2022 Tailteann Cup Football – Carlow 1-12 Tipperary 1-10

Carlow defeated Tipperary by 1-12 to 1-10 in Round 1 of the Tailteann Cup Football on Sunday May 29th at Netwatch Cullen Park Carlow.

REPORT: Carlow enjoyed an excellent Tailteann Cup win over Tipperary

— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 29, 2022

Tailteann Cup R1: Carlow earn surprise win over Tipperary

CARLOW 1-12 TIPPERARY 1-10

Report By Paul Keane at Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow for GAA.ie

A terrific second-half performance full of power and pace secured a memorable Tailteann Cup win for Carlow who are through to next weekend’s quarter-finals of the inaugural competition.

Niall Hickey’s goal late in the first-half ultimately separated the sides though it wasn’t until the 49th minute that Carlow actually took the lead as they impressively turned the screw with the finishing line in sight.

Carlow outscored 2020 Munster champions Tipp by 0-8 to 0-4 in the closing 25 minutes or so to see off David Power’s side and they celebrated on the pitch and in the dressing-room afterwards.

Tipp had 11 points to spare when the sides met in the Allianz League in March with the Munster side going on to secure promotion from Division 4 though Carlow were deserved victors this time.

They reeled off unanswered bursts of four and then three points during the second-half with Colm Hulton, Seanie Bambrick and Jamie Clarke all sniping crucial scores.

Carlow manager Niall Carew went with a dozen of the lineup that lost out to Louth in the Leinster championship in Navan five weeks ago.

Injury ruled out key defender Jordan Morrissey while visitors Tipp – still without injured duo Robbie Kiely and Bill Maher – had 13 of the team that lined out in the six-point Munster semi-final defeat to Limerick a fortnight ago.

Carlow had the wind advantage initially and carved out enough chances to open up a significant lead but blasted nine first-half wides, and 14 over the whole game.

That was partly why the game remained scoreless until the 10th minute though it was perhaps worth waiting for from Tipp’s perspective as Martin Kehoe struck to the net.

Jack Kennedy’s shot was initially blocked by Ross Dunphy, who came on after just eight minutes for the injured Darragh O’Brien, though Kehoe was well placed to boot home the rebound.

The strike energised Tipp who added points from Conor Sweeney and Sean O’Connor to move 1-2 to 0-2 clear and they would stretch the margin out to four points approaching half-time.

Hickey’s 32nd minute goal for Carlow, when Darragh Foley tipped down a long ball in from the highly effective Mikey Bambrick, hauled the hosts back into the game and they trailed by just a point at half-time, 1-5 to 1-4.

Tipp had the wind after the break but all the momentum was with Carlow who drew level for the first time at 1-6 apiece in the 47th minute.

Four Carlow points in a row between the 45th and 50th minutes, left them two points ahead and in pole position for a morale boosting win.

Points from Hulton, Clarke and Bambrick left four between the teams at the hour mark and with Tipp having run in all of their subs by that stage, they badly needed something to go their way.

Liam McGrath did come on and pinch two points for Tipp but the goal they needed never arrived and their 2022 season is officially over while Carlow will be in tomorrow morning’s draw alongside Offaly, Westmeath and New York for the quarter-finals of the Tailteann Cup.

Scorers for Carlow: Niall Hickey 1-0, Eoghan Ruth 0-2, Ross Dunphy 0-2, Colm Hulton 0-2, Jamie Clarke 0-2, Darragh Foley 0-1 (0-1f), Conor Doyle 0-1, Seanie Bambrick 0-1, Conor Crowley 0-1.

Scorers for Tipperary: Martin Kehoe 1-0, Conor Sweeney 0-3 (0-2f), Sean O’Connor 0-2 (0-2f), Liam McGrath 0-2, Jack Kennedy 0-1, Sean O’Connell 0-1, Shane O’Connell 0-1,

Carlow: Ciaran Cunningham; Dara Curran, Mikey Bambrick, Liam Roberts; Shane Clarke, Seanie Bambrick, Conor Doyle; Eoghan Ruth, Jamie Clarke; Josh Moore, Niall Hickey, Darragh O’Brien; Colm Hulton, Conor Crowley, Darragh Foley.
Subs: Ross Dunphy for O’Brien 8, Shane Buggy for Doyle 47, Cormac Lomax for Moore 68, Jamie McCabe for Seanie Bambrick 70.

Tipperary: Michael O’Reilly; Jimmy Feehan, Shane O’Connell, Willie Eviston; Kevin Fahey, Colm O’Shaughnessy, Sean O’Connell; Conall Kennedy, Mark Russell; Martin Kehoe, Jack Kennedy, Teddy Doyle; Mikey O’Shea, Conor Sweeney, Sean O’Connor.
Subs: Stephen Quirke for O’Connor h/t, Liam McGrath for Russell 51, Jason Lonergan for Kehoe 51, Jack Harney for Sean O’Connell 56, Steven O’Brien for Doyle 62.

Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath).

Match Information

Season so far
Carlow: 7th Division 4; Leinster SFC: Lost to Louth by 15 points.
Tipperary: Second Division 4 (promoted); Munster SFC: Beat Waterford by eight points; lost to Limerick by six points.

This will be only the second championship game between the counties. Tipperary won the first clash – a Round 1 qualifier – by four points in 2003.

Tipperary beat Carlow by 11 points in this year’s Allianz League.

Team News

The Tipperary Senior Football team to play Carlow in this Sunday's Tailteann Cup has been named. pic.twitter.com/R4fFHrcFfJ

— Tipperary GAA (@TipperaryGAA) May 27, 2022