TIPPERARY NARROWLY EDGED a breathless football qualifier in front of 2,500 fans in Semple Stadium.
The Premier County survived a purposeful fightback. Momentum appeared to be in the Saffron County’s favour as they battled back from a slow start to draw level twice in the second half.
Tipperary, aided by the excellent Brian Fox, managed to keep them at arm’s length and it was fitting that Alan Maloney should grab their decisive 10th score of the game to bring his match total to six.
Tipperary flew out of the traps and had a strong penalty appeal turned down soon after Maloney opened the scoring. Peter Acheson and Michael Quinlivan combined to cause havoc in the Antrim square and Kevin O’Boyle appeared to lift the ball to safety.
After settling himself with an early free, Maloney dropped over his second and third from play soon after as Tipperary set the early pace while Antrim could only muster a pair of wides.
With Antrim on the back foot, Michael McCann was the one Antrim man to stand up and be counted. His high-fielding temporarily stunted the Premier’s momentum and his namesake Tomas got the scoreboard moving in the 18th minute. Indeed, McCann should have doubled that tally soon after with a free, but fine work from Conor Murray was undone as the shot drifted wide.
Wides proved to be the story of the visitors’ first half, they would rack up seven in total as a point from George Hannigan maintained Tipp’s four-point cushion.
Many of those wides could be put down to the form of Brian Fox. Antrim began to wrestle control of the game back when they withdrew a forward into the back division to disrupt the flow. it had the desired effect.
Simon McDonagh rounded off a rare flowing move to narrow the gap, and after Maloney increased his tally, James Loughrey moved up from half back to grab two points from play before the break to keep the Saffrons in touch, 0-6 to 0-4, going into the second half.
The second half was a see-saw affair in the opening stages. Tomas McCann repeated the feat of grabbing his side’s first score of the half and by the 45th minute Kevin Brady had squared this tense knock-out game. at six points apiece. And they went stride for stride to 0-8 to -0-8
Yet, for all Antrim’s dominance and Tipperary’s sudden profligacy, the Saffrons still had not led the hour-old game and substitute Brian Mulvihill put them behind again with only five minutes remaining.
With goal chances proving scarce, the game was put beyond the northerners minutes later when Mulvihill was cynically taken down and Maloney tapped over the resulting free.
Michael McCann went for goal in the final minute, but it trailed wide and Tipperary march on.
Scorers
Tipperary; A Maloney:0-6 (3 free). M Quinlivan: 0 -1 (1 free). George Hannigan: 0-1. Donagh Leahy 0- 1. B Mulvihill 0-1.Antrim: T McCann; 0-2. S McDonagh; 0-1. J Loughrey 0-2. K Brady 0-1. M McCann 0-1. M Magill 0 -1.
