Winters earns minor hurlers a deserved draw

DUBLIN 1-16 TIPPERARY 2-13

Two late Paul Winters frees, the second in added time, earned Dublin a deserved draw in Sunday’s Electric Ireland MHC final at Croke Park.

Dublin played the more enterprising hurling for the most part but looked doomed to defeated entering the final moments as the deadball accuracy of Tipp’s John McGrath looked set to steer them to victory.

However, a spirited Dublin keep going to the finish and were rewarded for their ‘never say die’ attitude with the equalising scores from the St Brigid’s marksman.

The fact Tipp did not score from play until the third minute of the second paints its own picture of the free-count in favour of the Premier County but while the Dublin defence did concede too many frees they produced heroics at times to quell the much vaunted Tipp forward line.

In the opening half Shay Boland’s men opened with intent and well crafted points from Winters (free), and superb individual efforts from wing-back Eoghan O’Donnell, the influential Cormac Costello and Conor McHugh from long-range following great defensive work from Shane Barrett had the boys in blue 0-4 to 0-0 to the good inside eight minutes.

A tenth minute penalty from McGrath eased Tipp back into the game before a superb drive and finish from Costello in the 17th minute was vital as the Dubs held a 1-8 to 1-5 interval lead.

Towards the close of the opening half Dublin corner-back Shane Barrett blocked a goal attempt from Tipp’s Tadhg Gallagher when diving fearlessly to stop the sliotar with his head – it was an act with summed up the attitude of a Dublin defence where the likes of Cian O’Callaghan and Robert Murphy hurled up a storm.

Immediately on the restart to the second half Oisín O’Rorke worked his way in along the endline at the Davin Stand end but his goal attempt crashed off the side-netting.

Five minutes into the second half Tipp struck for their second goal when corner-forward Mark McCarthy showed good acceleration before firing clinically past Cian Mac Gabhann.

Crucially the Dubs responded immediately with points from Cian Boland and a great long-ranger from Seánie McClelland to dampen any hopes Tipp had of the goal being the catalyst to a winning scoring surge.

Ten minutes from time Dublin keeper Mac Gabhann pulled off a great reflex save to deny Gallagher as both teams knuckled down from a tight, gritty finish.

Tipp looked to have stole a march with points from McGrath and Seán Maher before Winters kept his nerve to bring the Dubs level and force a replay on September 30 in Croke Park (1.15).

SCORERS – Dublin: C Costello 1-3, P Winters 0-6 (0-6f), C McHugh, C Boland 0-2, E O’Donnell, S McClelland, D Gormley 0-1 each. Tipperary: J McGrath 1-11 (1-0 pen, 0-9f, 0-2 ’65’), M McCarthy 1-0, S Maher 0-2. 

DUBLIN: C Mac Gabhann; E Lowndes, C O’Callaghan, S Barrett; E O’Donnell, R Murphy, S McClelland; D Gormley, C Cronin; C Costello, C McHugh, C Boland; P Winters, C Conway, O O’Rorke.  Subs: C Bennett for Conway (51),

TIPPERARY: P Maher; R Maher, M Breen, J Peters; T Fox, T Hamill, B Heffernan; B Maher, T Gallagher; S O’Brien, J McGrath, J Shelly; M McCarthy, S Maher, S Cahill. Subs: S Ryan for Shelly (ht), K Slattery for Gallagher (51), C Lanigan for McCarthy (61).

REF: C Lyons (Cork)