Cork 2-23 Tipperary 1-13
Cork swept to their first Munster Under-21 hurling title in 11 years and their 19th in all with a surprisingly comfortable win over Tipperary at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this evening.
They led by 1-12 to 0-5 at half-time. Goalkeeper Ger Collins saved brilliantly from Darragh Woods's fourth-minute penalty and the home side took over after that to the delight of the majority of the 6,732 attendance.
Tim O’Mahony set-up Robbie O’Flynn for a well-taken goal after 15 minutes and Cork kept the scoreboard ticking along to be well in control despite losing senior star Darragh Fitzgibbon to illness during the half.
Any hope of a Tipperary revival disappeared with a couple of minutes of the restart, when Declan Dalton sent Jack O'Connor clear to finish sweetly for Cork's second goal.
Cork's other senior players, man-of-the-match Mark Coleman and captain Shane Kingston, contributed handsomely to the success.
Jerome Cahill grabbed a consolation goal for Tipp in injury-time.
Cork: G Collins; S Smyth, D Griffin, N O'Leary; B Hennessy, E Murphy (0-1), D Lowney; M Coleman (0-3, 1 sideline, 1 free), D Fitzgibbon; R O'Flynn (1-1), D Dalton (0-7, S Kingston, captain, (0-4); J O'Connor (1-2), T O'Mahony (0-1), L Healy (0-2). Subs: C Cahalane (0-1) for Fitzgibbon, injured, 22 mins, D Connery for Smyth, 45 mins, A Myers (0-1) for O'Flynn injured 55 mins, C O'Leary for Dalton and M O'Halloran for Healy, both 57 mins.
TIPPERARY: C Barrett; P Campion, B McGrath, K O'Dwyer; C Flanagan, P Cadell, D Quirke; G Browne (0-4), C English, captain; J Cahill (1-1), P Feehan, M Kehoe; D Gleeson, J Morris (0-1), D Woods (0-2). Subs: C Morgan for Campion 24 mins, C Darcy for Woods and L Fairbrother (0-5, four frees, 1'65) for Gleeson, both half-time, S Neville for English, 44 mins, C Stakelum for Kehoe 53 mins. Referee: J Murphy (Limerick)
