Tipperary take major step towards Division 3 survival by beating Offaly

It was not until very late in the second-half that Tipperary knew they had the result taken care of

Sun, 18 Oct, 2020 - 16:22

Eoghan Cormican, Semple Stadium

NFL Division 3: Tipperary 1-16 Offaly 0-16

Though not yet safe, Tipperary took a significant step towards preserving their Division 3 status when overcoming Offaly this afternoon.

The win leaves Offaly and Tipperary both on five points, two above Leitrim, ahead of the final round of games next weekend.

Tipperary travel to Carrick-on-Shannon to face Leitrim, with Offaly at home to Derry. If it is a case that all three sides finish on five points, and because Leitrim this weekend handed Down a walkover, who is relegated alongside Louth will be determined by the score difference from the games involving Offaly, Tipperary, and Leitrim.

Tipperary made sure of their second league win - and first since February 2 - when kicking four of the game’s last six points.

The early stages of the second-half were a real nip and tuck affair, Anton Sullivan and Rúairí McNamee canceling out Jack Kennedy and Kevin O’Halloran points to leave the scoreboard reading 1-10 to 0-11.

Offaly twice pared the margin back to the minimum but they could not find an equalising score on either occasion.

A pair from Tipp sub Liam Boland around the hour mark left the gap at three, 1-14 to 0-14, and David Power's side were able to safeguard this lead to the finish.

Tipperary led 1-8 to 0-9 at the break, but it was hard to know who would have been the more pleased with their opening 35-minute showing.

A sore point for Offaly was their seven first-half wides, but they did respond very well to Conor Sweeney’s 32nd-minute penalty, a green flag which shoved the hosts 1-8 to 0-6 in front.

The visitors kicked three points between there and David Murnane’s half-time whistle, and could have also found the back of the net but for Tipperary corner-back Colm O’Shaughnessy’s goal-line intervention to deny Rúairí McNamee.

Tipperary had plenty of missed goal opportunities of their own and really should have doubled their goal count in the play following Sweeney’s penalty. Offaly lost possession deep in their own half and although O’Halloran was presented with two bites of the cherry, his shots were saved by an Offaly defender first and then Faithful ‘keeper Paddy Dunican.

Dunican was on hand earlier in the half to repel a Michael Quinlivan drive. He’d stop a second Quinlivan shot on 32 minutes, but a foul on the centre-forward as he gathered the rebound saw Murnane award a penalty.

Quinlivan and Jack Kennedy both landed a brace as the Premier men raced into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead after 18 minutes. And while they managed to stretch out to five in front following Sweeney’s penalty, they were again reeled in before the close of the half.

It was not until very late in the second-half that Tipperary knew they had the result taken care of.

Scorers for Tipperary: C Sweeney (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees); J Kennedy (0-3); M Quinlivan, L Casey, L Boland (0-2 each); S O’Brien, K O’Halloran (0-1 each).

Scorers for Offaly: C Farrell (0-4, 0-4 frees); P Cunninghan (0-3, 0-1 free); B Allen (0-2); J Moloney, C Mangan, A Sullivan, R McNamee, E Carroll, N McNamee (0-1 mark), C McNamee (0-1 each).

Tipperary: E Comerford; A Campbell, J Feehan, C O’Shaughnessy; B Maher, K Fahey, R Kiely; S O’Brien, L Casey; J Kennedy, M Quinlivan, P Austin; K O’Halloran, C Sweeney, C Ryan.

Subs: B Fox for O’Brien (23 mins, inj); R Quigley for Ryan (HT); L Boland for Austin (46 mins, inj); J Lonergan for O’Halloran (53); E Moloney for B Maher (65).

Offaly: P Dunican; D Hogan, E Rigney, N Darby; E Carroll, J Moloney, C Donohoe; A Leavy, J Hayes; S Horan, R McNamee, C Mangan; C Farrell, P Cunningham, B Allen.

Subs: A Sullivan for Donohoe, C Doyle for Hayes (both HT); N McNamee for Farrell (50); C McNamee for Mangan (60); R Egan for Moloney (70).

Referee: D Murnane (Cork).