Hurling is going through a bit of a goal drought, so credit where it is due – this brilliant Tipperary minor team are providing some relief.
Their 7-12 to 2-12 dismantling on Galway in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor semi-final was no freak occurrence, however, as Tipperary as a county seem to be bucking the trend on goal-scoring.
Even as the national average has fallen to a little over two goals per game, Tipperary have raised 15 green flags in their last six senior championship matches.
The apple has not fallen far from the tree in the Premier County.
This talented teenage team should help provide the heirs to Lar Corbett and Seamie Callanan, judging by this rather spectacular display of goal-getting.
Nothing gets a hurling crowd out of their seats quite like a goal and, with the same counties contesting the senior semi-final, a larger than usual attendance for the curtain-raiser, were spoiled by Tipperary.
Trained by Liam Cahill, the Munster champions seemed hell-bent on creating as many goal chances as they could. Ian O’Brien may have been sweeping for Galway but for much of the match he was bobbing like a wine-coloured cork on a blue and gold sea.
Tipperary’s superb captain and centre-half back John McGrath was at the centre of everything. Directing clever, diagonal balls into space for the forwards to collect. The likes of Mark Kehoe and Ger Browne were willing support runners off the shoulder and as a team they seemed to always be searching for the goal chance.
On many occasions a player would turn down an easy point opportunity to play a handpass to a team-mate in a goal-scoring position. More often than not that chance was taken.
The net result was a hat-trick for Cian Darcy, a brace for the excellent Rian Doody and one each for Kehoe (above) and Browne.
It was electrifying hurling, thrilling attack play and a torrid afternoon for Jack Forde in the Galway goal.
Three goals in the first seven minutes of the second half all but killed this game as a contest, but it was remarkable how many goal opportunities Galway also manufactured. Ciarán Barrett made one top-class save for Tipperary, while Killian O’Dwyer cleared two shots off the line late on.
Ronan Murphy did find the net for Galway before Tipp full-back Michael Whelan turned one into his own net after a good shot by Cianan Fahy.
Kehoe was central to the first two Tipperary goals – breaking the ball for Darcy’s first as the corner forward swept a ground stroke across Forde.
He scored the second himself after a move that showed the imagination of this team. Jake Morris played a diagonal ball, which was palmed into the path of Kehoe by Darcy (below) – who arrowed a powerful shot into the corner.
Doody got the third and fourth either side of half-time, pouncing from close range on both occasions. Darcy and Browne got the next two with powerful shots from distance before Darcy pounced once more to capitalise on a loose save by Forde.
Tipperary reaped a brutal revenge after last year’s All-Ireland final defeat and, having comfortably beaten Limerick in the Munster decider, will be confident of lifting the Irish Press Cup for the 20th time on the first Sunday of next month.
If it turns into a shootout you would definitely fancy them. These young men do not mess about.
Minor players are embarking on their adult lives, many are about to finish school and start college, they have hopes and dreams and ambitions, but for this one moment in time, the Electric Ireland Minor Championships is the major thing in their lives. Follow the conversation at #GAAThisIsMajor.
