A Mark Russell two-pointer in added time rescued a win for Tipperary from the jaws of defeat against a luckless Longford side in a thrilling National Football League Division 4 clash at Clonmel Sportsfield on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides came into the game off the back of opening round draws, and in blustery, drizzly conditions, the home side opened the scoring through a Conor Fahey two-pointer, one of three scored in the opening half, the other two from Longford, through Matthew Carey and Oran Kenny in the space of a minute, the only scores from either side inside the opening quarter as the visitors led 0-06 to 0-02.
Tipp then hit a scoring burst of their own in the 19th & 20th minutes with goals, well finished by Sean O'Connor and Luke Boland to edge back in front in a game they were dominating in possession but were turning the ball over cheaply in attack.
Longford were well set on the counter-attack and responded to the double set-back with points from likely sub Aaron Farrell (2), Cathal McCabe, and Oran Kenny to retake the lead before Tipp captain Steven O’Brien got on the scoresheet from play. Farrell doubled his tally as Longford led 0-11 to 2-03 at the break.
Longford started the second half strongly with a Matthew Carey free followed by a Cathal McCabe goal, putting them in a strong position, and only a superb save by Tipp keeper Shane Ryan denied him a second.
Tipp were labouring, but Mark Russell’s first two-pointer on 42 minutes ignited them before dropping ball in the square led to Micheal Freaney scoring his second goal in as many games to cut the margin to the minimum on 44 minutes.
Tipp levelled with a Sean O’Connor free after Longford impeded a solo & go but the Midlanders responded well with Matthew Carey pulling the strings, and with Aaron Farrell bringing his tally to four points from play, and Jayson Matthews, James Moran and Dessie Reynolds also getting on the scoresheet, they led by two points on 67 minutes.
A free from sub Cian Smith brought Tipp within a minimum, and as they pinned Longford back in the closing stages, Mark Russell conjured up the winning score from close to the side-line outside the 40-metre arc in the third minute of added time to ensure his sides return to playing league football in the heartland of Clonmel was a winning one.
Key: tp - two-point score; tpf - two-point free; tpm - two-point mark
Tipperary: S Ryan; M McFadden, J Feehan, J Harney; E Power, L Boland (1-00), M Stokes; C Deeley, M Russell (0-04, 2 '2tp); M Freaney (1-00), S O’Brien (0-02, 1 '45), B Comerford; C Fahey (0-02), S O’Connor (1-04, 2tpf, 1f), M O’Shea.
Subs: J O’Neill for Power (31); P Feehan for Deeley (45); M Barlow for Fahey (50); C Smith (0-01, 1f) for O’Brien (64); T Condon for Stokes (64).
Longford: P Collum; P Fox, S O’Sullivan, B Masterson; J Moran (0-01), R Moffett, I O’Sullivan (0-01); D Reynolds (0-01), D Duggan; K McGann, D Farrell, J Matthews (0-01); O Kenny (0-05, 1f), M Carey (0-04, 2tp, 2f), C McCabe (1-01).
Subs: A Farrell (0-04) for Farrell (14 inj); O O’Toole for McGann (53); P Lynn for Reynolds (67).
Referee: N Quinn (Clare)
