Five-goal Tipp thrash Antrim
Tipperary 5-23 Antrim 0-13
Tipperary did their semi-final hopes the power of good as they fashioned five goals, including 2-2 for second-half substitute Tommy Dunne and a long range free effort from goalkeeper Brendan Cummins to come out as winners over hapless Antrim at Semple Stadium.
Pointless after their first three games, Antrim were undone in the early stages as Tipp raced into a 1-7 to 0-3 lead by the opening half’s midpoint.
Liam Watson and the Herrons - Michael and Ciaran, kept the Saffrons in touch, but Eoin Kelly was out of sight for the Antrim defence, as he accounted for 1-4 of Tipp’s early tally.
Kelly was on hand to net his second goal from free on 33 minutes, with Tipp holding a 2-9 to 0-10 advantage at half time.
Every time Michael Herron got a chance to slot over a score, the Premier men rallied and twice in the early stages of the second half after Herron points, they went on four-point binges.
Soon a 2-22 to 0-13 tally was racked up with Kelly, Benny Dunne and Paddy O’Brien all pointing, and with Delargy scoring two of Antrim’s second half haul of 0-3, sub Tommy Dunne tagged on two late goals.
The final nail in the Antrim coffin came in injury time when Cummins launched a free from his own ’20, to watch it arrow into the Antrim net, eluding the best efforts of his opposite number Damien Quinn.
