Mayo defeated Tipperary by 0-19 to 1-8 in the GAA Football All Ireland Minor Championship Quarter-Final on Saturday in Croke Park.

Easy triumph for Mayo over Tipp in MFC quarter-final

Report from thescore.ie web site

MAYO GOT THROUGH to the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship, beating Tipperary 0-19 to 1-8 at Croke Park on Saturday.

The tone for the entire match was set in the first 15 minutes, with Mayo taking a quick 0-4 to 0-1 lead through two strikes from Adam Gallagher and further points by Shane Hennelly and wing-back Patrick Durcan. Diarmuid O’Connor and Hennelly put even more daylight between the teams, while the Premier struggled – Colman Kennedy’s wide emblematic of their early woes. Cian Burke, James Quinn and Eoghan Lavin heaped even more misery on Tipp, who finally registered their second point of the game through John McGrath.

Finally, the game became something of a contest when the first goal of the game was scored on 23 minutes. Ian Fahey drove in a free that was going wide but fisted back into play by Tom Kirwan. It fell for Philip Quirke who showed the composure to sidestep his man and blast a shot to the net – just what Tipperary needed.

Lavin and Quirke went on to swap points before the whistle, leaving it as 0-10 to 1-3 half way through. Gallagher and McGrath kept the difference at four points once the sides had re-emerged, but Gallagher was proving the undoing of the Tipp defence and his free on 41 minutes put five points in the difference.

The sending off of Steven O’Brien for an off the ball incident spelled further disaster for Tipperary but they did manage to claw back two quickfire points through TJ Ryan and Kennedy. Patrick Durcan and Conor Byrne – a Mayo substitute – restored the barrier between two sides and, with just four minutes remaining, that would soon be that.

James Quinn and Darren Duffy grabbed the final scores of the game, Mayo ending the game as they had started it.

Next Saturday 4th August in Croke Park at 3pm Tipperary V Mayo in All-Ireland Q/Final at 5p.

More info on Travel arrangements when available.

Mayo v Down in Senior at 5pm and at 7pm Dublin V Laois.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/coulter-delivers-as-down-make-little-bit-of-history-202456.html

DOWN may have made history on Saturday, but manager James McCartan still believes the sooner the dreaded six-day turnaround is put out to grass the better – and fairer – it will be for losing provincial finalists.

No team had ever managed to claim a qualifier win within six days of defeat in one of the four provincial finals, but the 2010 All-Ireland finalists managed it with a little bit to spare against Tipperary on Saturday.

“The sooner it is gone the better,” said the winning coach.

“It is always going to be hard. We tried to chat to the guys Sunday night and Monday and let them home lunchtime to cocoon them away from the scribes that would be criticising them. We talked to them about the game (later in the week).

“We showed them a lot of clips of things that they done well and we showed them the chances that, had they taken — I know I am talking about the wrong game here but even the first ten minutes we had four wides – but we didn’t want that to be the legacy of this team.

“I have been in a lot of Down dressing rooms where we have been beaten in far off fields in the back door and so has Benny and Doyler and Big Dan, those guys.

“We didn’t want this to be the place that we were put out of the championship.”

Down travelled to Mullingar a tad fragile after their loss to Donegal, with Danny Hughes unavailable through injury, Benny Coulter at less than 100% fitness and facing a side seeking to breach the last eight for the first time after three straight victories.

It was, clearly, a date fraught with pitfalls but they made life easier for themselves by playing with the aid of a strong wind at their backs and duly amassed five unanswered points in the opening 23 minutes.

At that stage, it looked every bit like a game between sides that had played Division One and Three football last spring, but the gap narrowed to six points to four before the game’s defining score was landed against the Munster side on the stroke of half-time.

Kevin Duffin seemed to have misjudged the strength of the breeze when he launched in a long ball that bounced up and off one of the Tipp posts and back down into the danger area before Coulter applied the last touch amidst a confusing muddle.

Suddenly, a two-point deficit stood at five and, with the elements playing less of a role in the second period, Tipp failed to make a charge until the last dozen or so minutes when a seven-point deficit was cut briefly to three.

That was as close as they would get.

Down had done enough if not a lot more but McCartan was glad simply to tick the one box that mattered and return home in time for the quarter-final draw and start building towards Croke Park next week.

“Relief, mixed with being glad that the boys showed a wee bit of pride,” he said. “Everybody was tipping this as the shock of the weekend. We were determined that wasn’t going to be the case even if it wasn’t pretty at times.

“We said going into this game that it was all going to be about character and mental strength and the goal at half-time turned it in our favour and gave us that wee bit of a leg up that we needed. Playing well wasn’t really part of the occasion.
“We obviously shipped a lot of criticism last week.

