Tipperary 1-30; Waterford 1-21
For a team who seemed to have forgotten how to win in the Munster round robin, Tipp finished their four-game sequence with two wins and a draw this time around.
And Sunday’s well deserved nine-point victory over Waterford means they have five points and while it is likely that Cork will beat the Deise in Pairc Ui Cahoimh this weekend and advance to meet Limerick in the provincial decider, Tipp will be the team to also advance to the Liam McCarthy series as the third placed team in the round-robin series.
Waterford had the electric start of a Stephen Bennet goal after 12 seconds and added a few quick points but that was to be as good as it got for them as slowly the Premier county took control and with a mixture of seasoned players and enthusiastic youngsters, were a step ahead of their opponents for most of the game.
The one time Waterford rekindled the striking of their quick start was early in the second half when they pulled back from six points down to level. However like a gibbing horse, they failed to get their noses in front and Tipp responded in like manner with a six-point reel off of their own to put daylight once more between the sides.
Then Oisín O'Donoghue was introduced on the 68th minute and in no time he shot home his first championship goal to ensure the right of passage of the primrose and blue to further summer hurling.
Tipperary into the All-Ireland Series with a nine-point win over Waterford. The Cashel King Cormacs star was man of the match as the Premier won the Munster U20 title on Wednesday.
Stephen Bennett tried everything in his power with two outlandish efforts on goal which were easily repulsed and thus spent, the winners kicked on with an array of points to seal the deal on the day.
Tipperary: R Shelly; R Doyle, M Breen, E Connolly (0-3, 0-2f); B O’Mara, C Morgan, R Maher; S O’Farrell (0-1), W Connors; C Stakelum, A Ormond (0-3), J Morris (0-4); D McCarthy (0-11f), J McGrath (0-2), J Forde (0-3, 0-2s/l) Subs: D Stakelum for Connors (47-52, temp), N McGrath (0-01) for C Stakelum (51), D Stakelum for O’Farrell (52), S Kenneally (0-01) for J McGrath (57), O O’Donoghue (1-1) for Forde (68), S Kennedy for Morgan (70).
Waterford: B Nolan; I Daly, C Prunty, I Kenny; P Leavey (0-1), T de Búrca, M Fitzgerald; G Fives, D Lyons (0-1, s/l); M Kiely (0-2), J Barron (0-4), J Prendergast; K Mahony (0-1), Stephen Bennett (1-9, 0-7f), D Hutchinson (0-1) Subs: Patrick Fitzgerald (0-1) for Mahony (46), Shane Bennett for Fives (55), P Curran for Kiely (61), S Walsh (0-1) for Hutchinson (65), T Barron for Daly (70+2).
Ref: S Stack (Dublin).
