All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 1 – Tipperary v Louth

Evans hails Tipp ‘Independence Day’ after morale-boosting win

Tipperary 2-10 Louth 1-12

By Jackie Cahill for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Monday, July 06, 2009

JOHN EVANS declared July 4 as Independence Day for Tipperary football after Saturday’s landmark qualifier win against Louth. The Premier County, impressive in the NFL this year, scored a first championship victory since 2003 as they came away with a gritty one-point win from Drogheda’s Gaelic Grounds. Evans has masterminded two successive promotions since taking charge but this was his first championship success, at the fourth time of asking. Tipp’s long wait for success in the championship had stretched back six years, when they defeated Carlow, but the NFL Division 3 champions now face Sligo in the second round qualifiers with optimism.

Evans said: “Tipperary have made a break away from just being league contenders. We bridged a 38-year gap in the league with silverware and now we’ve ended a six-year wait for a championship win. It came down to the wire – three times they came back at us and three times, we fought them off.” Barry Grogan’s well-taken 26th minute goal helped Tipp establish a 1-8 to 0-5 half-time advantage against their hosts The game was pockmarked by a massive tally of 54 frees while referee Syl Doyle felt the need to brandish 13 yellow and two red cards though the match was never dirty.

A run of four unanswered points before half-time proved crucial as Tipp reached the midway point six ahead and while they led by seven with nine minutes of normal time remaining, a late Louth surge left Tipp hanging on. Crucially, Tipp conceded just two points with 14 men after goalkeeper Matthew O’Donnell was sent off before the numbers were evened up when Derek Crilly was dismissed for a second bookable offence. A dramatic second half, which saw Louth attacker JP Rooney miss one and then later score another penalty, sprung to life when O’Donnell caught Colm Judge high around the neck as he rounded the goalkeeper seven minutes after half-time.

Doyle’s decision to red card the Killenaule shot-stopper was correct but when play finally resumed four minutes later with a resultant penalty, Rooney failed to make Tipp pay, screwing his effort wide. Tipp, beaten Munster SFC quarter-finalists against Limerick, funnelled men back and held firm for the next seven minutes before centre back Crilly saw red. And with nine minutes remaining, Philip Austin rounded Louth goalkeeper Stuart Reynolds and found the net with his left foot for the visitors’ very first score of the second half.

That goal opened up a 2-8 to 0-7 lead but the Wee County challenge was revived four minutes from the end of normal time when Robbie Costigan was penalised for a foot block and Rooney tucked away the penalty. Louth kept battling and were back to within a single point before Tipp survived over five minutes of injury time for a precious win. Evans acknowledged Tipp have shaken a huge monkey off their backs. He roared: “July 4; Independence Day and freedom for Tipperary.” In front of 2,000 fans, Tipp carried the greater cutting edge in the first half, despite Louth statistics revealing that the home side won 15 kick outs compared to Tipp’s four.

The trend favoured Eamonn McEneaney’s side 2-1 in the second half and yet Tipp still came away with the spoils. Evans insisted: “Nice football doesn’t win games. Today we decided we would contain and attack, rather than going all out attack. We said we’d approach this game with a lot more composure.” McEneaney is considering his future as manager after four years in charge. Hopes were high of victory on Saturday to erase the memory of the Leinster SFC reverse to Laois but McEneaney was left to lament a cruel run of luck which robbed him of four key players at various stages. The former Monaghan star said: “We lost Darren Clarke to suspension for four weeks, Mick Fanning tweaked his hamstring before the game and we had him earmarked to man-mark Barry Grogan (who finished with 1-5).

“Shane Lennon hurt his knee and looked like he was on fire. Then his replacement Aaron Hoey dislocates his shoulder.” When asked about his future in charge, McEneaney replied: “We’ll see. I’m going to take some time out first. We have a (Leinster) junior final (replay) against Longford on Wednesday in Longford. For the rest of the players on the panel, they’ll be mad to get out and prove a point.”

Scorers for Louth: JP Rooney (1-3), B White (0-3f), P Keenan, R Carroll, C Judge, S Lennon, D Maguire & A Hoey (f) (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tipperary: B Grogan (1-5, 0-3f), P Austin (1-0), B Coen (0-2 (1f), R Costigan, B Fox & B Coen (0-1 each).

Subs for Louth: A Hoey for Lennon (inj, 20), P Smith for Hoey (inj, 37), B McArdle R Finnegan (60), D Maguire for Reid (60).

Subs for Tipperary: P Fitzgerald for Mulryan (45), D O’Brien for Carey (58), A Fitzgerald for Austin (inj, 64), E Hanrahan for Coghlan (70+3), A Moloney for Mulvihill (70+5).

