Disappointing first half costs Tipperary dearly in league opener against Down

Allianz Football League Division 3 (Round 1)

TIPPERARY   1-11   DOWN 2-11

A rousing second half from the home side wasn’t enough to save Tipperary from defeat against Down in the opening round of the Allianz Football League at Semple Stadium, Thurles on Saturday night.

After a very disappointing opening half, in which the Premier side failed to score from play, they trailed at the interval by 1-6 to 0-2 against the Mournemen whose full-forward Pat Havern scored their goal in the 19th minute. 

However after the interval, with the introduction of Steven O’Brien for Tipperary, David Power’s side put in a storming 35 minutes and bar a softly conceded second goal scored by Conor Francis, Tipperary still might have taken something from this opening league clash.

After a lacklustre first 35 minutes Tipp hit the ground running on the resumption and sandwiched in between two early second half points from play for Tipp from Conor Sweeney and Mikey O'Shea, Down were reduced to 14 men when Niall McParland received a second yellow in the 40th minute.

Two frees from Conor Sweeney for Tipp were matched by frees from Barry O'Hagan and Andrew Gilmore which had Down still five to the good, at 1-8 to 0-6, 15 minutes into the second half.

Tipp then introduced Mark Russell and instantly the powerful Aherlow man made a big difference kicking two fine points within four minutes of coming on. However, Down's substitute Andrew Gilmore kept his side safely ahead with two points of his own.

Another converted free by the Tipperary captain Sweeney edged the home side a little closer before disaster struck for them 10 minutes from time. A bad defensive mistake in which Tipperary failed to clear a bread and butter punt into the danger zone presented Conor Francis with an open goal to shoot into. Suddenly Down had their seven points half-time advantage restored and it looked game over.

But full credit to Tipperary they refused to throw in the towel and struck back with a goal of their own two minutes later from Teddy Doyle. That green flag was followed by two points from Donough Leahy - within five minutes of his 62nd minute introduction - to narrow the gap to just two and set up a grandstand finish. Tipp also had a rub of the green between those Leahy points when Down's Andrew Gilmore was desperately unlucky to see his piledriver from 20 metres crash back off the crossbar.

The scoring was completed six minutes into time added on with a Pat Havern free and Down were delighted to hear the final whistle soon afterwards. 

Tipp’s goalscorer Teddy Doyle was dismissed in the final minute, also for a second yellow card. 

FIRST HALF

The first half belonged to Down who were dominant all over. Their opening score came in the fifth minute with a ‘marked’ point from Pat Havern. The Mournemen extended that advantage to three by the 12th minute with Havern and midfielder Odhran Murdock both pointing.

The home side eventually got on the scoreboard right on the quarter hour mark with a Sean O’Connor free, but a pair of points within a minute, both scored by lively corner forward Eamon Brown, put Conor Laverty’s side 0-5 to 0-1 ahead.

Things deteriorated even more for the Premier with a superbly taken goal by Pat Havern in the 19th minute, the Savall man finishing low after being played in by Brown. The move began when Tipp forward Liam McGrath was smothered by a blanket defence and the quick counter attack from one end of the field to the other was superbly finished a few seconds later with the goal into the town end.

Another Havern point made it 1-6 to 0-1 in the 22nd minute before the northerners were temporarily reduced to 14 with a black card for Barry O’Hagan in the 24th minute, a numerical disadvantage that was scarcely noticed such was their control of proceedings.

Tipp’s second score, another free, came four minutes before the interval with Jack Kennedy kicking off the ground from 40 metres out.

At the break it looked a hopeless cause for David Power’s side trailing by seven. Despite the second half performance being much improved they had given themselves too much of a hill to climb. Tipp will have to quickly regroup for next Sunday's visit to Kingspan Breffni to face Cavan.

TIPPERARY:

Michael O'Reilly (Clonmel Commercials), Shane O’Connell (Golden Kilfeacle), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Dean Carew (Upperchurch Drombane), Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), Colm O’Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan), Emmet Moloney (Drom/Inch), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers), Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials, 0-1F), Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan Kilcash), Mikey O’Shea (CJ Kickhams, Mullinahone, 0-1), Teddy Doyle (Ballina, 1-0), Conor Sweeney (capt., Ballyporeen, 0-3, 0-3F), Liam McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney), Sean O'Connor (Clonmel Commercials, 0-1F).

Subs: 

Cathal Deely (Clonmel Commercials) for Boland (inj, 32 minutes); Steven O’Brien (Ballina) for O’Connor (half-time); Conor Cadell (JK Brackens) for Stokes (44 mins); Mark Russell (Aherlow, 0-2) for Moloney (50 mins); Donough Leahy (Arravale Rovers, 0-2) for Sweeney (inj., 62 mins).

DOWN:

John O’Hare (Glenn), Ryan Magill (Burren), Pierce Laverty (Saval), Ryan McEvoy (Kilcoo), Conor Francis (Bredagh, 1-0), Niall McParland (Glenn), Micheál Rooney (Kilcoo), Niall Donnelly (Tullylish), Odhran Murdock (Burren, 0-1), Gerard Collins (Downpatrick), Donagh McAleenan (Cumann Pheadair Naofa), Liam Kerr (Burren), Eamon Brown (Clonduff, 0-2), Pat Havern (Saval, 1-4, 0-1M, 0-1F), Barry O’Hagan (Clonduff, 0-1F).

Subs: Andrew Gilmore (0-3, 0-2F) for Brown (40 minutes); Caolan Doherty for Rooney (41 mins); Conor Fitzpatrick (Mayobridge) for Donnelly (57 mins); Mark Walsh for O'Hagan (61 mins); Patrick Branagan (Clonduff) for Collins (69 mins).

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare).