Cork 2-18 Tipperary 0-10:James Masters contributed 2-7 as Cork earned a Munster final showdown with Kerry in Killarney on July 1st.

Tipperary had competed well for half an hour at Limerick's Gaelic Grounds yesterday but Masters struck two goals in a five-minute spell before half-time to effectively kill this semi-final as a contest.

Indeed, the sides had been level four times before Masters's intervention but after opening up a 2-5 to 0-4 half-time advantage Cork never looked back.

The second half was mere target practice for the defending provincial champions who outscored their opponents 0-13 to 0-6 after the break.

Tipperary battled gamely in the opening exchanges. It should also be taken into account that corner back Michael Phelan was a huge injury doubt ahead of the game and Declan Browne required painkilling injections before throw-in.

Tipperary, with the aid of the breeze, suffered another injury blow after 24 minutes when captain and right-corner back Mark O'Brien had to leave the field, replaced by Kevin Mulryan, a midfielder.

On the half-hour mark, Masters fired a warning to Tipperary when goalkeeper Paul Fitzgerald spread himself to keep out the Cork forward from point-blank range.

Browne tied the game for the fourth time at 0-4 apiece but four minutes before half-time, Masters struck for what proved to be a killer goal. Anthony Lynch, Kevin MacMahon and Michael Cussen were all involved in the build-up before Masters applied the finish with a side-footed effort to the roof of the net.

Four minutes later, another swing of Masters's left boot saw the Tipperary net bulge once more, a low finish this time under Fitzgerald's body after Noel O'Leary and the industrious Pearse O'Neill had worked the opening.

O'Neill added a late first-half point and seven points separated the teams. It was slightly harsh on Tipperary but the paltry 1,500 attendance quickly realised that there was no way back.

Cork finished the game with five of their six starting forwards on the scoresheet - Cussen the exception - and the second half provided ideal opportunity to hone the shooting skills ahead of the Kerry crunch.

Tipperary goalkeeper Fitzgerald denied Donncha O'Connor a third Cork goal 12 minutes after half-time but the points were popping over on a regular basis and Tipperary went 21 minutes without a score before Browne landed a 59th-minute free. The last 10 minutes of play saw nine points, Tipp shooting four, but by that stage the result was academic.

CORK: P O'Shea; M Shields (0-1), G Canty, K O'Connor; N O'Leary, G Spillane, A Lynch; D Kavanagh (0-2), N Murphy; C McCarthy (0-1), P O'Neill (0-2), K MacMahon (0-1); J Masters (2-7, four frees, one 45), M Cussen, D O'Connor (0-3, one free, one 45). Subs: F Gould (0-1) for McCarthy (half-time), J Miskella for O'Leary (53 mins), S O'Brien for MacMahon (60 mins), B Collins for Cussen (60 mins), A Cronin for Masters (65 mins).

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; M O'Brien, P King, M Phelan; P Morrissey, C Maher, E Connolly; G Hannigan, P Johnson; W Wallace, H Coghlan, B Mulvihill; D O'Brien (0-2), D Browne (0-5, two frees), B Grogan (0-2). Subs: K Mulryan for M O'Brien (24 mins), C Morrissey (0-1) for Maher (half-time), C Aylward for P Morrissey (40 mins), B Coen for Wallace (40 mins), P Brennan for Coghlan (69 mins).

YELLOW CARDS: Cork: N O'Leary (42 mins), G Canty (57 mins). Tipperary: P Morrissey (21 mins), C Morrissey (42 mins), P Johnson (52 mins).

Referee: E Murtagh (Longford).