“We felt for three-quarters of the game that we got a whole lot right but they got no credit for that.

“It is the last quarter that everybody remembers and rightly so. We have another opportunity to put that right again next week (against Mayo). We’ll obviously be underdogs but we will go in and have a puncher’s chance.”

They would have a better shot if Hughes were fit but McCartan claimed that was a “long shot” given he aggravated his injury when brought on against Donegal in the Ulster final.

Scorers for Down: B Coulter (1-2); M Poland (0-4, 1 free); A Rogers (0-4, 1 free); D Gordon (0-1); B McArdle (0-1); K Duffin (0-1 free).

Scorers for Tipperary: A Maloney (0-3, 2 frees); M Quinlivan (0-3, 2 frees); P Austin (0-2); B Fox (0-1); P Acheson (0-1); B Mulvihill (0-1).

Subs for Down: K McKernan for Carr (48); L Doyle for McParland (52); D O’Hare for McCartan (56); A Brannigan for Duffin (60).

Subs for Tipperary: B O’Brien for Ryan (35); B Mulvihill for Austin (54); R Costigan for Hannigan (54); M Dunne for Coghlan (62); J O’Callaghan for Kiely (62).

Referee: C Reilly (Meath).

http://gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/news-archive/2107121456-tipperary-v-antrim/

GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Qualifiers Round 3: Tipperary 0-10 Antrim 0-8

Tipperary are through to Round 4 of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Qualifiers after a narrow defeat of Antrim at sunny Semple Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Peter Creedon’s charges made a great start and were 0-5 to 0-1 up after 25 minutes, but the Saffrons came charging back and had the gap down to two points, 0-6 to 0-4, at the break and were level within eight minutes of the restart.

Antrim looked to have all the momentum, but Tipperary regrouped brilliantly and hit the final two scores of the game, through Brian Mulvihill and Alan Maloney, to win in a gripping finale.

Maloney was the Premier County hero, scoring 0-6 of their total, including three points from play, but it was the Tipperary defence that once again deserves all the plaudits for maintaining their discipline in the closing stages when the Saffrons threw everything at them.

Indeed, it could well have been Antrim facing into a high-profile Round 4 clash with the Ulster final losers had Michael McCann not pulled a late goal chance wide in added time.

After a slow start to the game, Tipperary found their feet first and led in the sixth minute when Maloney landed a free. Maloney made a great start to the game and would score twice more from play before Michael Quinlivan also added his name to the scoresheet to give Peter Creedon’s side a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the quarter hour mark.

Antrim took a full 19 minutes to register their first score, which came from the boot of Tomás McCann, but the Saffrons struggled badly in the wide open spaces of Semple Stadium until manager Liam Bradley decided to drop an extra defender back.

George Hannigan nudged the home side back into a four-point lead, while the Saffrons registered seven wides in the first 25 minutes before the first half finished with a flurry of scores.

Simon McDonaghy pulled one back for Antrim before Maloney hit his fourth, but the visitors came with a well-timed burst just before the break, with wing-back James Loughrey hitting two points from play to cut the game to just two at half-time.

After a largely incident-free 35 minutes’ football, the two minutes of time added on contained plenty of drama, and Tipperary might well have hit the back of the net just before the whistle but captain Philip Austin pulled his shot wide when presented with a great chance.

The Saffrons hit the first two points of the second half, through Tomás McCann and Kevin Brady, to draw level by the 43rd minute.

It was low scoring but utterly absorbing as Maloney and defender Donagh Leahy put Tipp back into the lead, before Michael Magill leveled matters for the last time in the 58th minute.

However, it was the Munster side who kicked on in the closing stages, with sub Mulvihill putting them back into the lead with five minutes left and Maloney grabbing the insurance score at the death.

Tipperary Scorers: A Maloney 0-6 (0-3f), M Quinlivan 0-1 (0-1f), G Hannigan 0-1, D Leahy 0-1, B Mulvihill 0-1

Antrim Scorers: T McCann 0-2 (0-1f), S McDonagh 0-1, J Loughrey 0-2, K Brady 0-1, M McCann 0-1, M Magill 0-1

Tipperary: P Fitzgerald; A Morrissey, P Codd, C McDonald; B Fox, R Kiely, A Campbell; G Hannigan, H Coghlan; R Ryan, A Maloney, D Leahy; M Quinlivan, P Acheson, P Austin.

Antrim: C Kerr; A Healy, R Johnston, K O’Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughrey; M McCann, S McDonagh; C Murray, M Sweeney, K Niblock; T McCann, K Brady, M Johnston.

