Down aiming for a home quarter-final while Tipperary all but out

DOWN AND OUT: Tipperary manager David Power during the Tailteann Cup Group 2 Round 2 match against Down. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Tailteann Cup Group 2 

Tipperary 0-6 Down 2-18

David Power thinks Tipperary are all but out of the Tailteann Cup due to their minus-29 scoring difference although he insists they must end with a win against Waterford.

Down ensured their progression to the knockout stages by blowing off the Premier in the first part of a Semple Stadium double-header. Second-half goals from Shealan Johnston and Odhrán Murdock were the emphatic Mourne response to a home penalty that Kevin Fahey fired high and wide.

Down can aim for a bye to a home quarter-final now, while Tipperary’s qualification prospects are badly hampered with only the top three third-placed teams to progress.

“Even if we do beat Waterford, we’ll probably be the worst third-placed them and won’t qualify so we’re going to be struggling there,” said their manager.

“It’s real frustrating. We got a penalty and we didn’t take it. It sums up our season.

“Down went down and got a goal off a very poor refereeing decision. Our man is saying he was trying to blow for a mark but our man was clearly fouled as well.

“The referee says he should have put up his hand but how can he put up his hand when the Down fella is all over him?

“That’s beyond the point. I’m not making excuses. We’re not scoring enough and that’s been our problem all year.” 

Down coach Marty Clarke, meanwhile, dismissed rumours of unease between players and management.

Clarke was happy their players were exposed to a big crowd as the game progressed, even if the vast majority weren’t there for the football, and happy too with the mood among the panel.

“Our camp is very strong,” he said. “We have no control over what’s said outside but within our camp, we stayed down in Carlow last night, everyone to a man on our panel.

“We’d our team meeting, we ate together, we’re a very happy group. Any rumours that are there, we don’t really acknowledge them but they’re certainly false.” 

Manager Conor Laverty made full use of his panel with nine changes from the victory over Waterford, including four announced before throw-in.

He wasn’t happy with what he saw, however, for quite a while. A double-substitution before half-time summed up his mood and the fare on show for early arrivers at Thurles.

“Andrew Gilmore went into the game with a little bit of an issue so we pulled him out,” said Clarke. “We went for a little more speed and ball players.

“Ruairí O’Hare is just onto the panel recently. He gave his all but it didn’t happen for him so we got a couple of smaller players in, Donagh McAleenan and Shealan Johnston. We felt both contributed really well.” 

They weren’t their only impact players, with 1-8 off the bench from Johnston (1-2), Danny Magill (0-3), Eamon Brown (0-2 frees), and Ross Carr (0-1).

The half-time scoreboard read 0-9 to 0-4 for Down and the wide count was just the same, 9-4.

Tipp were slower with their restarts, preferring long kick-outs and direct ball to their full-forward line, trying to impose their physical presence. Down tried to speed the game up and pass their way through the lines.

They eventually made headway as Tipp went 30 minutes without a score. They got their lifeline in the 40th minute when Seán O’Connor was hauled down for a penalty but after Fahey’s miss, Tipp’s woes were doubled.

A Mark Russell mark was overturned by referee Thomas Murphy and their protests had hardly stopped when Johnston cut inside to find the net.

That made it 1-11 to 0-5 and from there it was a matter of how big the score-difference deficit would become, with a Murdock goal followed by Ryan Johnston palming onto the crossbar.

Scorers for Tipperary: J Kennedy (0-4, 2 frees); S O’Connor, T Doyle (0-1 each).

Scorers for Down: P Havern (0-6, 5 frees); S Johnston (1-2, 0-1 free); O Murdock (1-0); D Magill (0-3); E Brown (0-2 frees); R Johnston, D Guinness, A Gilmore (free), C Francis, R Carr (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: M O’Reilly; S O’Connell (capt), J Feehan, W Eviston; K Fahey, C O’Shaughnessy, Colman Kennedy; P Feehan, Conall Kennedy; E Moloney, J Kennedy, L Boland; M Russell, S Quirke, S O’Connor.

Subs: T Doyle for P Feehan (h-t), J Morris for Conall Kennedy (49), M O’Shea for Quirke (56), D Leahy for O’Shaughnessy (57), D Carew for Moloney (60).

DOWN: J O’Hare; F McElroy, P Laverty (capt), A Doherty; C Francis, G Collins, P Branagan; O Murdock, P Havern; C Doherty, D Guinness, M Rooney; A Gilmore, R O’Hare, R Johnston.

Subs: S Johnston for R O’Hare (32), D McAleenan for Gilmore (32), D Magill for Guinness (35+4 inj), R Carr for McElroy (47), E Brown for Havern (57), C Fitzpatrick for Rooney (63-f-t, blood).

REFEREE: T Murphy (Galway).