Tipp leave it very late to put Down out

Tipperary 3-17 Down 2-12

Indeed when Down led by a point at the end of normal time, a shock result was very much on the cards.

But, perilously close to an humiliating experience, Tipp pulled out all the stops and three goals in injury time finally got them off the hook.

Maximum credit to Down for putting it up to a far from inspiring Tipperary side in an encounter most notable for the fact that 11 minutes of injury time were played. That followed a long stoppage at the start of the second half as Down full forward Martin Coulter had to be stretchered off with a nasty ankle injury.

With the wind to their backs, Down gave as good as they got in the first half, even though Tipperary, with three early points from Tadhg Slevin, Seamus Butler and Donal Shelly, looked like coasting to their expected easy victory.

But once Down got to grips with their game, Martin Coulter in particular gave the Tipperary defence a rough time and the sides were level for the first time in the 17th minute.

Tipp led by a point (0-8 to 0-7) at the interval and turning to play with the wind, it was confidently expected they would quickly swamp the northerner challengers. But Down had other ideas.

Things did liven up after the break and with Tipp failing to pull away, Down drew level for the third time in the 52nd minute due to the excellent long-range free-taking expertise of midfielder and team captain Simon Wilson.

Then in the twinkling of an eye, Down threw down the gauntlet when, with a deft touch, left corner forward Eoin Clarke beat goalkeeper Damien Young from close range.

Seconds later Down were almost through again but a blistering drive from centre forward Gareth Johnson was brilliantly saved by Young.

Tipp were finally spurred into action. They clawed their way back to even matters again in the 69th minute with some fine points from their top-scorer Evan Sweeney and impressive substitute Francis Devanney.

But when Clarke grabbed his second goal immediately afterwards, Tipp were once again on the back foot.

It looked ominous for the home side when, three minutes into injury time, Stephen Clarke converted a free to extend Down’s lead to two points.

But then the tide turned dramatically following the match-winning switch of centre forward Michael Webster to full forward.

The Loughmore-Castleiney forward certainly answered manager Ken Hogan’s prayers.

First he set up Sweeney for the lead goal. Then he billowed the Down net himself before positioning Darragh Egan for a third goal in a devastating five minutes of real fireworks.

Scorers: Tipperary: E Sweeney 1-6 (0-5 from frees); D Egan 1-1; M Webster 1-0; T Slevin 0-3 (0-1 from 65); S Butler 0-2; M O’Leary 0-2; F Devanney 0-2; D Shelly 0-1. Down: E Clarke 2-0; S Wilson 0-4 (0-4 from frees); McCoulter 0-3 (0-2 from frees); G Clarke, J McCusker, G Johnson, B McGourty and S Clarke (free) 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: D Young; P Ormond, P Maher, P Curran; D Fanning, D Kennedy, E Corcoran; C Morrissey, T Slevin; D Shelly, M Webster, M O’Leary; S Butler, D Egan, E Sweeney; Subs: F Devanney for Butler; H Maloney for Kennedy; P Kelly for Shelly.

DOWN: Graham Clarke; L Clarke, S Murray, P Hughes; Gabriel Clarke, G Savage, P Monan; S Wilson, A Savage; B McGourty, G.Johnson, S Clarke; J McCusker, M Coulter, E Clarke. Subs: A Bell for Coulter (injured); P Smith for E Clarke (injured); D Flynn for McCusker.

Referee: P Green (Galway).