Referee: Eddie Kinsella

Attendance: 2,563

Changes to Route of Tipperary Fun Cycle on 21st July in aid of Tipperary Minor Football Team
 
Friends of Tipperary Fun Cycle in aid of Tipperary Minor Football team is on Saturday 21st July.  Change have been made to the route of the cycle so that it can run in conjunction with the Tipperary v’s Antrim Senior Football Qualifier at Semple Stadium which commences at 3pm.
Hence, cyclists from North Tipperary will gather at the GAA Centre, Nenagh at 10 am. Cyclists will leave at 10.30 am travelling via Toomevara, Moneygall, Roscrea, Templemore to arrive at Dr Morris Park, Thurles at approximately 1.30 pm.
Cyclists from South Tipperary will gather at the GAA Centre, Clonmel at 10 am and leave at 10.30 am. They will cycle via Cahir, Cashel, Horse and Jockey to arrive in Thurles at approximately 1.30 pm. Ther will be a collection via both routes which is in aid of the Tipperary Minor Football team who are All Ireland Football Champions 2011. Entry to cycle is still open and costs 20 Euro and/or sponsorship cards are available. Please come out and support. 
For further information please contact Arthur Fitzelle 087 2864385/ Eamon Quirke 086 8042389 or email tipperaryfootballsecretary@gmail.com

Tipperary Minor Footballers – welcome our All-Ireland champions home at 6:30pm on Monday evening on the steps of the Cathedral in Thurles. All are welcome

All-Ireland MFC Final: Dublin 1-14 Tipperary 3-09

By Fintan O’Toole for the Irish Examiner newspaper

TIPPERARY’S minor football campaign this year was a stirring tale long before yesterday’s All-Ireland decider in Croke Park. Washing away 16 years of heartache in the provincial arena and toppling a series of established counties ensured 2011 would be recalled with fond memories, whatever the outcome of the decider. And yesterday David Power’s charges ensured their season concluded in a dream fashion as they claimed an astonishing victory over Dublin in a blaze of late drama.

It was an game where Dublin enjoyed a large level of superiority and deservedly led as the clock ticked down. Their two-point advantage with five minutes remaining was not reflective of the level of control they had exerted but they still looked set to secure silverware. However Tipperary have displayed a fearless streak in their play this season and they remained in contention, undaunted by the deficit they faced. They were rewarded for that bravery and grit with their two half-time subs stepping forward late on to make pivotal contributions. Moyle Rovers player Phillip Quirke provided aerial power when introduced at centre-forward and his point-kicking was also hugely impressive. He raised his third white flag in the 55th minute to cut the gap to one before Clonmel Commercials youngster Colman Kennedy demonstrated his super sub credentials moments later.

An errant pass by Dublin goalkeeper Ross O’Hanlon was seized on by hard-working captain Liam McGrath and when the ball fell to Kennedy, he unleashed a stinging 20-yard drive to the net. It was a sensational strike, given the simple option was to tap over a point and tie the game. But Kennedy was rewarded for taking a daring approach and in a frenetic finale Tipperary’s defence only leaked a point when Ciarán Kilkenny converted a free.

Dublin had their chances to secure a replay, yet the wretched shooting that blighted their second-half display surfaced again in injury-time. Tipperary grimly protected their advantage and referee Padraig Hughes full-time whistle delivered their first title at this grade since 1934. That prompted riotous celebrations on the pitch and vociferous renditions of Slievenamon by the large band of Premier supporters congregated in the upper tier of the Hogan Stand. This was a crown to cherish, achieved courtesy of defeats this season over the Big Three in Munster (Cork, Kerry and Limerick), the Big Two in Leinster (Meath and Dublin), and the Connacht champions Roscommon.

It will take Dublin time to fathom how they lost this game. In the first-half they were excellent, hitting the high notes that had been evident throughout their march to this juncture. John Small and Patrick O’Higgins gave them a physical edge around the middle, wing-back Jack McCaffrey was in stellar form while Ciaran Kilkenny starred as he orchestrated Dublin’s attacking movements. Kilkenny kicked five points in that opening period with his pace and poise proving problematic for the Tipperary rearguard. Paul Mannion also got in on the scoring act while Gavin Ivory bounded clear for a terrific sixth minute goal after great work by McCaffrey.

