By John Fogarty
Waterford 2-22 Tipperary 2-22
Tipperary’s hopes of remaining in the All-Ireland SHC remain alive after an astonishing decision to allow their second goal in the 62nd minute.
Like last week, Tipperary looked dead and buried and were 11 points behind in the 54th minute, 2-20 to 0-15, only for another remarkable comeback even if this one was aided by one of referee Alan Kelly’s assistants.
With the scoreboard reading 2-20 to 1-19 after a Patrick Maher goal in the 58th minute when a rare Michael Walsh mistake was pounced on, a long Jason Forde free was sent in and finished short, Austin Gleeson collecting the ball.
Only the umpires deemed he had caught the ball beyond the goal-line.
Waterford went two points ahead via Pauric Mahony but then Jason Forde sent over a free.
Seamus Kennedy was overturned by Jake Dillon to open the gap to two once more but a Ronan Maher shot, waved wide by the umpires, was deemed good by Kelly and Forde won himself a late free to earn Tipperary a second unlikely draw in the space of a week.
Again Waterford began promisingly and again Tipperary remained in the starting blocks, finding themselves 1-6 to 0-3 down after 10 minutes when a long ball in was broken down and Tom Devine struck one-handed to the net.
The difference was seven points up to the 14th minute when Tipperary outscored Waterford 0-7 to 0-1 in the following nine minutes.
It wasn’t that Tipperary were doing much from open play in terms of shooting – Forde struck four first-half wides – but Forde was at least firing over frees.
Waterford looked a little shook but then came their second goal in the 26th minute, following the same formula as the opener only Pádraic Maher batted it out to Pauric Mahony whose ground stroke evaded all the Tipperary cover.
The Mahony brothers added the next two points. Forde came back with a free of his own but then more pain was inflicted on Tipperary when Michael Cahill incurred a second yellow card for fouling DJ Foran as the Waterford forward fired over his second point.
Scorers for Waterford: Pauric Mahony (1-8, 0-5 frees); T. Devine (1-2); J. Barron, D.J. Foran (0-3 each); P. Curran (0-2); Philip Mahony, S. Bennett, T. Ryan (0-1 each).
Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde (1-14, 1-13 frees); Patrick Maher (1-0); R. Maher (0-3); S. Callanan (0-2); B. McCarthy, N. McGrath, C. Barrett (0-1 each)
WATERFORD: S. O’Keeffe; C. Gleeson, S. Fives, N. Connors; Philip Mahony, A. Gleeson, M. Walsh; J. Barron, S. Roche; Pauric Mahony, P. Curran, D.J. Foran; M. Kearney, T. Devine, S. Bennett.
Subs for Waterford: T. Ryan for M. Kearney (47); B. O’Halloran for P. Curran (55); J. Dillon for D.J. Foran (59); C. Dunford for S. Roche (62); S. McNulty for N. Connors (67).
TIPPERARY: B. Hogan; S. O’Brien, S. Kennedy, M. Cahill; Joe O’Dwyer, Pádraic Maher, B. Maher; R. Maher, B. McCarthy; D. McCormack, J. Forde, John O’Dwyer; N. McGrath, S. Callanan, J. McGrath.
Subs for Tipperary: Patrick Maher for J. O’Dwyer (47); C. Barrett for N. McGrath (55); J. Morris for J. McGrath (59); S. Curran for D. McCormack (60); W. Connors for B. McCarthy (68).
Sent off: M. Cahill (second yellow, 35+3).
Referee: A. Kelly (Galway).
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
