Tailteann Cup, Round 2A 

Antrim 4-12-2-12 Tipperary 

Kevin Herron reports from Corrigan Park 

ANTRIM had two goals to spare as they advanced to the quarter finals of the Tailteann Cup with a 4-12-2-12 victory over Tipperary at Corrigan Park on Sunday afternoon 

Victory over Carlow two weeks ago ensured that a victory for the Saffrons would guarntee a quarter final win with victory or a second shot at redempotion should they need it. 

It took eight minutes for the first score to arrive at a sun-soaked Corrigan as Paddy McAleer took a pass inside the arc and clipped over. 

The Saffrons doubled their advantage a minute later, this time Eoghan McCabe laid the ball off to Niall Burns to send the ball over the black spot. 

Tipperary hit back and were off the mark through a fisted James Morris point, and two minutes later a close range Sean O’Connor free levelled things up. 

A foul on Paddy McAleer allowed Dominic McEnhill to edge Antrim infront again on the quarter hour mark and McEnhill kicked his second free of the half after referee Conor Dourneen blew up Tipp goalkeeper Shane Garland for taking too long over a kick out. 

The games opening goal arrived after 26-minutes and fell to the hosts, Ryan McQuillan showed fast footwork to drive towards goal and unleashed a powerful drive into the net to make it 1-4-0-2. 

In response, Sean O’Connor converted his second free of the half for a shirt pull and Daithi Hogan almost found the net for the visitors, though his close range angled attempt was held by John McNabb. 

Antrim should have doubled his goal tally when Ronan Boyle forced a turnover and found McQuillan and he in turn slipped the ball to Marc Jordan in front of goal, but his low attempt was somehow turned past the post by Shane Garland. 

Before the resulting 45’ was taken, Tipp were temporarily reduced to 14-men with Kieran Costello black-carded.John McNabb eventually took the 45’ and shot over to extend his sides lead. 

Two minutes before the break the Saffrons found their second goal. Paddy McAleer broke the kick out from Garland and Ronan Boyle took up the reins and slipped the ball to McQuillan to round Garland to fire home making it 2-5-0-3. 

The sides traded scores in injury time before the break, Cian Smith clipped over a straightforward free and just before the whistle Marc Jordan popped the ball to Eoghan McCabe to end the halfs scoring and make it 2-6-0-5 at the midway point. 

Playing with the breeze advnatage in the second period Tipperary were a threat from the outset. 

Paudie Feehan launched a high ball into the square where Michael Freaney gathered and goal bound shot on the turn crashed off the post, with Charlie King eventually shooting a point. 

A two-pointed Sean O’Connor further narrowed the deficit before Antrim got on the scoreboard when Tiernan McCormack fisted over after good work from Eoghan McCabe in the build-up. 

The Saffrons looked to have taken a huge step towards victory with their third goal in the 47th minute. 

A quickly taken free was played into Marc Jordan and he picked out Conor Hand and on his home turf, Hand blasted home to put three goals between the sides (3-7-0-7). 

Successive points from Paudie Feehan and subsitute Paddy Creedon kept Tipp in touch, but Marc Jordan halted momentum with a point and in the 56th mintue a fourth goal arrived. 

Conor Hand claimed mark in midfield and switched the ball to Tiernan McCormack to bare down on goal and then opt to pop it across to Ronan Boyle to slam home and extend the advantage to double figures (4-8-0-9). 

The lead stretched through further points from Niall Burns and Ryan McQuillan before Tipp came charging back in the closing stages. 

John McNabb did well to divert Daithi Hogan’s shot behind for a 45’ that  was converted by subsitute Steven O’Brien. 

Talisman Sean O’Connor clipped over a free and in the 65th minute the visitors grabbed a consolation goal, O’Brien firing into the bottom corner from close range. 

The Tipp subsitute brought his tally to 1-2 with an angled shot that dropped between the posts, with Paddy McAleer temporarily steming the tide with a point at the other end. 

The nerves were jangling in the 69th minute when Sean O’Connor dropped in an attempt from the edge of the arc that Joe Higgins bundled to the net to make it 4-11-2-12. 

However, in the closing four minutes Antrim steadied things and subsitute Tomas McCann ended the afternoons scoring as Mark Doran’s charges booked their place in the quarter-final in two weeks time. 

ANTRIM: J McNabb (0-1 45’), J Morgan, J Finnegan, K Keenan, E McCabe (0-1), P Healy, M Jordan (0-1), P McAleer (0-2), C Hand (1-0), T McCormack (0-1), R McQuillan (2-1), R Boyle (1-0), P Shivers, N Burns (0-2), D McEnhill (0-2f). SUBS: E Walsh for P Healy (HT), A Loughran for D McEnhill (54), C Hynds for T McCormack (64), T McCann (0-1) for C Hand (68), B Kelly for R Boyle (70+2). 

TIPPERARY: S Garland, J O’Neill, E O’Connor, M Corcoran, C King (0-1), J Morris (0-1). E Moloney, J Higgins (1-0), P Feehan (0-1), E Craddock, M Freaney, K Costello, C Smith (0-1f), S O’Connor (0-5, 0-4f, 1×0-2ptf), D Hogan. SUBS: P Creedon (0-2) for C Smith (46), K Butler for K Costello (55), S O’Brien (1-2) for E Craddock (57), J Feehan for M Corcoran (60), D Brennan for D Hogan (65). 

REFEREE: Conor Dourneen (CAVAN)

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/vxygKWFVzPbpSt/?invite=fa013ee2-c665-4b0d-9799-bb5033e28f77