Tipperary 3-15

Cork 2-16

Tipperary recorded their first championship victory over Cork in 72 years in a thrilling Munster SFC semi-final at Thurles this afternoon.

Marksman Kevin O'Halloran held his nerve to land two late points in injury-time and devastate the Rebels after they'd notched an unanswered 1-4 down the final stretch to draw the game level.

Goals from Conor Sweeney and Michael Quinlivan saw Tipp take in an unlikely 2-7 to 0-6 half-time lead and they landed a third via Brian Fox in the second-half to nullify Mark Collins' major in the third quarter.

Collins would raise another green flag in the 65th minute to help bring the game level, but O'Halloran stepped up to the plate when it mattered most for Liam Kearns's men to help mark the county's first championship win over the Leesiders since 1944, setting-up a provincial final date with Kerry on July 3rd in the process.

Cork looked settled in with a good start at Semple Stadium through Brian Hurley and captain Paul Kerrigan registering their first two points inside four minutes.

A fired-up Tipp side were level two minutes later though, with Bill Maher and O'Halloran (free) finding their range early on, and they could have taken maximum profit from their next score after Robbie Kiely was brought down in the Rebels' square.

Peter Acheson's penalty was saved by Ryan Price though and the hosts would instead have to settle for a O'Halloran '45', giving them their first lead nine minutes in.

Conor Dorman brought Cork level soon after, but the ensuing five minutes would be disastrous for Peader Healy's charges as a Quinlivan free was backed up by Sweeney rattling Price's net much to the delight of the home support.

Dorman and John O'Rourke looped over scores to try and restore order for the Leesiders and some brilliant work from Collins cut their arrears to two five minutes from the break.

However, just when the Rebels looked to have things under control, they allowed Fox to cut through them and set-up the electric Quinlivan, who raised a second green flag for a mighty roar from the home contingent.

The Clonmel Commercials star landed an injury-time point to leave Cork with some real food for thought at half-time, as Tipp, astonishingly, took in a seven-point lead without having put a single opportunity to waste.

Two O'Halloran frees bumped that advantage up to nine after four minutes of the restart and the Premier sharpshooter added his third of the half to cancel out Kerrigan on the 50-minute mark.

Collins pulled back a goal two minutes later for Cork but they were fortunate not to concede something similar in their opponents' next attack, which saw Quinlivan pull a precious chance just wide of the post.

Donnacha O'Connor made it a four-point game with a quarter of a hour left on the clock and it saw Tipp respond in the best possible manner, as Ciaran McDonald's point was backed up by Fox rifling in their third major.

That wasn't to be all she wrote though as an O'Connor free sparked the anticipated comeback from the Rebels, which led them towards registering an unanswered 1-4 in the closing seven minutes of regulation to draw the game level.

After a Peter Kelleher point, Collins' second goal was backed up by O'Connor (free), Daniel Goulding (2) and Kerrigan all raising white flags to bring matters even (2-16 to 3-13) by the 69th minute.

Both sides would have to sweat it out in five minutes of injury-time during which time the pendulum swung back Tipperary's way, with O'Hallhoran backing up a coolly struck '45' with a last minute free to cement the historic victory for the Premier County.

Tipperary - E Comerford; C McDonald (0-1), C O'Shaughnessy, A Campbell; B Maher (0-1), R Kiely, J Feehan; P Acheson (0-2), G Hannigan; P Austin, K O'Halloran (0-7, 3f, 2'45), B Fox (1-1); J Keane, M Quinlivan (1-3, 0-1f), C Sweeney (1-0). Subs: S Leahy for J Keane (BC), M Dunne for R Kiely, I Fahey for P Austin, A Moloney for C Sweeney, S O'Connell for B Maher, B Hewitt for I Fahey (BC).

Cork - R Price; J Loughrey, E Cadogan, C O'Driscoll; K O'Driscoll, B O'Driscoll, T Clancy; S Kiely, I Maguire; J O'Rourke (0-1), C Dorman (0-2), M Collins (2-1); C O'Neill (0-2f), B Hurley (0-1), P Kerrigan (0-3, 1f). Subs: P Kelleher (0-1) for B Hurley, R Deane for S Kiely, S White for R Deane (BC), S Powter for C Dorman, D O'Connor (0-3f) for C O'Neill, D Goulding (0-2, 1f) for J O'Rourke.

Referee - P Neilan.

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