All-Ireland MHC semi-final: Tipp young guns shoot down Dubs

August 16, 2015

Alan Tynan of Tipp with Mark Maguire of Dublin during the All-Ireland MHC semi-final.
©INPHO/Donall Farmer.

Tipperary will meet Galway in the 2015 All-Ireland minor hurling final after beating Dublin by 2-17 to 1-15 at Croke Park.

Goals in the first half from David Gleeson and Man of the Match Thomas Nolan provided the foundation for victory but the decisive moments came between the 48th and 57th minutes when the winners reeled off six consecutive points via substitute Ruadhan Mulrooney, Lyndon Fairbrother (4) and Nolan to surge five clear.

At the end of an entertaining first half, the sides were level: Tipp 2-6 Dublin 1-9, with Na Fianna clubman Matthew Oliver supplying seven of the Metropolitans' first-half points.

Full forward Gleeson smashed the sliothar to the Dubs net in the ninth minute to propel the Munster champions into a 1-3 to 0-1 lead. A brace of Fairbrother frees had split the Hill 16 posts inside the opening four minutes before Oliver (free) and Cian Darcy pointed at either end.

Ciaran Dowling and Oliver (three; one free and two from play) closed the gap to one by the midway stage in the first half but Nolan's 17th-minute major undid all that good Dublin work as Liam Cahill's men led by 2-3 to 0-5 after 17 minutes.

Kilmacud Crokes clubman Fergal Whitely lashed the ball low to the Tipperary net in the 21st minute and Tipp replied with a fine point from midfielder Darragh Carey. Three more points from Oliver (two frees and a '65') and one from Dowling had the Dubs level at the short whistle, with Garry Ryan and Nolan providing Tipp's last two scores of the first half.

Alex Considine's brilliant point from beneath the Cusack Stand had the Dubs in front for the first time and Oliver's free on 34 minutes doubled the gap. Fairbrother and Nolan mustered quickfire scores as Tipp drew level again by the 37th minute.

Alan Tynan edged Tipp back in front; Dublin replied with another Oliver free. Substitute Mulrooney and Dowling traded scores as the sides remained deadlocked with 15 minutes to play. Dowling's next point had the losers leading with 14 minutes left but a Fairbrother free tied the scores up and Mulrooney edged the Premier County back in front with eleven minutes left, 2-12 to 1-14.

Fairbrother's '65' doubled the gap and the same player knocked over a free on 55 minutes (Tynan had the ball in the net but the whistle had sounded for a free-in). Fairbrother's third successive point was followed by one from Nolan as Tipp notched five-in-a-row at a critical stage in the game.

Oliver notched a consolation point from a late free but substitute Shane Neville completed the scoring as Tipp progressed.

Tipperary - P Hayes; E Heffernan, E Moloney, J Quigley; K Hassett, B McGrath, D Peters; D Carey (0-1), L McCutcheon; G Ryan (0-1), A Tynan (0-1), C Darcy (0-1); T Nolan (1-3), D Gleeson (1-0), L Fairbrother (0-7, 5f). Subs: R Mulrooney (0-2) for L McCutcheon, J Skehan for C Darcy, M Connors for D Gleeson, S Neville (0-1) for G Ryan.

Dublin - E Skelly; C Hendricken, D Butler, C Ryan; D Gray, P Smyth, E Foley; M Oliver (0-10, 7f, 1'65), C Sammon; C Dowling (0-4), M Maguire, E Conroy; A Considine (0-1), F Whitely (1-0), E Dunne. Subs: C O'Sullivan for E Dunne, G King for F Whitely, D Ryan for D Gray, C Burke for C O'Sullivan, S Hickey for C Sammon.

Referee - P O'Dwyer.


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