Poor start and finish costs Tipp against Kildare
GAA: Tailteann Cup Group 1 Round 2
Tipperary 1-11
Kildare 3-19
Report: Stephen Barry at Clonmel Sportsfield
Photo: Bridget Delaney
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Daniel Flynn (Kildare)
SCORERS – Tipperary: Cian Smith 0-5 (1x2 play, 1x2 free); Darragh Brennan 1-1 (0-1 free); Steven O’Brien 0-2 (2pt free); Luke Boland, Jack O’Neill, Daithí Hogan 0-1 each.
Kildare: Daniel Flynn 2-4; Alex Beirne 1-5 (1-0 pen, 1x2 free, 0-2 frees); Jimmy Hyland 0-3; David Hyland 0-2 (2 pt play); Tommy Gill, Brendan Gibbons, Ben McCormack, Darragh Swords, Tony Archbold 0-1 each.
Tipperary’s Tailteann Cup campaign will come down to a final-round meeting with Leitrim after falling to a second consecutive defeat against Kildare on Saturday afternoon.
After a wretched opening spell, Darragh Brennan’s goal and a couple of Cian Smith two-pointers gave the Premier hope when trailing by three at half-time. But they couldn’t contain the Lilywhites’ attacking spine. Full-forward Daniel Flynn reeled off 2-4 from play and hit the crossbar too. Centre-forward Alex Beirne scored 1-5 and assisted another 1-5. Their closing streak of 1-6, which put fourteen points between the sides by the final whistle, was particularly damaging to Tipp’s score difference.
Should they beat Leitrim, score difference would likely come into play to determine their standing among the third-placed teams for qualification. Tipp’s total currently stands at -19.
On his return to the sideline, manager Philly Ryan made one enforced switch from the loss to Sligo as Mark Russell replaced the injured Jack Harney. He called in U20 Eoin O’Connell for his debut before the break to shore up their defence at full-back.
Kildare looked ominous in the early stages; inside the first minute, Flynn landed the opener and assisted Beirne’s next after a botched short kick-out.
Tipp probed for the first goal opportunity, but Daithí Hogan’s final pass to Brennan was overhit.
Flynn also threatened early. This time, his pass across goal was pushed to safety by Paudie Feehan. Tommy Gill, Brendan Gibbons, and Ben McCormack all cashed in for points, but Kildare sprayed an equal number of wides from their first ten shots.
After Steven O’Brien had Tipp’s first attempt, sending a two-point free wide, Beirne’s free made it six-nil.
At last, Tipp rallied. In the 21st minute, Smith landed a two-point free after good work by Mark Stokes and O’Brien. The Tipp skipper broke the subsequent kick-out, and Brennan sent Hogan through on goal. He fired over rather than under the crossbar for his first point in senior football.
That woke up Kildare. They came straight up the field as Daniel Flynn exchanged a one-two with McCormack before driving to the net. Darragh Swords and Jimmy Hyland’s points made it 1-8 to 0-3.
It would be a one-score game by the break. After a Cian Smith curler from just inside the arc, Seán O’Connor intercepted the kick-out and fended off three defenders to tee up Brennan for a thumping finish past Didier Cordonnier. The otherwise hampered O’Connor would depart injured at half-time.
Daniel Flynn was left free for a goal chance in response. He lobbed Shane Ryan, but the ball struck the crossbar and Mark Stokes punched it away from danger.
The Johnstownbridge man handpassed over from their next attack, but Cian Smith curled over a fine two-pointer to leave Tipp 1-9 to 1-6 in arrears at half-time.
They narrowed the gap further on the restart. Luke Boland broke the Kildare press to unlock space for a superb Jack O’Neill solo point. Like Hogan, it was his first score since his senior debut.
But Darragh Swords won a penalty from Eoin O’Connell, and Alex Beirne sent Ryan the wrong way for 2-9 to 1-7.
Jack O’Neill took a kick-out mark and earned a 50-metre advancement which Steven O’Brien punished with a two-point free to make it a one-score game again.
O’Brien’s next placed ball from beyond the arc drifted wide as Kildare countered for a wide-open two-pointer by David Hyland to complete a four-point swing. That settled Kildare, and they kicked on with Jimmy Hyland and Flynn points.
After a free, won and converted by Brennan, Kildare stretched away for a 1-6 burst. Beirne added a two-point free after another 50-metre advancement. He tacked on a free, while Jimmy Hyland, Flynn, and Tony Archbold all scored.
On seventy minutes, a move involving a handful of substitutes ended with Beirne squaring for Flynn to palm in.
Tipp ended a fifteen-minute scoreless streak with the final point from Luke Boland as their quest to extend their season row rests with beating Leitrim, and well too.
Full report, analysis and reaction in Wednesday's Nenagh Guardian.
TEAMS – Tipperary: Shane Ryan (Clonmel Commercials); Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers), Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale); Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan), Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields); Paudie Feehan (Killenaule), Mark Russell (Aherlow); Micheál Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Steven O’Brien (Ballina, Capt); Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s), Darragh Brennan (Ballyporeen), Seán O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials).
Subs: Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney) for Russell (30); Ben Comerford (Grangemockler/Ballyneale) for O’Connor (HT); James Morris (Clonmel Commercials) for P Feehan (55); Eoghan Power (Ballina) for Freaney (60); Emmet Moloney (Portlaoise) for O’Brien (67).
Kildare: Didier Cordonnier; Mark Dempsey, Brian Byrne, Ryan Burke; Tommy Gill, David Hyland, Mick O’Grady; Aaron Masterson, Brendan Gibbons; Ryan Sinkey, Alex Beirne, Ben McCormack; Darragh Swords, Daniel Flynn, Jimmy Hyland.
Subs: Kevin Flynn for O’Grady (HT); Eoin Cully for Sinkey (44); Kevin Feely for Gibbons (48); Tony Archbold for McCormack (55); Jack McKevitt for Burke (60-61 temp); Jack McKevitt for K Flynn (64-67, temp); Jack McKevitt (NR) for Gill (68).
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).