Offaly blitz Tipp in the last quarter to force the Premier into relegation battle

Offaly 1-17

Tipperary 1-12

Tipperary's bid to reach the Allianz National Football league division 3 semi-final came a cropper at Bord na Mona, O'Connor Park, Tullamore this afternoon when a blistering last quarter from Offaly saw them comfortably over the line.

It was level pegging at the second half water break, but Offaly came out full of running and they kicked point after point as the Tipperary challenge ran aground - Offaly sub Niall McNamee doing a lot of damage when he was introduced.

Tipperary did very well to be in front at the interval as they had been under huge pressure from a free flowing Offaly in the first quarter.  A goal from Cian Farrell helped the hosts to a 1-5 to 0-3 lead by the first half water break and Tipperary looked to be in danger every time the ball went into the inside backline.

But, with a few switches, both personnel and positional, the side steadied up and sub Philip Ryan kicked two scores to go along with Steven O'Brien and Conor Sweeney points to bring Tipp right back into it. Padraic Looram - on as a sub for Emmet Moloney - added another, and just before the half time break, Tipp were awarded a penalty when Philip Ryan forced Offaly defender Niall Darby to foul the ball on his own goal line - Conor Sweeney despatched the ball to the back of the Offaly net to give his side a 1-8 to 1-7 lead by the half way mark.

Despite losing Emmet Moloney and Colm O'Shaughnessy to injury, and having to make two changes by the first half water break, Tipp had settled well and looked impressive when they moved the ball. They had started to push up on Offaly restarts and were enjoying decent returns as a result.

The sides were level by the second half water break again and it was clear that this was a game which would go right down to the wire. Tipp manasged three points in that third quarter through Evan Comerford, Conor Bowe and Jack Kennedy, nut Offaly went one extra to ensure the game was tied going into the last quarter.

However, the Tipperary lads were dying on their feet and Offaly just seemed to hit them time and again on the break - Tipp could not penetrate the defensive wall which the Faithful County men had put up across the forty and when they overturned possession they attacked with real pace and power, kicking six unanswered points to top the table - Tipperary failed to score in that last quarter until the second last kick of the game from Philip Ryan.

Tipperary will now likely have to play a relegation game having lost two matches of the three in the NFL.