), 11 were lost in contest and one was turned over to the sideline. This represents a balanced but ultimately unthreatening return for Cork. While half of their deliveries were retained, many were under severe pressure, and few translated into clean scoring chances near goal. The other half were broken down by a well-organised Tipperary defence that operated with a plus-one structure, anchored by Bryan O'Mara as sweeper. O'Mara's positioning allowed the full-back line to aggressively engage Cork's inside forwards, knowing cover was behind. His ability to close Tipp's left flank on puckouts and during broken play forced Cork to play into crowded zones. The delivery pattern shows how often Cork were smothered on entry — with 12 deliveries either lost in the air or immediately broken down. Tipperary stopped a huge amount of ball getting into the Cork forward line, especially to the left where O'Mara was an extra back Key match-up: Ronan Maher v Brian Hayes One of the defining individual battles was Ronan Maher's match-up on Brian Hayes. Maher's reading of the game and ability to step across Hayes — as shown in the example below — allowed him to repeatedly spoil Cork's attempts to isolate the full-forward. On multiple occasions, Maher got to the ball first or forced Hayes into delayed movements and rushed shots. His composure under the high ball gave Tipp crucial stability and helped blunt one of Cork's most direct threats. Brian Hayes was one of the best players of the championship, but Ronan Maher did an excellent job of stopping his impact This dominance in the aerial exchanges echoed Tipp's broader tactical control: where Cork looked to go long and test 1v1 match-ups, Tipp often had numbers behind or delayed Cork's delivery long enough to let Maher dictate the contact zone. Tipp's shot volume Playing into a strong breeze, Tipperary showed impressive control in the first half, retaining 14 of 26 deliveries (54%) and generating 25 shots from play. Their ability to work short passes and support the breaking ball was key, especially through the right and central channels. Sam O'Farrell was critical in both halves. His ability to link play and carry ball from his own half led to scores for Morris and corner back Robert Doyle. Sam O'Farrell's incisive running led to Robert Doyle getting into space for a score in the first half Despite the wind, they converted 13 points, but 9 wides reflected the difficulty of shooting from distance. Tipp's structured build-up and ball retention against the elements laid the foundation for their second-half dominance. Despite plenty of misses, Tipp stayed well in the game in the first half Tipperary takeover The third quarter proved decisive, which Tipperary won by 2-7 to 0-1, flipping the momentum entirely. Cork had 36 possessions in the second half but lost 29 of them to turnovers. Tipp scored 3-8 directly from those turnovers, highlighting their superior intensity and work rate. As Cork's structure unravelled, Tipp grew in confidence, executing with precision through standout performances from John McGrath (2-2) and Darragh McCarthy (1-13). Tipperary's third quarter blitz saw them totally dominate the scoring in the second half Cork surprisingly failed to adjust their system despite the breeze strengthening as the game progressed. In the example below, Diarmuid Healy delivers a ball into space, but the setup lacks support structure. Although Patrick Horgan latches onto the break, Bryan O'Mara is once again well-positioned in cover to shut down the attack. This moment typifies Cork's issues — long deliveries without a coordinated press or bodies around the break, allowing Tipp's plus-one system to nullify their efforts. Leaving Bryan O'Mara free again in the second half meant that Cork could not get their attack going Tactical turning points This wasn't just a game of hurling — it was a game of chess, and Tipperary played it with precision. Cork, by contrast, stuck rigidly to a plan that quickly proved ineffective. Time and again, they launched long, hopeful deliveries into a Tipperary defence perfectly set up to absorb them. With Bryan O'Mara sweeping behind a touch-tight full-back line, those balls were easily swallowed up, and Tipp transitioned with real purpose. Cork's forwards struggled to get the ball in the second half, and only scored two points Cork's refusal to adapt — whether by bringing an inside forward to occupy O'Mara or repositioning Mark Coleman as a deep-lying linkman — bordered on arrogance. Tipperary adjusted their shape, controlled the space, and forced Cork into panic phases. Cork had their chances — they hit the post three times, the crossbar once, and missed a penalty — but those moments of misfortune can't mask the broader issue: they had the players to disrupt Tipp's system, but not the in-game flexibility. In a match of such magnitude, their failure to respond tactically was as costly as any missed chance. Jeffrey Lynskey managed Galway to three All-Ireland minor hurling titles. He is also a former Galway under-20 manager and is currently an MSc student in Sports Performance Analysis at Setu Carlow.
