Connolly hat-trick inspires Cork to Tipperary trouncing

Alan Connolly's third hat-trick in two months powered Cork to an 18-point trouncing that eliminates Tipperary from the Munster Hurling Championship at Semple Stadium.

The sides had been evenly matched until the Blackrock poacher’s first on the stroke of half-time. After the break, they outgunned the hosts by 3-15 to 0-09.

It lifts the Rebels to second in the standings and strengthens their prospects of qualification to the All-Ireland series.

They even broke the Munster round-robin scoring record, taking their four-game total to a whopping 11-107.

The Premier have now gone six games in Munster without a win (three draws and three losses) and their final-round game against Clare is now a dead rubber.

There was a huge Cork turnout among the sold-out 43,972 crowd at FBD Semple Stadium.

It was the Tipp supporters who raised the first big cheer within 15 seconds of the throw-in. Noel McGrath’s visionary pass picked out Conor Bowe’s through run and while Patrick Collins saved, Mark Kehoe was on hand to tap in.

Mark Kehoe has the ball in the net inside a minute for Tipperary in their clash against Cork.