2025 Allianz Football League Division 4 – Tipperary 3-13 Longford 1-18

Tipperary defeated Longford by 3-13 to 1-18 in Round 2 of the Allianz Football League Division 4 on Saturday February 1st at Clonmel Sportsfield.

Russell two-point magic clinches win for Tipp

Report by Michael Heverin courtesy of the Irish Examiner newspaper

Allianz Football League Division 4 Round 2: Tipperary 3-13 Longford 1-18

Aherlow’s Mark Russell proved to be the match-winner for Tipperary in a pulsating clash against Longford in Clonmel on Saturday. The home side were trailing by a point deep into injury time when Russell provided a moment of magic, hitting a two-pointer from the standside touchline to edge the Premier men home by a single point, to the delight of the vocal home support in the traditional home of Tipperary football.

It was Russell’s second two pointer of the game and helped Tipperary to a draw and now a win in their first two games of the league, following a disappointing 2024. New manager Philly Ryan couldn’t have asked for more on his home pitch.

The game was a fine advertisement for the new rules, featuring 35 scores in a Division 4 fixture on a wet and blustery afternoon. Two pointers from both Matthew Carey and Oran Kenny saw Longford lead 0-6 to 0-2 after fifteen minutes, but Tipperary responded with goals from Sean O’Connor and Luke Boland in the space of 60 seconds to take a two-point lead.

However, by half time it was Longford who had a two points advantage, 0-11 to 2-3, with some sparkling forward play from Carey, Kenny and Cathal McCabe. They pushed the lead out to six points three minutes into the second half with a point from a Matthew Carey free and a goal from Cathal McCabe who volleyed home off the ground following good play in the build-up from James Moran.

But a Tipp team, showing great resilience, hit back again with a super two pointer from Mark Russell and then their third goal, this time from Michael Freaney who showed great determination to win possession, evade the Longford tackling, and shoot low to the net past Patrick Collum. A pointed free from Sean O’Connor drew them level at 3-6 to 1-12 midway through the half.

Aaron O’Farrell for Longford and Steven O’Brien from a Tipperary 45 swopped points before Jayson Matthews put the Leinster side ahead again for a lead that they held until deep into injury time. And it looked like they would be heading home to the midlands with a hard-earned victory before Mark Russell’s moment of magic won the day for Tipp.

Scorers –
Tipperary – M Russell 0-4, 2 2pt; Sean O’Connor 1-4, 2pt, 1f; M Freaney 1-0; L. Boland 1-0; C. Fahey 2pt; S. O’Brien 0-2, 1 ’45; B. Comerford 0-1.
Longford – M. Carey 0-4, 2 2pt, 2f; C. McCabe 1-1; O. Kenny 0-5, 1f; J. Moran 0-1; I. O’Sullivan 0-1; D. Reynolds 0-1; J. Matthews 0-1; A. Farrell 0-4;

Teams – Tipperary – S. Ryan, M. McFadden, J. Feehan, J. Harney, E. Power, L. Boland, M. Stokes, C. Deeley, M. Russell, M Freaney, S. O’Brien, B. Comerford, C. Fahey, S. O’Connor, M. O’Shea.
Subs – J. O’Neill for Power, P. Feehan for Deeley, M. Barlow for Fahey, T. Condon for Stokes, C Smith for O’Brien.

Longford – P. Collum, P. Fox, S. O’Sullivan, B. Masterson, J. Moran, R. Moffett, I. O’Sullivan, D. Reynolds, D. Duggan, K. McGann, D. Farrell, J. Matthews, O. Kenny, M. Carey, C. McCabe.
Subs – O. O’Toole for McGann, A. Farrell for Farrell, P. Lynn for Reynolds.

Referee – N. Quinn (Clare)

Team News

Best of luck to our Senior Footballers who welcome Longford to Clonmel tomorrow afternoon.
We encourage as many Tipperary supporters as possible to head to the game and get behind the players and management on home turf. pic.twitter.com/C87KJvQWzL

— Tipperary GAA (@TipperaryGAA) January 31, 2025

Tipperary (NFL v Longford): S Ryan; M McFadden, J Feehan, J Harney; E Power, L Boland, M Stokes; C Deeley, M Russell; M Freaney, S O’Brien, B Comerford; C Fahey, S O’Connor, D Brennan.