Down ended their Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign with a victory, but it wasn't enough to keep them up.
They took to the field at Pairc Esler knowing that only a win would do, and even if they held up their end of the bargain, Eamon Burns’ side would need a favour from Pete McGrath’s Louth to avoid the drop. It was a favour that did not come.
The Mournemen made their intentions to maintain Division 2 status evident after just 15 seconds when Sean Dornan broke from the throw-in, catching Tipperary off guard to hammer the ball home for a fine goal.
Liam Kearns used what was a dead rubber for his side to blood new talent, and with his young charges keen to impress they pulled themselves back into the game with two points from Kevin O’Halloran.
With everything on the line for the hosts, they began to demonstrate some of the attacking prowess which made them such a sensation in last year’s Ulster Championship, and two sublime points from play from Caolon Mooney and Peter Turley saw the men in red and black go in at the break with a four point cushion.
The Mourne County began the second half in a similar vein, but against the run of play Tipperary netted home.
Michael Quinlivan made the most of a goal-mouth scramble from Shane Harrison to eventually trickle the ball over the line, restoring parity at 1-08 apiece, before a Jack Kennedy free gave Tipp the lead for the first time in the match.
Just as momentum looked to be favouring Munster outfit, a clever ball into the box from Donal O’Hare released Conor Maginn who was brought down in the box, and awarded a penalty.
O’Hare slotted home a clinical effort to reignite his side’s hopes of survival, before a fantastic individual solo from Mooney saw Down stretch into a three point lead.
A second yellow for Tipp skipper Robbie Kiely saw his side reduced to fourteen men, and Down made the most of their numerical advantage to showcase their pacey brand of football.
Ryan Johnston and Mooney kept the scoreboard ticking over to ensure the win, but with Louth losing out to Meath in Drogheda, a spirited performance just wasn’t enough to see Down avoid the drop to Division 3.
Down: Shane Harrison, Colm Flanagan, Brendan McArdle, Anthony Doherty (0-02f) David McKibben, Niall McPartland, Caolan Mooney (0-03), Peter Turley (0-01), Niall Donnelly, Kevin McKernan, Conor Maginn(0-01), Shay Millar (0-01f), Aaron Morgan, Donal O’Hare (1-00, 0-01f) Sean Dornan (1-01)
Subs: Ruari Wells for McKibben (68), Darren O’Hagan for Millar (72), Connaire Harrison for Dornan (52) Ryan Johnston (0-01) for Maginn (52)
Tipperary: Ciaran Kenrick, Colm O’Shaughnessy, Paddy Codd, Emmet Moloney, Brian Fox, Kevin Fahey (0-02), Robbie Kiely, Luke Boland, George Hannigan, Jack Kennedy (0-01, 0-02f) Josh Keane(0-01f), Kevin O’Halloran (0-01, 0-01f), Stephen Murray, Michael Quinlivan (1-00, 0-01f) Liam Boland
Subs: Jimmy Feehan for Luke Boland (55), Conor Sweeney (0-01, 0-01f) for Murray (35) Steven O’Brien for Hannigan (35) Liam Casey for Moloney (55)
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)
