Promotion secured for Tipperary footballers after controlled win over London

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4

TIPPERARY 1-14 LONDON 0-12

Mission accomplished, promotion secured, simple as that.

Tipperary football received a huge shot in the arm on Saturday night last when the county’s seniors earned promotion from Division 4 of the Allianz National League with a five points win over London at FBD Semple Stadium.

When the chips were down Tipperary produced the performance necessary to see off the Exiles and in the process guaranteed themselves a place in Division 3 for next year. Deservedly they will now be making a welcome return to the higher grade after just one season in the basement division.

As straight-forward as it might have seemed on the night, this was all far from a simple accomplishment for a Tipperary side in transition, and especially so after Sunday, February 6. That day Tipperary shipped an eight points defeat at home to Leitrim, a galling loss which followed an opening day draw against Waterford in Dungarvan the previous week. Having failed to win either of these two encounters (in which they would have been expected to prevail in) prospects of promotion were left hanging by a thread for a team that looked to be all out of sorts.

From that nadir it seemed five wins out of five would be needed to guarantee that immediate promotion, a scenario that looked highly unlikely with trips to Wexford and Cavan still to come. But full credit where credit is due to Dave Power and his squad, playing and backroom, for turning the ship around, winning those key away ties and also recording home victories against Sligo, Carlow and ultimately London on Saturday night. Against the odds they had backed themselves and delivered when many doubted that they could.

After the victory in Kingspan Breffni against Cavan a fortnight ago, the expectation was that the heavy lifting was done. And perhaps it was, but nonetheless two potential banana skins remained in the way, at home to Carlow and London. Workmanlike last Sunday they overcame Carlow and again in a professional manner this evening, Tipperary, without ever matching the highs of the Cavan and Sligo displays, controlled the contest for the most part and secured the essential two points to make today's (Sunday) game between Sligo and Leitrim of nothing but academic interest.

A positive start against London saw Tipp lead 0-4 to 0-1 after the first quarter with points from Mark Russell, Conor Sweeney (free), Mikey O’Shea and Kevin Fahey to a solitary reply from London full-forward Sean Hickey.

The game’s only goal arrived in the 21st minute when Conal Kennedy fed Mark Russell and the big Aherlow midfielder finished superbly with a rocket past Noel Maher for his second goal of this campaign - Russell, who was awarded man of the match, had also goaled in the away game in Wexford.

The almost omnipresent wing-back Kevin Fahey kicked his second point in the 23rd minute to extend that lead to all of eight points and it seemed that Tipp might have a comfortable evening to sign off from Division 4. However, in a pattern not unlike the game against Carlow, Tipperary drifted in the period before the break and London outscored them 0-5 to 0-2 in the closing 12 minutes of first half action.

A Christopher Farley free was cancelled by a Sean O’Connor effort in the 26th minute - Tipp’s last from play in the half - before London produced their best spell of the evening with four unanswered points in five minutes from Liam Gavaghan (free), James Hynes, Conal Gallagher and Gavaghan again from play at the end of a flowing move. 

With the lead back to four points, Tipp finished the opening half with a pointed free from Sean O’Connor after a Colm O'Shaughnessy break was impeded, their first score in 12 minutes was welcomed right on the referee’s half-time whistle.

The second half was a much more level affair with Tipperary maintaining that same five points advantage to the end. London were to press forward as much as they could and counter-attacked with speed as opportunity presented but the goal they really needed never came, albeit they did come close on a couple of occasions.

A Jack Kennedy free from 44 metres off the ground opened the second half scoring before Tipperary had a lucky escape when Matt Moynihan and Liam Gavaghan combined to set up Stephen Dornan only for his blast at goal to rise just above the crossbar in the 43rd minute.

Two Tipp points in two minutes from a Sean O’Connor free and a thoroughly deserved Conal Kennedy effort stretched the Tipp advantage to seven by the 46th minute, but London still wouldn’t let go.

James Hynes kicked his second point of the evening to narrow the gap before they forced a brilliant save from Michael O’Reilly in the Tipperary goal. A London move started by Eoin Walsh (with strong Clonmel Johnson connections) was continued by James Gallagher before Liam Gavaghan tested O’Reilly who blocked the effort well with his legs. Had that goal gone in it might have made for a very uncomfortable end to the evening for the Premier.

A Liam Gavaghan free in the 53rd minute made it a five points game and the Exiles were showing just how they had managed to record three wins in this league campaign - they too had plenty of good footballers on show.

Down the last 10-minute stretch the sides shared three points apiece in tit for tat manner, Tipp always staying out of harm's way on the scoreboard.

The Tipperary scores came from Sean O'Connor, an excellent effort from a free on the sideline 20 metres out, a Conor Sweeney free from a tight angle, and their last of the game, a deserved score for substitute Stephen Quirke.

London’s last three white flags came from Ferghal McMahon, a Liam Gavaghan free and the last score of the evening from Thomas Lenihan, again an effort rising just over the crossbar. No doubt, they could have been a fair bit closer had a couple of chances gone their way. At the conclusion Tipperary were happy to hear Patrick Maguire’s full-time whistle confirm promotion for 2023.

TIPPERARY TEAM:

Michael O'Reilly (Clonmel Commercials), Shane O'Connell (Golden Kilfeacle), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Jack Harney (Moyle Rovers), Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials, 0-2), Colm O'Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan), Robbie Kiely (Barryroe, Cork), Conal Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials, 0-1), Mark Russell (Aherlow, 1-1), Martin Kehoe (CJ Kickhams, Mullinahone), Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials, 0-1F), Teddy Doyle (Ballina), Mikey O'Shea (CJ Kickhams, Mullinahone, 0-2), Conor Sweeney (capt., Ballyporeen, 0-2F), Sean O'Connor (Clonmel Commercials, 0-3, 0-1F).

Subs: Cathal  Deely (Clonmel Commercials) for Doyle (51), Jason Lonergan (Clonmel Commercials) for Kehoe (57), Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers, 0-1) for Russell (59), Willie Eviston (Loughmore/Castleiney) for O’Shea (70+1), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers) for O'Connor (70+3).

LONDON TEAM:

Noel Maher; Evan Wynne, Cathal Long, James Hynes (0-2); Ronan O’Sloan, Matt Moynihan, Cahir Healy; Stephen Dornan (0-1), Liam Gallagher; Conal Gallagher (0-1), Liam Gavaghan (0-4, 0-3f), Eoin Walsh; Christopher Farley (0-1f), Sean Hickey (0-1), Henry Walsh.

Subs: Ferghal McMahon (0-1) for Healy (43), James Gallagher for Hickey (48), Thomas Lenihan (0-1) for H Walsh (51), Conor McGonigal for Wynne (60), Eunan Curran for Farley (62).

Referee: P Maguire (Longford).