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Tipperary's stunning All-Ireland Final display was viewed by over one million people
Definitive underdogs going into the game, Liam Cahill's men ran out winners on an ultimately dominant scoreline of 3-27 to 1-18 in front of a sellout Croke Park crowd, despite going into the break six points down. Cork were in search of an elusive 31st Liam MacCarthy trophy, having fallen at the final hurdle by a single point against Clare last year, making it 20 years since their last taste of All-Ireland glory. However, The Premier County responded resolutely after half-time, producing a score of 3-14 to 0-2 in the second-half alone. The national broadcaster said 980,000 viewers watched The Premier county's enthralling comeback on The Sunday Game Live on RTÉ2 television, with 78pc of the channel's available viewership tuning in. RTÉ reports that ratings peaked at the end of the game, with 1,119,000 people witnessing Tipp close out the game against a limping 14-man Cork side which had Eoin Downey red-carded in the 55th minute, conceding a penalty in the process. Another notable statistic from yesterday's match coverage were the record numbers who followed the game on the RTÉ Player as 400,645 viewers opted to stream the coverage through the broadcaster's streaming service, the highest figure yet across its hurling and football coverage. A televised analysis of the clash, as well as of the entire hurling season to date, was presented by Jacqui Hurley last night on RTÉ which drew 244,000 viewers and 39,000 streams on RTÉ Player. RTÉ One kicked off the weekend's All-Ireland hurling festivities on Saturday night with Up For The Match, presented by Des Cahill and Jacqui Hurley, drawing an average television audience of 316,000 and 58,000 on the Player. Interest in the annual sporting centre-piece was showcased on social media too, as RTÉ reported achieving 6.19 million views across its online content along with 668,000 engagements.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Liam Cahill set to be offered extension to Tipperary reign
In no great surprise, Liam Cahill will be offered an extension to remain on as Tipperary senior manager in the coming weeks. Cahill's initial three-year agreement concluded with Sunday's All-Ireland final victory over Cork but there was the option of a one-year extension. After overseeing a spectacular championship success, the Ballingarry man is expected to be invited by the county board to remain in charge beyond 2026 and there is quiet confidence he will agree to remain on. No manager has stayed at the helm of the Tipperary senior hurling team for longer than three seasons since Nicky English from 1999 to 2002. Since then, Liam Sheedy twice, Michael Ryan and Eamon O'Shea have all served three-year stints. Talking before the All-Ireland final, Cahill said he envisaged his strategy extending beyond three years. "For me, it was always going to be a three-year-plus plan, obviously the county board agreed a three-year term initially. 'In fairness to them as well they stood by me, and backed me to do what the vision was to try to bring as many players as possible and a new generation of players as quickly as possible, and as structured as possible without pushing fellas too soon.' Cahill's management team for the past three seasons has been his coach of 10 years Michael Bevans and selectors Declan Laffan and TJ Ryan. Former Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity moved from goalkeeping coach to assistant coach this season when he replaced ex-Waterford star Tony Browne. In September last year, Brendan Cummins and James Woodlock were reappointed for two further seasons as U20 and minor managers respectively. That came on the back of Cummins leading Tipperary to an U20 All-Ireland final, which they won this year, and Woodlock guiding the minors to All-Ireland success. Meanwhile, almost one million viewers tuned in for RTÉ's live coverage of Sunday's All-Ireland senior hurling final. The average of 980,000 was down on last year's 1,037,000 number although that Clare-Cork game went to extra-time. This year's peak close to the end of Tipperary's victory was 1,119,000 people compared to 1,231,000 although the viewership percentage of 78% (those watching TV at the time) was slightly higher than 2024.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'Stuff of dreams' as Tipp squad greeted by 45,000 fans in Thurles
