Tipperary footballers suffer 14-point defeat in second round of Tailteann Cup

Kildare 3-19 Tipperary 1-11

A failure to trouble the scoreboard at crucial times in the game has become a problem for Tipperary senior footballers in their two recent Tailteann Cup games, and it’s a situation that manager Philly Ryan is keen to remedy.

It happened first against Sligo the previous weekend, and again last Saturday against Kildare in Clonmel. Tipperary were six points down before their opening score, a brilliant two-pointer from Cian Smith, after 21 minutes.

They also went thirteen minutes in the final quarter without a score, and that point from Liam Boland deep into injury time was nothing more than a consolation.

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Tipperary had their purple patches in the game, getting to within three points of the Leinster semi-finalists by half-time, but their inconsistency in front of the posts meant they were unable to kick on.

“The scoreline doesn’t reflect our performance and I’m very disappointed with that,” said Ryan. “We also hit patches in Sligo when we didn’t get a score and we have to work on keeping the scoreboard ticking over. But we know that we are on a journey and it’s progression that we are trying to achieve for the team”.

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He said he was reasonably happy at half time, when trailing 1-9 to 1-6. “Then I thought we had a reasonable chance in the first ten minutes of the second half, but they just took over and their penalty was a big call and I’m not 100 percent sure about it. It was after Daithí Hogan got turned over in attack for over-carrying but little things go against you when you are the underdog. However, they killed us on our kickouts in the first half, we didn’t get our hands on the ball and that’s when a lot of the damage was done”.

A nightmare start put Tipperary on the back foot from the first minute. Full forward Daniel Flynn pointed after 26 seconds – he went on to score 2-4 from play, and just missed a third goal when he chipped an out-of-position Shane Ryan, but his attempt came back off the crossbar with a goal looking a certainty.

Alex Beirne added a second after 49 seconds and further points from Tommy Gill, two more from Beirne, one a free, and Ben McCormack had the Lilywhites 0-6 to no score up after 20 minutes. In truth, they could have doubled that lead as they hit as many wides as scores. Tipp had their chances, but were living off scraps.

The long-awaited breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Steven O’Brien was fouled and Cian Smith pointed the free from outside the arc for two points. In the very next move, Darragh Brennan provided the assist for Daithí Hogan to shoot the side’s first score from play.

Those scores got the Tipp supporters in full voice – even if they were outnumbered by the visitors – but the mood was dampened immediately when Flynn broke through the cover and shot to the net past Ryan. Darragh Swords and Jimmy Hyland followed up with points to put Kildare 1-8 to 0-3 ahead.

But over the next ten minutes, Tipperary outscored Kildare 1-3 to 0-1. Cian Smith was proving to be the team’s real dangerman in attack and he kicked a great point, before the side’s best move of the game saw Sean O’Connor set up Darragh Brennan to the right of the Kildare goal and he gave keeper Didier Cordonnier no chance with a rasping shot to the net.

Kildare’s Flynn then saw his chipped effort come back off Shane Ryan’s crossbar but he fisted over for a point in the follow-up.
But Tipp finished the half well, and just after Steven O’Brien had missed a long range free, Cian Smith took a pass from Micheál Freaney to shoot a superb two-pointer, to leave it 1-9 to 1-6 at half-time.

And it got better two minutes into the second half when a superb run from his own half by Luke Boland created a chance for Jack O’Neill to point. Paudie Feehan then had the chance to narrow the gap to a single point, but was off target.

However, that was as good as it got for Tipp, as they were outscored 2-10 to 0-4 over the final 30 minutes. Kildare lost narrowly to eventual champions Louth in the provincial semi-final and are Tailteann Cup favourites, and they showed their pedigree on a beautiful afternoon for football in Clonmel.

The result was never in doubt once Alex Beirne converted a 42nd minute penalty in what seemed a harsh call by Mayo referee Jerome Henry. Team captain Steven O’Brien hit back immediately with a two-pointer free but then the floodgates opened, interrupted only briefly by a Darragh Brennan free after he had been fouled himself.

The Kildare scores came from two-pointers from an Alex Beirne free and David Hyland from play, two points from Flynn as well as a palmed goal, two points from Jimmy Hyland, another free from Beirne, and sub Tony Archbold also getting in on the scoring. Luke Boland had Tipp’s last point with the final kick of the game.

“We are a new team and we have to be patient with the lads. We are a team coming together, having brought the Under 20s in just over three weeks ago and trying to blend them in as well. We’ll now freshen up and come back for the Leitrim game on the weekend after next,” manager Philly Ryan said, looking ahead to the final group game in the competition.

Tipperary: Shane Ryan (Clonmel Commercials), Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers) 0-1; Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields), Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan) 0-1; Paudie Feehan (Killenaule), Mark Russell (Aherlow), Micheál Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Steven O’Brien (Ballina) 0-2, 1 2pt; Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s) 0-1; Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials) 0-5, 2 2pt; Darragh Brennan (Ballyporeen) 1-1, 1f; Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials).

Subs: Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney) for Russell (30), Ben Comerford (Grangemockler/Ballyneale) for O’Connor (HT), James Morris (Clonmel Commercials) for P Feehan (55), Eoghan Power (Ballina) for Freaney (60), Emmet Moloney (Portlaoise) for O’Brien (67).

Kildare: Didier Cordonnier, Brian Byrne, Mark Dempsey, Ryan Burke, Tommy Gill 0-1; David Hyland 0-2, 1 2pt; Mick O’Grady, Aaron Masterson, Brendan Gibbons 0-1; Ryan Sinkey, Alex Beirne 1-5, 2f, 1 2pt; Ben McCormack 0-1; Darragh Swords 0-1; Daniel Flynn 2-4; Jimmy Hyland 0-3.

Subs: Kevin Flynn for O’Grady (HT), Eoin Cully for Sinkey (44), Kevin Feely for Gibbons (48), Tony Archbold 0-1 for McCormack (55), Jack McKevitt for Gill (68).

Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).