Rejuvenated Tipperary opened their Munster championship account with a sensational 2-28 to 1-24 victory over holders Cork at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

So disappointing last summer, the Premier County looked like a side transformed for Liam Sheedy’s first championship match back at the helm, Seamus Callanan and John McGrath the goalscorers as eleven different Tipp players raised flags in a memorable contest.

John O’Dwyer and Jason Forde notched twelve points between them, while Callanan finished the game with 1-4 to his credit.

Callanan netted as early as the third minute, getting the crowd of 30,274 animated early. The visitors roared out of the blocks in glorious sunshine to lead by six points at the midway stage in the first half, 1-8 to 0-5, although their lead was pared back to the minimum by the short whistle, 1-13 to 0-15, Patrick Horgan on target ten times for the losers before the break and 14 times in total.

Six unanswered points had the Rebels level by the 28th minute and Anthony Nash’s penalty save from Forde suggested that it might be Cork’s day. However, McGrath plundered the second Tipp three-pointer on 50 minutes to open up an eight-point gap, 2-20 to 0-18, and Seamus Harnedy’s major five minutes from time proved a mere consolation, Tipp quickly cancelling it out with a run of points from Man of the Match O’Dwyer, Noel McGrath (‘65’) and Callanan.

Tipperary - B Hogan; C Barrett, J Barry, S O’Brien; B Maher (0-2), Padraic Maher (0-1), R Maher (0-1); N McGrath (0-4, 1'65), M Breen (0-1); N O’Meara (0-1), John O’Dwyer (0-7), Patrick Maher (0-1); J McGrath (1-1), S Callanan (1-4), J Forde (0-5, 3f). Subs: D McCormack for M Breen, J Morris for J Forde, W Connors for N O’Meara, M Kehoe for Patrick Maher, C Darcy for N McGrath.

Cork - A Nash; E Cadogan, N O’Leary, S O’Donoghue; C Joyce, M Coleman, T O’Mahony (0-1); D Fitzgibbon, L Meade; R O’Flynn (0-1), S Harnedy (1-2), D Kearney, C Lehane (0-3), S Kingston (0-3), P Horgan (0-14, 10f). Subs: D Cahalane for C Joyce, A Walsh for R O’Flynn, D Dalton for D Kearney, J O’Connor for S Kingston.

Referee - S Cleere.

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