Huge excitement as Carlow senior footballers win League opener to Tipperary

Allianz Football League Division 4 Round 1

CARLOW 3-10 TIPPERARY 1-14

Carlow beat Tipperary by two points in this year’s Division 4 Allianz Football League at FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday evening. 

Coming off a confidence boosting victory over Limerick in the McGrath Cup two weeks previously, Tipperary went into this game with six players making their league debuts, Jack Rodgers coming in to goal for the injured Evan Comerford in a late change from the announced team. Stephen Grogan, Kieran Costello, James Morris, Shane Neville and Paddy Creedon were also making league debuts.

The first major chance of the game fell to the home side after just four minutes when a long ball played in by Steven O’Brien was gathered by Riain Quigley. With a bit more composure a goal there for the taking but the chance went abegging. It may have been an ominous sign of things to come.

Two points from play from Ross Dunphy and Darragh Foley settled the visitors playing into the wind before Tipperary got on the scoreboard themselves with a Sean O’Connor free after nine minutes.

Soon Carlow’s lead was out to 0-4 to 0-1 with further points from Jamie Clarke and Darragh Foley, but in perhaps Tipperary’s best moment of the game a move linking Riain Quigley and Sean O’Connor teed up Paddy Creedon for a well-taken goal into the Killinan end and Tipperary were all square after 12 minutes.

Within two minutes the green flag was being waved at the other end. A long-range effort at a point came down off the upright and while initially it didn’t look problematic for Tipperary, Conor Crowley sailed in along the end line to blast to the net past debutant keeper Jack Rodgers. 

Tipperary's Sean O'Connor who kicked nine points for his side in Saturday evening's game with Carlow. (Pic Bridget Delaney)

A point from a difficult angle from Tipp’s Shane Neville, temporarily reduced the gap to two in the 16th minute.

A pair of shared frees followed from Darragh Foley and Jack Kennedy with Tipperary also wasting two good chances with balls dropped short into the hands of the Carlow custodian.

In the 23rd minute, Carlow’s Ross Dunphy again advanced too easily before passing across the goalmouth for Darragh Foley to use his height advantage to palm the ball high into the net for a 2-5 to 1-3 lead.

Riain Quigley responded with a fine point but Carlow were back to a five points advantage when Colm Hulton kicked a lovely left-legged point.

Obviously concerned at the pace of the Carlow counter attacking, Tipperary management didn’t stand in ceremony and two subs were introduced on the half-hour mark with the introduction of Cathal Deely and Conor Cadell.

Two points followed in quick succession from a softly conceded Sean O’Connor free and another from play from Paddy Creedon, but Carlow had the final score of the opening half from Conor Crowley to go to the break four clear at 2-7 to 1-6.

Four unanswered points, all from Sean O’Connor (including two frees) had Tipperary back to level after just eight minutes of the restart and one would have fancied a team that looked to be in the ascendancy to kick on with home advantage.

Crucially they failed to get ahead and after Darragh Foley and Sean O’Connor pointed frees it was still all square in the 35th minute when Carlow were reduced to 14 men when Colm Hutton received two yellow cards in quick succession.

A chance of the lead from a Jack Kennedy 45 fell short, before Carlow hit a mini-purple patch to score a match-winning 1-2 of their own without response.

A fine run by wing-back Mikey Bambrick set up Ross Dunphy for the Carlow lead, soon followed by an excellent point from substitute John Phiri. But the game-clinching score came in the 62nd minute. Again Mikey Bambrick was involved sending a pass through a high-pressed Tipperary defence for Aaron Amond to gather on the 45 metre line, race through and clinically finish low beyond Rodgers for 3-10 to 1-11.

Tipperary huffed and puffed down the stretch of eight minutes of normal time plus six added but could only muster three points, two from Sean O’Connor (one free) and another free from Jack Kennedy. In that time, there were a couple of frenetic crowded goalmouth passages that sadly yielded nothing. The extra experience of the Carlow side came through also, a couple of yellow cards taken for the team to deny Tipperary momentum when danger threatened.

The better team had deservedly prevailed on the night.

Carlow: Johnny Furey, Collie Byrne, Mark Furey, Jamie Clarke (0-1), Mikey Bambrick, Josh Moore, Aaron Amond (1-0), Niall Hickey, Conor Doyle, Colm Hutton (0-1), Jordan Morrissey, Ross Dunphy (0-2), Paddy McDonnell, Darragh Foley (1-4, 0-3F), Conor Crowley (1-1).

Subs: Dara Curran for Moore (35 mins); Ciaran Cunningham for J. Furey (inj 50); John Phiri (0-1) for M. Furey (53); Adam Burgess for Hickey (56); Cormac Lomax for Byrne (64).

Tipperary: Jack Rodgers (Naas), Shane O’Connell (Golden/Kilfeacle), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), James Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Stephen Grogan (Cahir), Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields), Steven O’Brien (Ballina, captain), Paudie Feehan (Killenaule), Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers), Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials, 0-2F), Shane Neville (Cratloe, Clare, 0-1), Riain Quigley (Moyle Rovers, 0-1), Paddy Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields, 1-1), Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials, 0-9, 0-6F).

Subs: Cathal Deely (Clonmel Commercials) for P. Feehan (30 mins); Conor Cadell (JK Brackens) for Quirke (30); Luke Shanahan (Upperchurch/ Drombane) for Quigley (47); Teddy Doyle (Ballina) for Creedon (60); Kyle Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris) for O’Brien (69).