Substitute Conor Stakelum's injury-time goal handed Tipperary a sensational 3-13 to 1-16 victory over red-hot favourites Cork at the wet and windy Gaelic Grounds.

The game was a repeat of the Munster final from July 4^th - which the Rebels won by 13 points - and the Leesiders seemed to be on course for victory when a run of four unanswered points saw them hit the front in the second of five added minutes at the end of a nip-and-tuck contest.

But, with 16,173 looking on, Stakelum - wearing No.17 - dispossessed a Cork back and bundled the ball across the line in the 64^th minute before fellow sub David Gleeson followed up with a point as the Premier County collected their tenth U21 hurling All-Ireland and first in eight years.

Tipp were rank outsiders, despite their wonderful semi-final victory over Galway, but they were too strong today for a Cork team that failed to bring their A game, with full back Brian McGrath and centre back Robert Byrne leading the fight. Seeking their first triumph in this grade since 1998, the Rebels had the wind at their backs in the second half but Tipp restricted them to just seven points in that time, whilst fishing 2-6 themselves.

Laden with senior talent, the Leesiders outscored Liam Cahill's victorious charges by 1-8 to 0-2 in the second quarter to retire with a 1-9 to 1-7 interval advantage, with wind advantage to come when the action resumed.

Jake Morris's 15^th-minute penalty goal had the winners ahead by seven points but back came the Rebel County with six unanswered points before Conor Cahalane soloed through the Tipp defence to place a precise shot to the top right corner of the net as Cork led for the first time, 1-7 to 1-5.

Morris saw his early point excellently cancelled out by Robbie O'Flynn from the right wing before the lively Jerome Cahill restored the outsiders' lead and a Morris free doubled the gap - 0-3 to 0-1 after eight minutes.

Cahill's second stretched the Tipp advantage and Cian Darcy slotted their fifth point in the twelfth minute; it was a seven-point match by the 15^th minute when Morris planted his penalty to the bottom left corner of the Cork net after Mark Coleman pulled down the rampant Kehoe.

Tipperary captain Colin English lifts the James Nowlan Cup. ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Cahalane - a late replacement for Ger Mellerick at midfield in the Rebels' starting XV - finally supplied their second point in the 17^th minute and followed up with another one less than 60 seconds later. Declan Dalton (free) registered the third consecutive Cork point after Tim O'Mahony was dragged down by Dillon Quirke.

Points from Jack O'Connor, O'Flynn and Shane Kingston had the gap back to the minimum before St Finbarr's clubman Cahalane's major propelled the Leesiders ahead for the first time five minutes from the short whistle.

Paudie Feehan replied with Tipp's first score in 14 minutes and Cahill closed their first-half scoring deep into added time after Dalton (free) and the outstanding O'Flynn pegged Cork points into the teeth of the considerable wind.

But Tipp made little of playing into the elements... first out for the second half, they outscored their conquerors from seven-and-a-half weeks ago by four points to one in the third quarter. Captain Colin English and Morris (free) had the Premier County back on terms within two minutes of the restart and Darcy restored their advantage from a tight angle in the 37^th minute. A Dalton free represented Cork's first second-half score two minute later but midfielder Ger Browne was on hand to restore Tipp's lead with a super point.

A Morris free doubled Tipp's lead but Cork were level again when senior ace Darragh Fitzgibbon arrowed over what was only their second point of the second half in the 50^th minute followed immediately by another from substitute Brian Turnbull - 1-12 each.

Cork had enjoyed a massive slice of luck in the 48^th minute when centre back Coleman escaped a second yellow card as it was clearly he who had fouled Browne but, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, Eoghan Murphy was instead booked. But there was nothing anybody could do to deny Browne's midfield foil Stephen Nolan in the 54^th minute as he drilled a fierce shot to the bottom left corner at the end of a purposeful run - 2-12 to 1-12.

Two Dalton free either side of a second Turnbull point had the sides level on the hour and Tim O'Mahony whipped over the lead point for the favourites in the 62^nd minute. It looked like Cork would fall over the winning line but super subs Stakelum and Gleeson had other ideas.

Tipperary - B Hogan; E Connolly, B McGrath, K O'Dwyer; P Campion, R Byrne, D Quirke; S Nolan (1-0), G Browne (0-1); C English (0-1), J Cahill (0-3), P Feehan (0-1); J Morris (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-3f), M Kehoe, C Darcy (0-2). Subs: C Stakelum (1-0) for P Feehan, D Gleeson (0-1) for C Darcy, C Morgan for K O'Dwyer, P Cadell for P Campion, L Fairbrother for C English.

Cork - G Collins; D Lowney, D Griffin, N O'Leary; B Hennessy, M Coleman, E Murphy; C Cahalane (1-3), D Fitzgibbon (0-1); R O'Flynn (0-3), D Dalton (0-5f), S Kingston (0-1); J O'Connor (0-1), T O'Mahony (0-1), L Healy. Subs: B Turnbull (0-1) for L Healy, G Millerick for J O'Connor.

Referee - J Keenan.

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