London earned their first point of the 2024 Allianz Football League season in an enthralling Division 4 encounter against Tipperary at McGovern Park in Ruislip which saw the teams finish level.
Games between these two in recent times have been hard-fought battles and this was no different. London left it all out on the pitch and could have come away with the maximum points.
JK Brackens' Jack Kennedy opened the scoring for Tipp with four minutes gone through a point from a mark and there was a nine-minute wait for another score, which came courtesy of Patrick Dolan who got London up and running.
As the teams grew into the game slowly, they exchanged points, with Stephen Grogan restoring the Premier County's advantage, but they were pipped back 60 seconds later when Cathal Lacey levelled for Michael Maher’s men.
London were well organised in defence and broke down a number of promising Tipperary attacks; however, after a score from Clonmel Commercials' Jack Kennedy in the 24th minute, they briefly lost their discipline, which resulted in Sean O’Connor kicking three frees without reply as the visitors led by four.
The sides were level at the break thanks to a fine Ruairi Rafferty point and a goal that came from a smart London move, which allowed Liam Gallagher to fire home.
London hit the front foot after the restart and quickly had a two-point advantage thanks to Lacey, who moments later suffered a serious injury trying to increase the London lead and left the pitch on a stretcher, resulting in 11 minutes of injury-time at the end of the game.
When play resumed, Rafferty kicked London into a three-point lead.
But soon that lead was just a point as Tipperary closed the gap between them thanks to scores from Brackens' Kennedy and Peter McGarry before the match was tied up by Commercials man Kennedy, who pointed a free.
London edged ahead when Shay Rafter sent the ball over the bar from a mark in the 69th minute, just before a sizeable chunk of injury-time.
Two early injury-time points from Shane O’Connell and Brackens' Kennedy looked like they had snatched the points and the win for Tipp, but in the 77th minute, Cahir Healy’s floating effort split the posts to ensure London had a point to show for their efforts.
London: Andrew Walsh; Cathal Lacey (0-03, 0-01f), Matt Moynihan, Fiontan Eastwood; Oran Kerr, Patrick Dolan (0-01), Ciaran McKeon; Liam Gallagher (1-00), Stephen Dornan; Aidan McLoughlin, Tighe Barry, DJ Flaherty; Conor Cox, Ruairi Rafferty (0-02), Eoin Walsh (Capt)
Subs: Shay Rafter (0-01, 0-01m) for Cathal Lacey (48’), Ciaran Driver for Patrick Dolan (59’), Caolan Mulgrew for Fiontan Eastwood (63’), Cahir Healy (0-01) for Tighe Barry (63’), Daire Rooney for Aidan McLoughlin (71’)
Tipperary: Jack Rodgers; Shane O’Connell (0-01), Jimmy Feehan, Emmet Mooney; James Morris, Paudie Feehan, Kieran Costello; Darragh O’Leary, Jack Kennedy (0-02, 0-01f); Mark Stokes, Stephen Grogan 0-01), Cathal Deely; Jack Kennedy (0-03, 0-01m), Paddy Creedon, Sean O’Connor (0-03, 0-03f)
Subs: Shane Neville for Cathal Deely (17’), Peter McGarry (0-01) for Paddy Creedon (H/T), Conall Kennedy for Darragh O’Leary (49’), Rory O’Dowd for Shane O’Connell (67’)
Referee: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)
