Tipp win sends Offaly down

Tipperary, already relegated from Division 3, took Offaly with them yesterday as Peter Creedon’s first game in charge of the Premier County produced a deserved three-point win.

Offaly’s players knew relegation rivals Cavan were losing to Antrim and victory for the Faithful County would have saved their skins.

But this was a desperately disappointing performance from a poor Offaly team as their six starting forwards managed just a single point from play between them, scored by Michael Brazil in the second half.

Offaly trailed 0-4 to 0-2 at half-time but spurned three early goal chances.

Barry Grogan finished as Tipperary’s leading scorer once again with six points, including three from play. And Creedon’s substitutions worked a treat as Tipp collected their first League win of the season.

Bernard O’Brien scored three points after coming on while fellow subs Donagh Leahy and Alan Moloney bagged a point each.

Scorers for Tipperary: B Grogan 0-6 (3fs), B O’Brien 0-3 (1f), A Moloney, D Leahy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Offaly: B O’Connor 0-4, B Allen 0-2fs, A Mulhall (45), M Brazil 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; R Kiely, P Codd, A Morrissey; A Campbell, R Costigan, C McDonald; G Hannigan, H Coghlan; D Heffernan, P Acheson, A Matassa; M Quinlivan, C Sweeney, B Grogan.

Subs: D Leahy for Matassa (ht), B O’Brien for Sweeney (ht), A Moloney for Heffernan (54).

OFFALY: A Mulhall; J Moloney, E Rigney, J Gallagher; P McConway, B Darby, D Kelly; B O’Connor, A McNamee; M Brazil, A Kennaghan, G Guilfoyle; B Allen, N Dunne, A Sullivan.

Subs: N Darby for Guilfoyle (50), J Coughlan for Sullivan (62).

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Kerry).