UNFOURTEENATE

Tipp have no chance against rampant Rebels after red card before action begins

- BY STEPHEN BARRY

PAT RYAN said it last week and repeated it yesterday - you simply can't win games in Munster with 14 men.

Cork were punished for Shane Barrett's red card in Ennis as Clare snatched a draw.

Both of their Munster defeats last year swung on dismissals.

This time, it was Tipperary who were left facing an impossible task to reverse their wretched record against the Rebels without Darragh McCarthy for the entirety of the contest.

Cork weren't in the mood to grant any lifelines. They brutally punished them with three goals inside 17 minutes from Tim O'Mahony, Patrick Horgan and Alan Connolly. Declan Dalton capped off the victory with a fourth green flag late on.

All four of those scorers had found the net in recent contests with Tipp, which have yielded 15 goals in their last four Championship clashes.

"You can't win games in Munster with only 14 fellas on the field.

It's just impossible, teams are too good," said Ryan. "So we should have been winning that game."

McCarthy's dig at Seán O'Donoghue occurred even before the sliotar was thrown in amid some heated exchanges.

The corner-back was left on the turf, while a tearful McCarthy was consoled by Noel McGrath after Johnny Murphy produced the red card.

There was a double punishment, too, as Murphy chalked off Alan Tynan's opening point, scored direct from the throw-in.