Dublin led 1-10 to 2-2 at the interval yet there was enough in their own first-half display to sustain Tipperary’s hopes at the break. Liam McGrath showed how the Dublin defence could be prised apart, tearing through for a wonderful individual goal in the second minute and then forcing the foul in the 30th minute that lead to Tipperary being awarded a penalty. Facing into a Hill 16 packed with ardent Dublin fans, Michael Quinlivan kept his cool to tuck the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

In the second-half Tipperary plugged the gaps at the back, benefitted from the impact of substitutes like Quirke and Kennedy, and significantly made a purposeful opening. They shot over the first four points after the restart through Kennedy (2), Quirke and Quinlivan, and that burst of scores brought them back into contention. Dublin resumed control in the middle period of the second-half yet tellingly they could never put Tipperary away and the greatest margin they enjoyed on the scoreboard was three points. Tipperary were always within touching distance and when the chances arose late on, they pounced for a famous triumph.

Scorers for Tipperary: C Kennedy (0-2f), L McGrath (0-1f) 1-2 each, M Quinlivan 1-1 (1-0 pen), P Quirke 0-3, B Maher 0-1.

Scorers for Dublin: C Kilkenny 0-7 (0-3f), G Ivory 1-1, P Mannion 0-2 (0-1f), J Small, J McCaffrey, E Ó’Conghaile, C Costello 0-1 each.

Subs for Tipperary: P Quirke for J McGrath (half-time), C Kennedy for Ryan (half-time), A McGuire for O’Riordan (43), J Lonergan for Henry (51), J Martin for Maher (55).

Subs for Dublin: D Campbell for Meaney (40), D Byrne for Hannigan (53), N Scully for Fulham (59).

Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh)

Liam McGrath, cousin of Tipperary senior hurling star Noel, bagged the winning point in the sixth minute of stoppage time to crown a magnificent Premier County revival.

Extra-time loomed as the sides were deadlocked at 2-11 to 3-8 in a see-saw battle before McGrath held his nerve to drill over a superb left-footed winner. Cork referee James Bermingham had signalled for five minutes of extra-time and Kerry looked to have rescued themselves when full-forward Ciaran Keating levelled proceedings in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Keating’s score arrived after Tipp had taken the lead in the 59th minute through full-forward Michael Quinlivan, but there was still one late, decisive twist to come in an extraordinary tale.

Bermingham allowed a final attack to develop and McGrath’s late effort, more than 30 seconds over the allotted extra five minutes, sealed Tipp’s passage to a first Munster minor final since 2009.

Tipp’s victory was their first over Kerry in the Munster MFC since 2002 and it was a most unlikely win as the visitors twice led by 11 points in the opening half, and by 10 at half-time, 3-6 to 0-5.

But, remarkably, Tipp outscored Kerry 2-7 to 0-2 in the second-half as the visitors failed to register a score after the break until the 57th minute.

Tipp, playing with the aid of a second-half breeze, blowing into the town end, were a team transformed after a disastrous first-half showing.

Kerry had three goals registered within 16 minutes to take a firm grip on proceedings.

Tipp goalkeeper Gearóid Slattery, who showed up well against Limerick in the quarter-final, endured a nervy evening on this occasion and scored an ‘own goal’ in the seventh minute. Slattery appeared to have Pádraig Boyle’s speculative delivery under his control but the ball spilled from the Cashel custodian’s grasp and into the net.

Two minutes later, Kerry corner-forward Jamie Moriarty lobbed Slattery for the Kingdom’s second goal before Ciarán Keating cracked home a well-taken third in the 16th minute.

Trailing 0-2 to 3-4 at that stage, Tipp faced what appeared to be an impossible task. Kerry were relatively untroubled until half-time as Tipp struggled into the breeze and few would have predicted what was about to unfold.

But Quinlivan’s goal seven minutes after half-time revived the home challenge and sub Colman Kennedy ensured parity, 2-10 to 3-7, with a stunning second goal for Tipperary in the 58th minute.

Tipperary will meet Cork in the provincial final on July 3, in what will be the first Munster minor football decider between the two counties since 1995.

Scorers for Tipperary: C Kennedy 1-1 (0-1f), M Quinlivan 1-1, I Fahey 0-4 (2f, 1 45), L McGrath 0-2, S O’Brien, G Henry, TJ Ryan & P Quirke 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kerry: C Keating 1-2, J Moriarty 1-1, P Boyle 1-0, K McCarthy 0-2, J O’Donoghue 0-2f, S McCarthy 0-1.

TIPPERARY: G Slattery; N O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan, S Kennedy; A McGuire, D Fitzell, B Maher; S O’Brien, D Butler; I Fahey, G Henry, D Lonergan; L McGrath, M Quinlivan, TJ Ryan.

Subs: P Quirke for Butler (17), C Kennedy for Lonergan (ht), C O’Riordan for McGuire (ht), J Lonergan for Henry (59).

