Dublin fight for rare victory in Tipperary
WITH just a point between the teams late on in stoppage time at FBD Semple Stadium and Tipperary on the charge, substitute Noel McGrath dropped a dangerous ball on top of his full-forward line.
Amid driving rain and high winds, both teams made one last desperate attempt to secure possession before Jason Forde scuffed a shot wide and, off balance, thundered down into the turf himself, wincing at the pain of a heavy landing.
Moments later, Johnny Murphy blew for full-time and it was only then that Dublin supporters could finally breathe out. A rare win in Thurles, their fourth from 11 league and Championship games there in the last decade, secured after one hell of a battle.
Goals from Rian McBride and Ronan Hayes just about did the trick as Dublin held on for the win and top spot in Division 1B.
Donal Burke’s 60th minute point from a free ultimately separated the teams. Yet while that score put the Dubs five points clear, it was never likely to be straightforward for the Walsh Cup winners who required every bit of the cushion as hosts Tipp reeled off the last four points to move within one.
Subs Noel McGrath and Conor Bowe scored two of those points while top-scorer Forde, who hit 012 overall, bringing his tournament tally to 0-33, was also on the mark.
Tipp couldn’t rescue a draw though as both captain Ronan Maher and then Forde, during that late kerfuffle, failed to convert.
‘The goal we got in the secondhalf put us in a really good position,’ said Dublin manager Mattie Kenny, whose team is unbeaten in 2022 after seven games.
‘Obviously Tipp came at us really strong in the last quarter but our guys showed really good character and resilience to dig in and to keep our noses in front.
‘Conditions were very difficult. I would say it was a 45kph breeze going across the field. We had 20 shots in the first-half into the Town End and we only came back with nine scores because the ball was being pulled all over the place.
‘It was a really, really tricky galeforce wind to play in and we’re delighted to have come out on top in a game like that,’ he added.
Dublin will be back in action on Saturday against Kilkenny at Parnell Park while Tipp will travel to
Waterford a day later. Premier boss Colm Bonnar won’t lose too much sleep about this setback because the conditions were terrible and his side fought to the bitter end.
They were also much changed from the side that beat Kilkenny in Round 2, with only seven starters retained so there was an element of experimentation at play.
Bonnar handed game time to eight players – Barry Hogan, Brian McGrath, Eoghan Connolly, Robert Byrne, Seamus Callanan, Noel McGrath, John McGrath and Bowe – who hadn’t previously featured in this season’s league and he has now looked at 28 players in total.
Former Hurler of the Year Callanan
was well shackled by Dubs captain Eoghan O’Donnell though Tipp still raced 0-6 to 0-2 clear initially.Dublin were undermined by 10 first-half wides but improved in the second quarter and outscored Tipp by 1-6 to 0-4 in that period to lead by 1-8 to 0-10 at half-time.
McBride’s goal was a beauty as he powered through on the right hand side and slammed a shot beyond Barry Hogan.
Tipp improved after the restart with Jake Morris, who had a thrilling tussle with Andrew Dunphy, registering two of the four points that the 2008 league winners reeled off.
Just like the first-half, Dublin came roaring back with a series of scores and another goal, this time from Hayes, who got his shot away from the right endline after a probing 50th minute run.
The goal left Dublin 2-14 to 0-15 clear and they retained that fivepoint lead with 10 minutes remaining – a cushion that was to be vital, as it happened.
Noel McGrath, one of the three McGrath brothers from Loughmore-Castleiney on the field, kick-started the Tipperary fightback and they got to within a point when Bowe converted for them in stoppage time.
Newly installed captain Maher came close to levelling with a longrange effort but the shot sailed agonisingly wide.
Then, Forde had that half chance but it just about summed up Tipperary’s dismal evening that he couldn’t get a decent connection on the sliotar and then fell, requiring medical attention after appearing
to land awkwardly.