Allianz NFL Division 2 – Tipperary 2-13 Westmeath 1-10

Grogan stretches Westmeath’s losing streak

From the Irish Independent newspaper

Tipperary 2-13 Westmeath 1-10

Monday April 12 2010

WESTMEATH slumped to a 14th successive league defeat yesterday as Tipperary won the battle of Division 2’s relegated teams at Semple Stadium. There was only pride to play for in Thurles but Westmeath’s long search for a league win now stretches back to the 2008 Division 2 final victory against Dublin. The Lake men lost all seven of their Division 1 games last season and yesterday’s six-point defeat ensured that Brendan Hackett’s team ended another season pointless. Tipp, despite making the drop back to Division 3, can look back on their campaign with some pride, having defeated Westmeath and Meath and claimed a draw against Down in Newry.

However, narrow defeats against Laois and Donegal cost the Premier County dear as boss John Evans now turns his thoughts towards next Saturday’s Cadbury All-Ireland U21 semi-final showdown with Donegal. A former U-21 star, Barry Grogan, was the hero for the seniors yesterday as his 1-7 haul, including 1-4 from play, proved decisive in front of fewer than 100 spectators. Local club hurling games and the already sealed fate of both sides before throw-in was reflected in the dismal attendance but the teams produced some decent fare. Westmeath scored a goal after six minutes when Philip Gilsenan, a late call-up in place of Fergal Wilson, collected an astute Martin Flanagan pass before blasting a fine shot past Paul Fitzgerald from 14 yards.

Seven minutes before half-time, George Hannigan’s well-taken goal helped Tipp to lead by 1-6 to 1-4 at the break and when Grogan finished soccer-style to the net six minutes after the restart, the hosts looked home and hosed. But Westmeath rallied and a run of five unanswered points, including two from the newly introduced Wilson, cut the gap back to the bare minimum. Tipp, though, hit back with five of the game’s remaining six points to claim another noteworthy victory, with just five weeks to go before Kerry visit Thurles for the Munster SFC quarter-final.

Scorers — Tipperary: B Grogan 1-7 (0-3f), P Austin 0-3, G Hannigan 1-0, B Fox 0-2, E Kearney 0-1. Westmeath: P Gilsenan 1-1, F Wilson 0-3 (0-1f), G Flanagan 0-2 (0-2 ’45s), D McDermott, S O’Donoghue, D Duffy, P Greville (0-1f) 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY — P Fitzgerald; A Morrissey, P Codd, N Curran; E Kearney, R Costigan, C Aylward; G Hannigan, L O’Gorman; B Fox, R O’Dwyer, B Mulvihill; P Austin, K Mulryan, B Grogan. Subs: J Cagney for Mulvihill (h/t), B Coen for O’Dwyer (h/t), B Jones for Morrissey (h/t), H Coghlan for O’Gorman (50), C Morrissey for Aylward (70).

WESTMEATH — S Gallagher; C Jordan, D O’Donoghue, J Gaffey; D McDermott, S O’Donoghue, M Ennis; D Duffy, G Flanagan; J Smyth, P Greville, A Fennell; P Gilsenan, M Flanagan, A Finnan. Subs: G Glennon for Duffy (h/t), F Wilson for Finnan (48), G Hoey for Fennell (48), D Healy for Hoey (59).

Ref — S Doyle (Wexford)
Tipperary going down with bang not whimper

From the Irish Times newspaper

Tipperary 2-13 Westmeath 1-10: MAN-OF-THE-match Barry Grogan scored 1-7 for Tipperary (1-4 from play) as the Premier County boys marked their relegation to Division Three with a clear-cut win over their fellow relegation victims at Semple Stadium yesterday. A sixth-minute goal by late replacement, Philip Gilsenan, gave Westmeath an early edge. However, Tipperary soon asserted themselves and George Hannigan’s 28th-minute goal set them up for a 1-6 to 1-4 lead at the interval.

Grogan’s goal five minutes after resuming looked to have sealed Tipperary’s win but Westmeath stormed back with five unanswered points to cut the lead to 1-9 to 2-7 with 19 minutes to play. Tipperary looked in trouble but recovered with three points in four minutes from Philip Austin, Eoin Kearney and Brian Fox, and then coasted to the finish. Grogan’s quality finishing was crucial to the Tipperary win but Brian Fox, George Hannigan, Christopher Aylward, Philip Austin and Kevin Mulryan were other key figures.

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; A Morrissey, P Codd, N Curran; E Kearney (0-1), R Costigan, C Aylward; G Hannigan (1-0), L O’Gorman; B Fox (0-2), R O’Dwyer, B Mulvihill; P Austin (0-3), K Mulryan, B Grogan (1-7). Subs: J Cagney for Mulvihill; B Jones for Morrissey; B Coen for O’Dwyer; H Coghlan for O Gorman; C Morrissey for Aylward.

WESTMEATH: S Gallagher; C Jordan, D O’Donoghue, J Gaffey; D McDermott (0-1), S O’Donoghue (0-1), M Ennis; D Duffy (0-1), G Flanagan (0-2); J Smyth, P Greville (0-2), A Fennell; P Gilsenan (1-1), M Flanagan, A Finnan. Subs: G Glennon for Duffy; F Wilson (0-2) for Finnan; G Hoey for Fennell; D Healy for Hoey.

Referee: S Doyle (Wexford)

Tipperary defeated Westmeath by 2-13 to 1-10 in the last round of the Allianz GAA Football National League Division 2 at Semple Stadium on Sunday.

Tipperary earned a 2-13 to 1-10 victory over Westmeath in the battle of the relegated sides in Division 2. It was another dispiriting day for Brendan Hackett’s Westmeath, who fell to their seventh straight defeat of the campaign and were consigned to relegation in the league for a second successive year. Things looked up for the Lake men in the first half when Philip Gilsenan grabbed an early goal; however they didn’t retain the lead for long as George Hannigan found the back of the net for Tipperary to give them a two points, 1-6 to 1-4, lead at the break. Johnny Evans’ men increased their advantage in the second half with a goal from the boot of the prolific Barry Grogan. Tipperary drop down a division with their heads held high and safe in the knowledge that better days are on the way after the county’s first ever success at Munster U21 level recently.

From the GAA.ie web site