Sport

Bourke helps turn tide

Tipperary 1-11 Antrim 0-8: A cracking goal by teenage league debutant Pa Bourke steered Tipperary to a low-key victory over …

Mon Mar 19 2007 - 00:00

Tipperary 1-11 Antrim 0-8:A cracking goal by teenage league debutant Pa Bourke steered Tipperary to a low-key victory over Antrim in a lacklustre National Hurling League, Division One B, tie at Templemore yesterday.

Tipperary never dominated as expected as a gutsy Antrim made them fight all the way to stay on course for the quarter-finals after a slip against Limerick in their opening game.

Indeed, Antrim showed the greater urgency early on. Backed by a blustery wind, they had Tipperary on the back foot for much of the first half and led 0-7 to 0-2 at the break. Karl McKeegan was a key figure for them with three points from play, while Tipp failed to score from play in that period, both their points coming from Eoin Kelly frees.

Tipperary manager, Babs Keating, must have had strong words for his charges at the interval, because within 20 seconds of the resumption Pa Bourke had the ball in the Antrim net off a Conor O'Mahoney delivery, and a minute later Eoin Kelly pointed another free.

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A rout looked imminent but did not materialise. Indeed it took Tipperary 15 minutes to level, with a point from Eoin Kelly, who two minutes later pointed a 65 to put them ahead for the first time.

Thereafter the Tipperary win was not in doubt but the home side were somewhat flattered by the six-point victory margin after a flawed performance.

The comfort for Keating and his team is that the result leaves Tipperary well-placed to make the quarter-finals with two wins from three outings.

TIPPERARY:G Kennedy; E Buckley, P Curran, A Byrne; E Corcoran, C O'Mahoney (0-1),B Dunne; J Woodlock, F Devanney; J Carroll, E Kelly (0-7),D Egan; P Bourke (1-1),M Webster, P Kelly. Subs:S McGrath for Carroll; W Ryan (0-1)for Webster; S Maher (0-1)for Devanney.

ANTRIM:R McGarry; B McAuley, M McCambridge, B Delargy; M Molloy, J Campbell, C Herron; M Herron, B Herron (0-1); K McKeegan (0-3),N McAuley, K Elliot; B McFall (0-4),P Richmond, P Shields. Subs:N McAuley for Richmond; M Scullion for M Herron; S McNaughton for McFall.

Referee: J O'Mahoney(Limerick).