Excitement was at fever pitch in Co Tipperary for the homecoming of the newly-crowned All-Ireland hurling champions. Following yesterday's emphatic win over Cork, the players and management brought the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to the Premier Country for the first time since 2019. Around 45,000 people gathered in Semple Stadium in Thurles to greet them. Tipperary manager Liam Cahill said there were "incredible scenes". "It's absolutely incredible, the 45,000 plus people here. "It's the stuff of dreams really. "I'm delighted the Liam MacCarthy is back here in Tipperary. Mr Cahill also paid tribute to the Dillon Quirke, the player who died three years ago. "It's so fitting, in his memory, to bring Liam MacCarthy out into Semple Stadium and he's always with us on our shoulders everywhere we go." Tipp fans celebrate All-Ireland win Tipperary player Michael Breen said that despite being a part of previous victories in 2016 and 2019, this win was unique. "This trumps all of that because it's just the story of the last 12 months, and also the 70 minutes, and how it went yesterday. "It's just so special ... this is unbelievable ... this is something we will remember for the rest of our lives." Before heading on stage to greet fans, player Andrew Ormond said the homecoming was an important moment for players and supporters alike. "We're so excited to get out there now and see our fans that have travelled to see us since the first day out this year in the league and throughout the championships," he said . "A big part of this is for us, but a massive part of this is for them as well." Teammate Jake Morris echoed the players' sentiments of gratitude for their supporters. "It's brilliant ... the Tipp fans have been so good to us all year, and we knew that they'd come again tonight to celebrate with us, and really grateful to have them on side with us." The celebrations got under way at around 4.30pm in Semple Stadium, where a large crowd attended the event. Festivities featured homegrown entertainment from Seskin Lane, Callini Lua, Acquiesce, and The 2 Johnnies. It was a different story in Cork this evening where there was no homecoming event after the hurlers returned by train to Kent Station. to claim a 29th All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship win.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Tipperary's stunning All-Ireland Final display was viewed by over one million people
Definitive underdogs going into the game, Liam Cahill's men ran out winners on an ultimately dominant scoreline of 3-27 to 1-18 in front of a sellout Croke Park crowd, despite going into the break six points down. Cork were in search of an elusive 31st Liam MacCarthy trophy, having fallen at the final hurdle by a single point against Clare last year, making it 20 years since their last taste of All-Ireland glory. However, The Premier County responded resolutely after half-time, producing a score of 3-14 to 0-2 in the second-half alone. The national broadcaster said 980,000 viewers watched The Premier county's enthralling comeback on The Sunday Game Live on RTÉ2 television, with 78pc of the channel's available viewership tuning in. RTÉ reports that ratings peaked at the end of the game, with 1,119,000 people witnessing Tipp close out the game against a limping 14-man Cork side which had Eoin Downey red-carded in the 55th minute, conceding a penalty in the process. Another notable statistic from yesterday's match coverage were the record numbers who followed the game on the RTÉ Player as 400,645 viewers opted to stream the coverage through the broadcaster's streaming service, the highest figure yet across its hurling and football coverage. A televised analysis of the clash, as well as of the entire hurling season to date, was presented by Jacqui Hurley last night on RTÉ which drew 244,000 viewers and 39,000 streams on RTÉ Player. RTÉ One kicked off the weekend's All-Ireland hurling festivities on Saturday night with Up For The Match, presented by Des Cahill and Jacqui Hurley, drawing an average television audience of 316,000 and 58,000 on the Player. Interest in the annual sporting centre-piece was showcased on social media too, as RTÉ reported achieving 6.19 million views across its online content along with 668,000 engagements.
