Tipperary 0-21
Waterford 0-16

Tipperary are Munster hurling champions for the 41st time after they finished with five points to spare over Waterford in Semple Stadium.

Eamon O'Shea secured his first piece of silverware as Premier County boss after his players outscored the Deise by 11 points to seven during the second-half.

Maybe the occasion got to Derek McGrath's young Waterford players but they can take consolation from the fact that they made their more experienced opponents sweat for their victory.

The 43,084 spectators that turned up in Thurles witnessed a tactical battle and four Seamus Callanan pointed frees helped Tipperary go in at the break with a minimum margin lead (0-10 to 0-9).

Tipperary rarely threatened Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O'Keeffe but eight players made the winners' scoresheet.

Callanan found the target with six placed balls while John O'Dwyer hit five points, three from play and two from frees.

Maurice Shanahan, meanwhile, accounted for half of Waterford's final tally. His eight point haul was made up of three from play, three frees and two 65s.

Niall O'Meara raised three white flags for the home side and two of those arrived early on as O'Shea's charges raced into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead.

Four points without reply had Waterford back on level terms by the 24th minute and McGrath and his backroom team would have been pleased with a first-half which saw them end just a point in arrears.

But, as the second-half unfolded, Tipp began to exert a greater influence on proceedings with O'Dwyer, O'Meara and half-time substitute Lar Corbett all causing problems for the Deise defence.

It may not go down as a classic Munster final but that won't concern O'Shea and his players who now turn their attention to the last four of the Liam McCarthy Cup race.

Waterford, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they take on Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final on July 26th.

Tipperary - D Gleeson; C Barrett, J Barry, M Breen (0-1); K Bergin, Padraic Maher, R Maher; J Woodlock, S McGrath; J Forde (0-2), B Maher, Patrick Maher (0-2); J O'Dwyer (0-5, 2f), S Callanan (0-6, 4f, 2'65), N O'Meara (0-3). Subs: L Corbett (0-1) for M Breen, S Bourke (0-1) for J Forde, C O'Brien for S McGrath.

Waterford - S O'Keeffe; S Fives (0-2), B Coughlan, N Connors; T de Burca, A Gleeson (0-2), P Mahony; J Barron, E Barrett; K Moran (0-2), Stephen Bennett, J Dillon; M Shanahan (0-8, 3f, 2'65), M Walsh, C Dunford (0-1). Subs: T Devine for Stephen Bennett, Shane Bennett for E Barrett, P Curran (0-1) for C Dunford, D Fives for J Dillon.

Referee - J Owens.

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