Fox the match winner as Tipp fight back for away win

Tipperary came from behind to claim their first win in Division 3 of the Allianz Football league against Louth in Drogheda.

Brian Fox landed the winner, as Tipperary made better use of the strong wind down the stretch. David Power’s side scored the games last five points in a whirlwind finish. Louth are yet to win competitively at home in 12 months.

Uachtaran John Horan turned the sod on a potential new Louth GAA stadium during the week but Louth’s horrible home record looked set to continue right from the start.

A combination of handling errors from the home side allowed Tipperary to open up a quick two point lead. Against the wind, inside duo Liam Boland and captain Conor Sweeney punishing the hosts’ malaise.

Sam Mulroy eventually provided the spark for Louth to get into the game with a marvellous high fielding mark. With his confidence up, the Naomh Mairtin attacker soon levelled the game and then Louth centre-back Emmet Carolan came up the field to give the hosts an unlikely 0-3 to 0-02 advantage.

Corner forward Mulroy continued his rich vein of form by quickly adding a point. A nonchalant effort off his weaker left foot. As Wayne Kierans sides scoring rate improved so did their work rate, hassling and harrying in packs.

Tipperary in contrast, failed to capitalise on their early promise. The attacks became ponderous and they couldn’t find the time and space to find Sweeney with the final pass on more than one occasion.

Buoyed by this, Louth went on to kick the final score of the half. An clever advanced Tommy Durnin mark in the corner made it 0-05 to 0-02 at the interval.

Things got even better for the hosts after the break when Tommy Durnin deceived Evan Comerford with a shot for a point that looped over Evan Comerford’s head.

Tipperary dug deep and began to make better use the wind and rallied back with four unanswered scores. Sweeney pointed from a sideline in Tipperary’s first score in over a half an hour played.

With Momentum slipping, Mulroy looked to stem the tide to keep the Louth score board ticking with a brace of free kicks.

However Tipperary began their final flourish, substitutes Alan Moloney landed two terrific points in this period from distance. While Fox showed supreme composure to seal all two points at the death.

Louth: Craig Lynch; Dan Corcoran,Emmet Carolan (0-01), Fergal Donohoe; Eoghan Callaghan, Dermot Callaghan, John Clutterbuck; James Califf, Tommy Durnin (1-01, 0-01m); Liam Jackson, Bevan Duffy, Paul Mathews; Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes, Sam Mulroy (0-05, 0-02f, 0-01m) .

Subs: Gerry Garland for Jackson (48), Eoghan Duffy for Grimes (58), Conor Early for Mathews (62), Oisin Murray for Corcoran (67), Andrew Mooney for Donohoe (69)

Tipperary: Evan Comerford; Alan Campbell, John Meagher, Colm Shaughnessy; Emmet Moloney, Kevin Fahey (0-01), Daire Brennan; Steven O’Brien, Conal Kennedy; Bill Maher, Jack Kennedy (0-01, 0-01f), Jason Lonergan; Liam Boland (0-01), Conor Sweeney (0-03, 0-01sl, 0-02f), Brian Fox (0-02).

Subs: Kevin O’Halloran (0-01) for Lonergan (h-t), Rian Quigley for Bill Maher (h-t) Alan Moloney (0-02) for C Kennedy (54), Colman Kennedy for Boland (61),

Referee: John Hickey (Carlow)

by Dan Bannon