Tipperary footballers relieved after National League draw with Waterford

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4

WATERFORD 0-10 TIPPERARY 0-10

Tipperary began their National Football League campaign this afternoon against Waterford at Fraher Field in Dungarvan, and all things taken into account, can consider themselves rather fortunate with the point earned at the end of a close encounter.

Having lost on their last two league visits to Dungarvan and not won there since 2008, this draw at least will be something for David Power’s side to take home from what was a disappointing game overall, blighted by poor handling, decision making, passing and ridden with turnovers from both sides. However, sometimes results count for more than the quality of display, and Tipp will be hoping to have learned a lot from today’s game, and quickly at that, with Leitrim coming to Thurles for Round Two on Sunday next.

Starting with a very new-look Tipperary side with no less than six players beginning a league game for the first time, Tipp are definitely a team in transition and a work in progress right now. Suffice to say it will take the management side time to find their best selection, but it was understandable, and obvious too, at times against Waterford that the positioning and telepathy of movement that goes with established teams was missing for now. It can only but improve and hopefully Division Four football will allow that to happen.

Tipp got the better start playing into the wind and two Conor Sweeney frees inside seven minutes had them ahead, with debutant Mikey O’Shea showing early promise.

It was all square by the 10th minute with Waterford responding with an excellent point from Conor Murray followed by a mark from 35 metres by Darragh Corcoran.

After Mikey O’Shea edged Tipp ahead again in the 13th minute, an effort touched over by the keeper, Jason Lonergan was unlucky to see a goal effort for Tipp come back off the upright.

Conor Sweeney then put over a free won by O’Shea and the visitors went three up, at 0-5 to 0-2, in the 21st minute when good forward pressure forced a turnover on the Waterford defence and Conor Sweeney obliged with a point from play and Tipp looked comfortable.

The Nire’s Dermot Ryan kicked a free from 46 metres to narrow the gap before Tipp put in a good manoeuvre up the left, involving Conal and Colman Kennedy that almost saw Conor Sweeney in for a goal but for the huge rescue touch-away by Dermot Ryan.

The scoring was back to a one-point game on the half-hour mark when Tipp lost their own kick-out, for the first time, and another Nire man, Dylan Guiry, punished the mistake by sending over a point from distance with the outside of the boot.

Eanna McBride, one of the half-dozen Tipp debutants, got homself on the scoreboard in the 33rd minute to make it 6-4 but it was Waterford who finished the first half the stronger with a long-range free from Darragh Corcoran and a 45 converted by Dermot Ryan which had come about as a result of a Tipperary defender’s back pass that almost ended up in his own net. Both sides might have felt 0-6 apiece at half-time was a fair reflection of a scrappy first 35 minutes.

Another Conor Sweeney free - he scored seven of Tipp points, six of them frees - put Tipp ahead again two minutes after the resumption, but Waterford began to look the more lively and cohesive in possession as the second half began to unfold.

Brian Lynch levelled matters for a fourth time when pointing, the chance created by a perfect kicked pass from Conor Murray. And the Deise got ahead for the first time soon afterwards when Corcoran sent over a free following a high tackle by a Tipp player.

Tipp introduced a double substitution with Sean O’Connor and Robbie Kiely coming in - one of the departing being centre-back Sean O’Connell who was wearing the Blue and Gold for his first time ever having transferred from Kerry via his new club, Loughmore/Castleiney, in the previous days.

Perhaps Tipp’s best point of the day came to level it at 0-8 each in the 54th minute when Colman Kennedy finished a length-of-field passing sequence with a fine angled point.

Waterford were taking every opportunity to run at the Tipp rearguard and looked the more likely to carve a goal-scoring opportunity. They had one in the 55th minute when Dermot Ryan was denied by a good block, and soon afterwards Luke Boland covered great ground to get in another huge block as Waterford looked for that killer goal. 

A spell of possession ended with Darragh Corcoran nudging his side one up once more before parity was restored for the sixth time at 0-9 apiece when Tipp captain Conor Sweeney put over a free after Sean O’Connor had been fouled.

In the 67th minute another Conor Sweeney free put Tipp in the ascendancy and the possibility of a win looked on the cards again, but somehow the referee signalled seven minutes of added time, and Dermot Ryan steered a free he had won himself into the wind and over the bar to level matters once again in the 75th minute.

The dying moments of the game saw Waterford in possession but they hadn’t the wherewithal or the necessary composure to find a winner and Tipperary were the more relieved side at the final whistle and what may yet prove a valuable point by the end of March.

Three minutes from the end of the game Waterford's Liam Fennell was red carded for a late challenge on Tipperary's Conor Sweeney.

TIPPERARY:

Evan Comerford (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Shane O’Connell (Golden/Kilfeacle), Willie Eviston (Loughmore/Castleiney), Colm O’Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan), Bill Maher (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Sean O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney), Eanna McBride (JK Brackens, 0-1), Conal Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials), Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers), Martin Kehoe (Mullinahone), Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), Colman Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials), Mikey O’Shea (Mullinahone, 0-1), Conor Sweeney (capt, Ballyporeen, 0-7, 0-6F), Jason Lonergan.

Subs: Shane Foley (Moyle Rovers) for Kehoe (34 minutes); Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers) for McBride (HT); Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials) for Lonergan (44); Robbie Kiely (Barryroe) for O’Connell (45); Paudie Feehan (Killenaule) for Quirke (65).

WATERFORD:

Aaron Beresford (Ballinacourty), Liam Fennell (Stradbally), Darach Ó Cathasaigh (An Rinn), Dave Meehan (The Nire), Dermot Ryan (The Nire, 0-3, 0-1F, 0-1x45), Brian Looby (Ballinacourty), Jack Flavin (St Saviours), Brian Lynch (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg), Michael Curry (Rathgormack), Conor Murray (Rathgormack, 0-1), Tom O’Connell (Brickey Rangers), David Hallihan (Kilmacthomas), Stephen Curry (Rathgormack), Dylan Guiry (The Nire, 0-1), Darragh Corcoran (St Saviours, 0-4, 0-3F, 0-1xM.

Subs: James Walsh (Kilgobnet) for O’Connell (52 minutes); Conor Curran (An Rinn) for Flavin (65); James O’Leary (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg) for Hallihan (66); Sean Boyce (The Nire) for Meehan (70).

Referee: Derek Murnane (Cork).