Cathal McCabe, Longford, and Manus McFadden, Tipperary, in Allianz Football League Division Four action. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division Four
Carlow 2-15 (2-3-9) Waterford 0-12 (0-2-8)
Tipperary 3-13 (3-4-5) Longford 1-18 (1-2-14)
Mark Russell nailed a two-pointer from out on the sideline in the third minute of stoppage time to ensure that Tipperary edged out a Division Four thriller against Longford in Clonmel this afternoon, continuing their solid start to the season.
Damp and windy conditions didn’t prevent these two sides from playing out a fantastic contest that swung over and back throughout the game. Matthew Carey and Oran Kenny struck from distance to give Longford an early lead, Seán O’Connor and Luke Boland found the net for Tipperary in the space of 60 seconds midway through the first half, and Longford rallied again to lead by 0-11 to 2-3 by the interval, with Aaron Farrell kicking 0-4 after coming off the bench due to an early injury to Dylan Farrell.
Cathal McCabe found the net to stretch Longford’s lead after the break but the first of Russell’s two two-pointers gave Tipp life, and Michael Freaney’s goal put the game right back in the melting pot, setting up a dramatic finish that culminated in a Cian Smith free and Russell’s outstanding strike pushing Tipp over the line.
It was nip and tuck in the early stages of Carlow’s trip to Dungarvan too, but once Ross Dunphy met a high ball from Conor Doyle with a decisive fist to hit the Waterford net, Carlow always had just enough breathing room to ensure that Shane Curran enjoyed a first competitive win as manager of the Dolmen County.
Alan Dunwoody pointed for the home side to leave a goal in it, 1-11 to 0-11 with an hour gone, but Carlow surged home, with Kevin Murphy’s stoppage time goal, fisted to the net with his first touch after coming on, crowning a 2-15 to 0-12 win.
