Confidence boost for Tipperary footballers with hard-fought league win in Longford

Allianz National Football League Division 4, Round 2

LONGFORD 0-14 TIPPERARY 0-16

Tipperary collected their first win of this year’s National Football League Division 4 campaign with a hard-fought two-points victory over Longford at a windswept Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford on Sunday last.

In the corresponding fixture in Division 3 last season, Tipperary left victory behind them when securing their only point of the seven-game campaign, but this time round, with both teams now in Division 4, Tipperary made no mistake.

The primary target for Longford manager Paddy Christie, who served as Tipperary coach for a period under David Power’s management, was an immediate return to Division 3 but a second consecutive loss at the start of this campaign is a severe setback to those ambitions for this year’s O’Byrne Cup winners.

Make no mistake about it, Tipperary were worthy winners in bouncing back from the surprise defeat at home to Carlow the previous week and led for most of the crucial clash in which neither side could really afford to lose if they wished to keep their ambitions of a quick return to Division 3 alive.

The visitors created three definite goal chances in the first half, the last of which was a point-blank shot from Stephen Grogan which was well saved by Longford’s keeper, Killoe’s Micheal Hughes, in the 31st minute.

Having said that, Longford were looking in a good position when they established a 0-4 to 0-1 lead with 15 minutes gone on the clock with the scores coming from Darren Gallagher (two frees), Michael Quinn and Keelin McGann, the latter landing a glorious strike from a very tight angle against the stiff, swirling wind.

In fact, the midlanders could have been further ahead in the first quarter of the contest as Mark Hughes was denied a goal when his close range effort was blocked down by Jimmy Feehan in the 13th minute.

The physically stronger Tipperary team then took over completely to shoot six points in a row, the highlight of which was a brilliant right foot strike from captain Steven O’Brien in the 26th minute.

Soon after the vastly experienced O’Brien was forced to retire injured in a significant blow for Tipperary and when Longford’s best player Darren Gallagher converted another free in first half stoppage time his side were a slender 0-7 to 0-5 adrift going into the second half.

Tipperary defender James Morris tracks the run of his Longford opponent during Sunday's Division 4 Allianze Football League game in Longford

The wind advantage should probably have swung the issue in favour of Paddy Christie’s charges but it failed to materialise as the resilient Munster men were consistently dangerous on the counter attack with some penetrating runs from the influential Paddy Creedon posing a lot of problems.

Thurles Sarsfields’ Creedon started at full-forward but was moved out to the midfield sector when Steven O’Brien was withdrawn while particularly outstanding was the lethal corner-forward Sean Connor who registered the impressive total of seven points (four frees) on the changeover.

Just a solitary point (0-15 to 0-14) separated the sides when Keelin McGann shot over the bar in the 69th minute but Tipperary made the victory secure when O’Connor was on target again in the third minute of stoppage time.

With home advantage, Longford were fancied to get back on track after losing to Laois in the opening round but it did not happen with their failure to score during a barren spell lasting 22 minutes in the first half leading to their downfall.
Once Tipperary got going they were hard stopped in their slick attacks with timely tackles by Oisin O’Toole and Darren Gallagher stopping goal goal attempts from Sean O’Connor and Conor Cadell.

The seven Tipp points in the first half came from six different players with corner-forward Jack Kennedy (JK Brackens) opening their account in the 12th minute.

The other Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials) fired over a brace of scores (‘45 and free) with O’Connor (free), Creedon, Steven O’Brien and Cathal Deely also on target.

Longford’s only wide in the first half came from a mark approaching the break with the kicker Mark Hughes believing that the ball had gone over the bar but there was no white flag from the umpire.

Tipperary managed to remain ahead with seven of their nine points in the second half coming from the talented Sean O’Connor with Cathal Deely and Peter Creedon on target again.

Longford, to their credit, also landed a fine total of nine points on the changeover which included a couple of cracking scores from Jayson Matthews and Mark Hughes.

Darren Gallagher added another three points (one free) to his impressive tally while Dylan Farrell converted three frees.
It might have been a different story had a goal attempt from Keelin McGann ended up in the back of the net in the 55th minute with his shot flashing narrowly wide at a stage when Tipperary were leading by two points, 0-12 to 0-10.

This will come as a big boost to new manager Paul Kelly especially after the opening round disappointment at FBD Semple Stadium the previous Saturday night when Tipperary went down by two points. Next up is a trip to London where Tipperary will be hoping to following up the Longford win with another victory in Ruislip.

TEAMS AND SCORERS
LONGFORD: Micheal Hughes; Patrick Fox, Oisin O’Toole, Bryan Masterson; Keelin McGann (0-2), Ryan Moffett, Michael Quinn (0-1); Darren Gallagher (0-6, 4 frees), Daire Duggan; Daniel Reynolds, Dylan Farrell (0-3, 3 frees), Joseph Hagan; Mark Hughes (0-1), Jayson Matthews (0-1), Cathal McCabe.

Subs:- Daniel Mimnagh for Daniel Reynolds (half-time); Dessie Reynolds for B Masterson (60 mins); Liam Hughes for D Duggan (67 mins); Bryn Peters for C McCabe (68 mins).

TIPPERARY: Jack Rodgers; Shane O’Connell, Jimmy Feehan, Emmet Maloney; James Morris, Kieran Costello, Paudie Feehan; Steven O’Brien (0-1), Jack Kennedy (Commercials, 0-2, ‘45 and free); Conor Cadell, Stephen Grogan, Cathal Deely (0-2); Jack Kennedy (JK Brackens, 0-1), Paddy Creedon (0-2), Sean O’Connor (0-8, 5 frees).

Subs:- Teddy Doyle for S O’Brien (injured, 28 mins); Mark Stokes for C Cadell (53 mins); Martin Kehoe for J Kennedy (JK Brackens, 53 mins); Rory O’Dowd for E Maloney (60 mins); Darragh O’Leary for P Creedon (stoppage time).
Referee: Christopher Ryan (Galway).