Footballers have to settle for opening round draw
Ross Dunphy scores a goal in the second half Photo: Pat Ahern
Tipperary will have been delighted to come away with a point at the end of this National Football League Division 4 first round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday. The sides were level on 73 minutes with the whistle set to bring an end to an intriguing contest, Carlow’s Paddy McDonnell stood over a free out on the left but at an awkward angle. As he strode forward, Carlow sources were adamant the visitors had brought one player back and had only two up front. The Tipperary captain, Steven O’Brien, later denied that this was the situation.
As the ball dropped short and with the game level the referee ignored the Carlow protests and brought an end to the game The visitors could have thrown in the towel at several stages during an entertaining game. At half-time they trailed by six points. It could have been worse as Sean O’Connor and Jack Harney scored the last two points of the half for Tipperary.
While the visitors went ahead thanks to an early Mark Russell point, the home side hit back with Aaron Amond raising two white flags and Conor Crowley fisting over. O’Connor also scored a Tipperary point. It remained tight at four points each up to the fifteenth minute before Kevin Murphy created his own bit of history by becoming the first Carlow player to score a two-point free in a competitive game. O’Brien would do the same for Tipperary in the second half while Russell also registered a two-point score from play when it was badly needed.
That early two-pointer appeared to lift the home side and they took a hold when Aaron Amond converted a penalty. With Crowley causing all sorts of problems for the Tipperary defence, his side went in leading 1-10 to 0-7 at the interval.
In the opening minutes of the second half, Sean O’Connor swooped for a 37th minute premier goal. Carlow hit straight back and Dunphy cancelled out the goal with one of his own. And so the scene was set for a fascinating end-game. A missed Kevin Murphy penalty for Carlow was a reprieve for their rivals. And so Russell had his two-point moment while O’Connor held his head to fire over the equaliser. The visitors will definitely be the happier of the two teams on the night.
A Amond 1-2 (1-0 pen), R Dunphy 1-2, C Crowley 0-4 (1f), K Murphy 0-2 tpf, Conor Doyle, M Bambrick, J Murphy 0-1 each
S O’Connor 1-5 (2fs) M Russell 0-4 (1-2p), S O’Brien. 0-3 (1-2pf), J Harney, B Comerford (f), C Smith (f), E Power 0-1 each
Johnny Furey ; Paddy Regan , Mark Furey , Colin Byrne ; Shane Clarke , Ciaran Moran, Mikey Bambrick ; Ian Atkinson , Liam Brennan ; Aaron Amond , Conor Doyle, Paddy McDonnell ; Conor Crowley, Ross Dunphy, Kevin Murphy. Subs: John Murphy for Moran 17, Niall Hickey for Amond 51, Darragh O’Brien for Dunphy 67.
Shane Ryan ; Manus McFadden, Jimmy Feehan, Emmet Moloney , Eoghan Power, Luke Boland, Jack Harney ; Cathal Deeley, Mark Russell ; Michael Freaney, Steven O’Brien, Ben Comerford; Conor Fahey, Sean O’Connor, Darragh Brennan. Subs: Jack O’Neil for Feehan h/t, Tadgh Condon for Moloney, Michael O’Shea for Brennan h/t, Cian Smith for Freaney 62, Michael Barlow for Fahey 62.
Eoin Morrissey (Waterford).
