Tipperary defeated Kildare by 1-6 to 1-5 in the Hastings Cup Under 21 Football competition on Saturday January 3rd at Dr. Morris Park Thurles.
In a low scoring contest, the decisive score of the opening half arrived in the eighth minute when Paul Shanahan scored a Tipperary goal after both teams had traded early points. Kildare reduced the deficit to a point (1-1 to 0-3) by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was littered with missed chances on both sides and it was Tipperary who added another two points to leave the half-time score 1-3 to 0-3.
The second half was 11 minutes old before the first score, a Tipperary point. Kildare were given a lifeline early in the final quarter when a point was followed by a goal when Tipperary goalkeeper Evan Comerford was adjudged to have fielded a ball behind his own line to bring the sides level, 1-4 to 1-4.
Tipperary responded in the best possible way with two points in three minutes and though Kildare scored a late point, Tipperary held on for a deserved one point victory.
Tipperary’s next game in the Hastings Cup is against Galway in Ballinasloe on Saturday January 10th at 5pm followed by a final round game with Longford a week later. In the other Hastings Cup game played on Saturday, Longford recorded a 3-13 to 1-7 victory over Galway.
The Tipperary starting line-up was as follows –
Evan Comerford (Kilsheelan-Kilcash); Danny Owens (Moyle Rovers), James Feehan (Killenaule), Colin O’Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan); Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers), Ross Mulcahy (Moyle Rovers), Shane O’Connell (Golden-Kilfeacle); Colin O’Riordan (JK Brackens, Captain), Liam Casey (Cahir); Jason Lonergan (Clonmel Commercials), Ian Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), Paul Shanahan (Upperchurch-Drombane); Dean McEnroe (JK Brackens), Josh Keane (Golden-Kilfeacle), John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