Referee: Syl Doyle (Wexford)

Grogan shoots Tipp to victory

From the Irish Independent newspaper

Sunday July 05 2009

TIPPERARY 2-10 LOUTH 1-12

GRITTY Tipperary dug deep in Drogheda last night to record a famous one-point victory over Louth in the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers. Ace marksman Barry Grogan grabbed 1-5 as Tipperary scored a first championship victory since 2003 with this win at the Gaelic Grounds. Leading by seven points with nine minutes remaining, Tipp looked set for a comfortable win but a late Louth revival left Tipp hanging on at the finish.

They eventually survived to book a place in next Saturday’s second round of qualifiers, despite registering just 1-2 in a dramatic second-half. Louth forward JP Rooney scored one penalty and missed another while both sides were reduced to 14 men after half-time. Played out in front of approximately 2,000 spectators, match referee Syl Doyle dished out 13 yellow cards and two reds in a game which was far from nasty. Huge question marks now hang over the future of Louth manager Eamonn McEneaney, who has now completed four years at the helm.

This victory is a major fillip for Tipperary, who were left devastated by a crushing Munster SFC semi-final defeat to Limerick, having gained promotion from Division 3 earlier this year. Ironically, it was victory against Louth at Semple Stadium in March which clinched the ascent to Division 2 for Tipperary but last night’s visitors will be more pleased with a first championship win since the 2003 victory over Carlow.

Tipp led by 1-8 to 0-5 at half-time but the game took a dramatic twist seven minutes after the break when the Premier County’s goalkeeper Matthew O’Donnell was given a straight red card for hauling down Colm Judge. Rooney stepped up for the resultant penalty but scuffed his effort wide as Louth missed a penalty for the fourth time this year.

Crucially, Tipp conceded just two points before the numbers were evened up in the 53rd minute when Louth centre back Derek Crilly was dismissed for a second offence. With nine minutes left, Philip Austin rounded Louth goalkeeper Stuart Reynolds and found the net for Tipp’s first score of the second-half. That score opened up a 2-8 to 0-7 lead for Tipp but Louth fought back and when Rooney netted the second penalty with four minutes of normal time remaining, it was very much game on.

Scorers — Tipperary: B Grogan 1-5 (0-3f), P Austin 1-0, B Coen 0-2 (1f), R Costigan, B Fox, B Coen 0-1 each.

Louth: JP Rooney 1-3, B White 0-3 (3f), P Keenan, C Judge, S Lennon, D Maguire, A Hoey (f), R Carroll 0-1 each.

Tipperary: M O’Donnell; P Codd, C McDonald, C Higgins; C Aylward, H Coghlan, R Costigan; G Hannigan, K Mulryan; S Carey, P Austin, B Fox; B Mulvihill, B Coen, B Grogan.

Subs: P Fitzgerald for Mulryan (45), D O’Brien for Carey (58), A Fitzgerald for Austin (64), E Hanrahan for Coghlan (70), A Moloney for Mulvihill (70).

Louth: S Reynolds; P Rath, D Finnegan, J O’Brien; R Finnegan, D Crilly, G Hoey; B White, P Keenan; A Reid, R Carroll, D Reid; C Judge, S Lennon, JP Rooney.
Subs: A Hoey for Lennon (20), P Smith for Hoey (37), B McArdle R Finnegan (60), D Maguire for Reid (60).

Referee: Syl Doyle (Wexford)

Fixture Details

04.07.2009 (Sat)

GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Qualifier Round I

Drogheda 7.00pm An Lú v Tiobraid Árann

Referee: Syl Doyle (Loch Garman)

(E.T. if Necessary)

Team News

The Tipperary team to play Louth in the first round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers shows four changes from the team that lost to Limerick in the May Munster Senior Football championship.

Both Ciaran McDonald and Robbie Costigan return after injury while Kevin Mulryan gains a starting position at midfield. However the main talking point will be the introduction of Matthew O’Donnell to goal in place of Paul Fitzgerald.

O’Donnell, from Killenaule and current U-21 dual sub-keeper, has been a regular sub-keeper with the senior side for the past two seasons. He played in round seven of this year’s Allianz National Football league clash against Longford.

Apart from Paul Fitzgerald, theres Conor Morrissey, Brian Jones and James Tierney who had to make way.

The Tipp team is as follows – Matthew O’Donnell (Killenaule); Paddy Codd (Killenaule), Ciaran McDonald (Aherlow), Christopher Higgins (Galtee Rovers – Captain); Christopher Aylward (Clonmel Og), Hugh Coghlan (St. Vincents), Robbie Costigan (Cahir); George Hannigan (Shannon Rovers), Kevin Mulryan (J. K. Brackens); Sean Carey (Moyle Rovers), Philip Austin (Borrisokane), Brian Fox (Eire Og-Annacarty); Brian Mulvihill (Moyle Rovers), Brian Coen (Fethard), Barry Grogan (Aherlow)