GAA | Tipp have too much for Louth

Tipperary 3–19 Louth 0–19 | Allianz NFL Division Three final

Louth’s hopes of ending the Allianz National Football League season with some silverware were dashed as Tipperary ran out nine-point winners in the Division Three final at Croke Park on Saturday evening.

Colin Kelly’s side led from the second minute to the 28th but a purple patch for last year’s All-Ireland semi-finalists propelled them five points ahead at the interval and Louth never looked like reeling Tipp back in.

Relieved of the pressure of winning promotion, both sets of players looked intent on expressing themselves on the wide open spaces of HQ. As a result, 13 different names were printed on the scoresheet in a fast paced opening half.

Louth opened in style, hitting three scores without reply with Andy McDonnell, Declan Byrne and Pauric Smith all on target.
Conor Sweeney and Liam Durnin got Tipperary rolling before Michael Quinlivan then saw an effort flash just wide of Craig Lynch’s left-hand upright.

With Tipperary wasteful in front of the posts, mid-Louth duo, Ryan Burns and Tommy Durnin made no mistake at the other end, moving Louth 0–5 to 0–2 ahead.

Quinlivan scored one and missed one either side of a Kevin O’Halloran effort before St Patrick’s man, Eoin O’Connor, hit the target with a fabulous effort from the right.

Conor Sweeney reduced the arrears to one with a well taken free in the 28th minute and a bout of short passing a minute later ended with Jack Kennedy levelling the game.

Tipp’s blitz continued and O’Halloran moved them in front for the first time before Liam Casey hammered home the game’s first goal when he seized onto Sweeney’s hand pass and rifled the ball past Lynch in the 29th minute.

A foul by Brian Fox on Derek Maguire allowed Burns to step up and convert, momentarily stemming the Tipp tide, but Sweeney restored the five-point gap with a free.

Declan Byrne dropped an effort into the Tipp goalkeeper’s hands but Dundalk Young Irelands man Maguire fared better, splitting the posts from the right before Quinlivan took advantage of a fortunate break just before the half came to a close with Tipperary 1–11 to 0–9 ahead.

Kelly introduced Kurt Murphy for Paddy Reilly at the interval and Louth hit the first score of the second half, Declan Byrne showing good footwork to make a yard and tap over. Robbie Kiely sent over a booming effort from distance but Burns replied after collecting a pass from Bevan Duffy.

A brilliant passage of play involving Adrian Reid, the charging Anthony Williams and Burns ended with Durnin giving the move the finish it deserved. A foul on the Westerns man seconds later allowed Burns to leave just two in it with a 40th minute free.

Tipp recovered their composure and extended the gap to five again through Kennedy, Kevin O’Halloran and a stunning sideline effort from Quinlivan, 1–15 to 0–13.

The impressive Durnin bulldozed his way through a couple of tackles to point but Louth were left with a sizable task when Tipperary raised their second green flag of the day in the 48th minute.

O’Halloran’s shot was well blocked by Bevan Duffy but Sweeney picked his pocket to dispossess the St Fechin’s player and fire past the exposed Lynch, 2–15 to 0–14.

Five minutes drifted by without a score until Burns pulled a free just inside the post. It was the Hunterstown man’s final real involvement as he was replaced by Dundalk Gaels’ Gerard McSorey soon after.

Another Louth sub, Jim McEneaney forced a good save from Tipp goalkeeper, Evan Comerford. That came after Sweeney had restored his side’s seven-point lead.

McEneaney found his range with a brace of scores before Byrne left four points in it with as many minutes left on the clock.

Josh Keane woke Tipp from their slumber with an insurance score in the 68th minute and even though McEneaney pointed again, subs Liam McGrath and Liam Boland responded.

Conor Sweeney had the final say, finding the net with the final kick of the ball to book Tipp’s place in the winner’s enclosure.

LOUTH: Craig Lynch; Padraig Rath, Patrick Reilly, Anthony Williams; Derek Maguire (0–1), John Bingham, James Stewart; Tommy Durnin (0–3), Andy McDonnell (0–1); Declan Byrne (0–3, 1f), Pauric Smith (0–2), Bevan Duffy; Adrian Reid, Eoin O’Connor (0–1), Ryan Burns (0–5, 4f). Subs: Kurt Murphy for P Reilly, HT; Ruairi Moore for A Reid, 45 mins; Jim McEneaney for E O’Connor, 48 mins Gerard McSorley for R Burns, 54 mins; Conall McKeever for T Durnin, 65 mins; James Califf for D Byrne, 70 mins.