Browne absence Tipps balance toward Leitrim

TIPPERARY looked a shadow of their former selves as Ciaran Duignan scored six points to guide Leitrim into the Tommy Murphy Cup semi-finals at Semple Stadium on Saturday.

The absence of former Allstar Declan Browne, who was getting married, was truly felt by Tipperary as they relinquished their grip on the Cup in a 0-14 to 1-6 defeat.

Browne scored ten points in Tipp’s recent win over Waterford and hit 1-7 in last year’s Murphy Cup final win over Wexford.

But without Browne and Liam Mulvihill, Tipp looked anything but champions. Leitrim had the winning of the game when they hit five unanswered points to move 0-8 to 0-3 clear just before the interval.

An injury-time goal from Benny Hickey shook Tipp up for a while, but Seamus McCarthy’s men were utterly lifeless after the break.

It took them 25 minutes of the second half to register their next score from a Michael Phelan free. By that time Leitrim were five points in front with Duignan (0-6), Donal Brennan (0-3) and Ronan Gallagher (0-2) showing well.

Leitrim wing back Shane Foley got a second yellow card seven minutes from time, but they held on.

Meanwhile, Martin McElkennon’s managerial future could be in doubt after Cavan were knocked out of the Tommy Murphy Cup by Antrim.

Antrim beat the Breffni men by 2-14 to 2-9 Casement Park.

McElkennon took over full-time from Eamonn Coleman last October, but has had a poor run — Cavan failed to earn promotion back to Division One of the National League and fell to Down in the first round of the Ulster championship.

An Eddie Reilly goal sent Cavan in at the break on terms (1-5 to 0-8), but they had wing-back Martin Cahill sent off early in the second half and goals from Kevin Brady and Sean McVeigh steered the Saffrons through to the semi-finals.

Carlow are also in the Tommy Murphy Cup semi-finals, having defeated London by 1-11 to 0-7 yesterday, and the quartet will be completed when Louth and Monaghan clash next Friday in Dundalk.