Summary
The National Hurling League started in late January with Tipperary's opening game was against Galway, managed by Micheál Donoghue on 26 January. The match was shown live on TG4. [11] [12] [13] Four players started and made their National League debuts in the match, Dylan Walsh, Darragh McCarthy, Sam O'Farrell, and Michael Corcoran. [14] In a match played in icy cold conditions and in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, Tipperary had a 1-13 to 0-9 lead at half time, the Tipperary goal coming from Darragh McCarthy from a penalty in the 11th minute after a foul on Dylan Walsh. McCarthy firing low to the right corner. [15] In the 44th minute, Gearoid O’Connor got a second goal for Tipperary with a low shot along the ground to the net with Dylan Walsh getting a third seven minutes later with a low shot to the left corner from the right. [16] Tipperary went on to win by 3-25 to 2-16. [17]
A week later on 2 February in round 2 of the league, Tipperary played Wexfrod, managed by Keith Rossiter in Semple Stadium. Robert Doyle came into the team for his first start while Gavin O'Halloran and Josh Keller made their senior debut. [18] Tipperary had a 0-12 to 0-8 lead at half time and went on to win the game on a 1-22 to 0-19 scoreline with the Tipperary goal coming from a penalty by Darragh McCarthy in the 59th minute. [19]
Tipperary played Limerick, managed by John Kiely in round 3 of the league on 9 February at the Gaelic Grounds. The match was shown live on TG4. Shane Dowling returned to the Limerick panel and started as a goalkeeper. In front of a crowd of 11,213 they had a 1-13 to 0-15 lead at half-time, the goal coming from Sean Kenneally in the 25th minute with a volley to the top left corner from the right after a hand-pass from Darragh McCarthy to put Tipperary into a 1-9 to 0-11 lead. [20] In the second-half Limerick responded and outscored Tipperary by 0-15 to 0-9 and went on to win by 0-30 to 1-23. [21] [22]
On Saturday 22 February, Tipperary played Cork managed by Pat Ryan in round 4 of the league at Semple Stadium in front of a crowd of 11,357. The match was shown live on RTÉ. [23] In dry conditions, Tipperary had a 1-12 to 1-11 lead at half-time, the goal coming from Jake Morris in the 4th minute when he ran onto a pass from Alan Tynan before firing low to the left corner of the net from the right. [24] In the 59th minute, substitute Dylan Walsh got a second goal for Tipperary with a low shot to the net past the advancing goalkeeper after a pass from Craig Morgan to make the score 2-20 to 1-17 with Tipperary going on to win by 2-22 to 1-21. Captain Ronan Maher was named as the man of the match. [25] [26]