KERRY: S Murphy; P Ó’Sé, T Morley, C Fitzgerald; M O’Connor, R Murphy, K Murphy; G O’Leary, S Keane; I McCarthy, P Boyle, J O’Donoghue; J Moriarty, C Keating, K McCarthy.

Subs: N Sheehy for O’Donoghue (30+1), S McCarthy for I McCarthy (40).

Referee: J Bermingham (Cork).

Tipperary 1-13 Limerick 0-9

By Diarmuid O’Flynn for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Thursday, April 14, 2011

BIGGER, stronger, cooler on the ball, a young Tipperary side (the bulk of whom are eligible for minor again next year) were too good for Limerick in this Munster MFC quarter-final game in showery Kilmallock last night. Seven points was the difference in the end but — contradictory as this may seem — it could have been more, had Tipperary converted their obvious superiority into scores, but it could also have been a lot less, had Limerick converted the many goal chances they created throughout the game.

Three times in the opening half Limerick bore down on the Tipp goal (though playing into the breeze) but a single point was all they had to show for those efforts; twice more in the second period they again sliced open the Tipp defence, came away with nothing on either occasion. In those latter instances, however, no blame could be attached to the attackers. In the first instance a there was a magnificent last-ditch goal-line block by corner-back Óisín O’Flynn on William Shanahan (39th minute), then later, an acrobatic foot-save by keeper Gearoid Slattery, to deny Ian Fahey (55th minute).

Overall, however, Tipp were in control of this game. Featuring a dangerous inside line of Liam McGrath, Michael Quinlivan and TJ Ryan, they were four points to one ahead in the 12th minute, Limerick already with three wides. In a game that was interrupted time and again by the shrill blast of Mr Jay’s ever-ready whistle (not often you see two teams completely at odds with the referee, and for the whole hour, but thus it was, and with good reason), there was little to report in the next 10 minutes, a Limerick point from centre-forward Denis O’Dea the only scoring.

The 22nd minute, however, was the pivotal moment, the game’s only goal, and an easy concession it was too; a speculative centre in towards the Limerick goals but full-back Kevin O’Donoghue was first off the mark and got himself into good position to cut off the danger. When he slipped on the greasy surface, the ball broke to the waiting Michael Quinlivan and he finished well — 1-4 to 0-2. Tails up, Tipp finished out the half stronger and led by six as the teams headed for the oranges, 1-6 to 0-3.

Tit for tat it was for the opening 10 minutes of the second half, two more points apiece (Danny Frewen and Francis O’Riordan for Limerick, freetaker TJ Ryan with the brace for Tipp), then three points in two minutes for Tipperary (Ryan again, sub Dean Lonergan and Liam McGrath), and Limerick were very much in the hole, nine points behind (1-11 to 0-5). There was still time for a comeback, quarter of an hour remaining, and at this stage Limerick brought on the cavalry, emptying the bench. The best of the newcomers was Dean Lillis, and his two points, along with two brilliant efforts by midfielder Dara Tracey, narrowed the gap. But it proved merely damage limitation; Tipp roll on to the semi-final against Kerry, Limerick look now to a backdoor game.

Scorers for Tipperary: TJ Ryan 0-6 (0-3f); M Quinlivan 1-2; P Quirke 0-2 (0-1f); D Lonergan 0-2, L McGrath 0-1.

Limerick scorers: D Tracey 0-2; D Lillis 0-2; F O’Riordan 0-2 (0-1f); J Quaid, D O’Dea, D Frewen, 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: G Slattery; O O’Flynn, C O’Sullivan, P McGuire; B Maher, F Ryan, C O’Riordan; S O’Brien, D Butler; J Martin, P Quirke, I Foley; L McGrath, M Quinlivan, TJ Ryan.

Subs: D Lonergan for Martin (30); C Kennedy for Quirke (50); G Henry for Fahey (55); L Vance for O’Brien (59); E Fitzgerald for TJ Ryan (63).

IPPERARY (MF v Limerick): G Slattery (Cashel Kings Cormacs); O O’Flynn (Ardfinnan), C O’Sullivan (Galtee Rovers), A Maguire (Kilsheelan-Kilcash); B Maher (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), F Ryan (Arravale Rovers), C O’Riordan (JK Brackens); S O’Brien (Ballina), D Butler (Loughmore-Castleiney); J Martin (Ballyporeen), L McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney), I Fahy (Clonmel Commercials); P Quirke (Moyle Rovers), M Quinlivan (Clonmel Commercials), TJ Ryan (Rockwell Rovers).