Magnificent Tipperary fully deserve stunning victory in Cavan

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4 (Round 5)

CAVAN  1-7  1-11 TIPPERARY

If three weeks ago Tipperary football manager David Power thought his side’s first win of this year’s league campaign against Sligo in Thurles was the county's best performance since the Munster final win of 2020, well Sunday’s victory away to Cavan was even better. And a lot better at that.
Tipp travelled to Kingspan Breffni as rank outsiders to face the Ulster champions of two years ago in their own backyard, a team unbeaten in their first four games of the league, and on the cusp of immediate promotion back to Division 3.
However, Cavan met a Tipperary side wired for the occasion who produced a magnificent committed and workmanlike performance from start to finish, and were fully deserving of the victory that now sees the Premier themselves odds-on for that upgrading to Division 3 for next year.
Over the 70 minutes Tipp were never led; while a man down for 10 minutes in the first half (Bill Maher black-carded) they held their opponents to two points apiece; suffered a huge psychological blow with a goal conceded with the last kick of the first half; yet re-emerged, unchanged in personnel or commitment for the second half in which they held the table toppers to just three frees over the second 35 minutes - Cavan failed to score from play in the second half.
Besides the impressive stats though, it was difficult to find much fault with the amazing workrate right throughout, as time after time Cavan ran into a wall of solid defending with everyone moving up and down the field as the need presented, lung-bursting stuff all day.
While it was a low scoring game at 1-11 to 1-7, it was a thoroughly entertaining encounter with plenty of goal chances - Tipp might have had two more to go with Conor Sweeney's first half effort - Mark Russell and Kevin Fahey unlucky with a chance in either half.
But Cavan too had their moments, two efforts coming off the crossbar, while goalkeeper Michael O’Reilly pulled off two excellent stops, and late substitute Willie Eviston also blocking bravely as Cavan desperately tried for the goal that they needed to get back into it late on.
The victory puts promotion firmly into Tipperary’s own hands now - two home games remain, against Carlow (next Sunday) and London the following Saturday. Win both and Tipperary will gain a promotion that looked highly unlikely after their opening two games against Waterford and Leitrim yielded just one point. But three wins on the bounce including two away victories in successive Sundays, in Wexford and Cavan, has seen it all change utterly.
Tipp opened Sunday’s scoring with a Conor Sweeney free inside two minutes, Cavan level soon afterwards when the lively Caoimhín O’Reilly fisted a point over.
Six minutes in the Tipp midfielders Conal Kennedy and Mark Russell combined the latter kicking an excellent point for the lead; Kevin Fahey and Shane O'Connell were the link men in the build-up to that score and both played huge counter- attacking games all day putting the defence on edge.
Tipp took a blow in the eighth minute when Bill Maher was black-carded, adjudged by the linesman to have hauled down his opponent - it seemed harsh enough on the Kilsheelan/ Kilcash man - but on his re-introduction he was superb.
A Sean O’Connor point made it 0-3 to 0-1 on 13 minutes, but Cavan had it back to all-square after a close-in Gerard Smith point followed by another from Jason McLoughlin, Tipp turned over in defence in one of the few mistakes of the day.
Teddy Doyle, growing with each performance, kicked a superb point from 45 metres in the 20th minute to put Tipperary back in front.
Tipperary’s goal arrived a minute later scored by Conor Sweeney but created by a sweet passing move that brought Teddy Doyle, Jack Kennedy, Robbie Kiely and indeed goalkeeper Michael O'Reilly into its creation. The former All-Star, being marked by the 2020 All-Star full-back Padraig Faulkner, was netting his fourth goal of the league campaign in the process - Sweeney is enjoying his football again.
Tipp’s advantage was out to five points when Colm O’Shaughnessy - back from injury - made a counter attack pay - the free earned converted by Sean O’Connor for 1-5 to 0-3 on 25 minutes.
Patrick Lynch with a free off the ground reduced that margin to four in the 26th minute, but they were getting little in return for a lot of possession and passing - Tipp were meeting them at the 45 and allowing them plenty of lateral movement but breaking the line wasn’t happening much, such was the determination of the defending.
The final moments of the first half were hugely significant. Tipp via Kevin Fahey and Shane O’Connell got in around the Cavan defence, with O’Connell's fisted effort for a point coming back off the upright. Cavan worked the resultant possession down the field and with the very last kick of the first half Caoimhín O’Reilly drove low past his namesake in the Tipp goal and the margin was back to the minimum at the break, Tipp going in 1-5 to 0-4 ahead.
Within two minutes of the second half Mark Russell had his second point of the day, again Bill Maher involved.
In what was a low-scoring but nonetheless very entertaining second period, the next three scores were all from frees, Patrick Lynch for Cavan followed by one apiece for Conor Sweeney and Jack Kennedy for Tipp.
Tipp were lucky to survive in the 43rd minute when Lynch touched a high delivery onto the Tipp crossbar, the defence mopping up the rebound.
A counter attack by Bill Maher delivered a pin point foot pass for Conor Sweeney to mark and point and Tipperary were 1-9 to 1-5 up 12 minutes in and looking good.
Michael O’Reilly then came to his side’s rescue with a super foot save from Gearóid McKiernan - he was to repeat with another save later in the half from James Smith when it looked like Cavan were in.
The final quarter produced two points apiece, Cavan with a pair of frees from Gearóid McKiernan, Tipp replying with a free from Sweeney (after Stephen Quirke had done the hard work). Tipp’s final point of the game came 10 minutes from time with Jack Kennedy finishing off a move made by his brother Conal and Bill Maher again. Conal’s contribution over the hour immense.
Credit to Cavan never gave up and were further denied by a Willie Eviston block late on and right at the death another effort from Gearóid McKiernan came off the crossbar yet again.

TIPPERARY 
Michael O'Reilly (Clonmel Commercials) Shane O'Connell (Golden Kilfeacle), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Jack Harney (Moyle Rovers), Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), Colm O'Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan), Robbie Kiely (Barryroe, Cork), Conal Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials), Mark Russell (Aherlow, 0-2), Bill Maher (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials, 0-2, 0-1F), Teddy Boyle (Ballina, 0-1), Mikey O'Shea (CJ Kickhams, Mullinahone), Conor Sweeney (capt., Ballyporeen, 1-4, 0-3F, 0-1M), Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials, 0-2).
Subs: Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers) for Russell (50); Cathal Deely (Clonmel Commercials) for O’Connor (54); Willie Eviston (Loughmore Castleiny) for Harney ((50); Eanna McBride (JK Backens) for O'Shea ((64); Jason Lonergan (Clonmel Commercials)for J. Kennedy (70+4).

CAVAN
Raymond Galligan (capt), Evan Finnagan, Padraig Faulkner, Killian Brady, Jason McLoughlin (0-1), Conor Moynagh, Oisin Kiernan, James Smith, Michael Argue, Gerard Smith (0-1), Gearóid McKiernan (0-1), Cian Madden, Caoimhín O’Reilly (1-2, 0-1F), Patrick Lynch (0-2F, Chris Conroy.
Subs: Killian Clarke for Argue (43); Thomas Edward Donohue for Conroy (50); Luke Fortune for Finnegan (53); Cormac O’Reilly for O’Reilly; Stephen Smith for Brady.
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).