Tipperary 3-17
Longford 0-18

Conor Sweeney struck a goal in each half as Tipperary overcame Longford this evening in Thurles to move up to second place in Division 3.

Liam Kearns' side made a devastating start at Semple Stadium that saw them 2-2 to 0-1 ahead after just nine minutes with the visitors having to play catch up for the rest of the evening.

Robbie Smyth's frees managed to help the Midlanders get back within three after the restart in this re-fixed round four clash, but Tipp had plenty left in them and wrapped up this win with 10 minutes left to go after the imperious Sweeney finished a well-orchestrated move to the back of Longford's net.

The hosts couldn't have asked for a better start to the contest as Josh Keane's first minute free was backed up by a coolly stroked Sweeney goal, which was the result of an early lapse in the Longford defence that left the Ballyporeen ace with plenty of time and space to shoot for all three points.

A Smyth free had the visiting side off the mark after five minutes but Tipp scorched them with another hot spell that saw a goal from wing-back Jimmy Feehan sandwiched by points from Sweeney and Philip Austin ahead of a first free from Sweeney, making it a nine-point game with as many minutes on the clock.

Michael Quinn - Longford's best performer in the first-half - weighed in with a brace of points each side of Smyth's second free to try and stop the rot for the Leinster side, and the ball could have been in the Tipp net in the meantime had Evan Comerford not reacted superbly to deny Quinn.

It was the first real positive spell from Denis Connerton's men but they suddenly found themselves eight points adrift again thanks to quick scores from Kevin O'Halloran, Brian Fox and Sweeney, which outweighed Sean McCormack's fine score as Longford full-back Donal McElligott was black-carded in the process for pulling down Austin.

Quinn and Barry McKeon (free) cancelled out two more scores from Sweeney before the trailers finished out the half in a stronger manner which saw McCormack (2) frees, Diarmuid Masterson, Smyth (2, 1 free) all converting their side's majority share of possession in the closing 10 minutes of the half.

A Liam Casey point closed the half at 2-10 to 1-12 in the Premier men's favour, but it was their opponents that would have went in feeling more positive after enduring such a disastrous start.

Longford sub Larry Moran narrowed the deficit down to three points early in the restart but Tipp weren't willing to let them get any closer than that, with Austin, O'Halloran and Sweeney erasing the points of John Keegan and Smyth (free).

O'Halloran made it a five-point game again on 57 minutes with a superbly struck free, which was along the side-line and beyond the 45-metre line, prior to Sweeney landing his seventh point of the evening from a placed ball.

Tipp would all but kill off their opponents on the hour mark when a brilliant team move saw Michael Quinlivan and Fox combine to tee up Sweeney for his second goal, leaving the Midlanders nine points adrift despite their best efforts during the second and third quarters.

Longford outscored their opponents by 0-3 to 0-2 in the closing 10 minutes (plus added time), leaving them eight short in the end and a relegation battle on their hands heading into the final three rounds, as Tipp's promotion bid recieved a major boost.

Tipperary - E Comerford; A Campbell, P Codd, W Connors; E Moloney, R Kiely, J Feehan (1-0); L Casey (0-1), G Hannigan; J Keane (0-1f), K O'Halloran (0-3, 2f), B Fox (0-1); C Sweeney (2-7, 0-3f), M Quinlivan (0-1f), P Austin (0-2). Subs: L Boland (0-1) for G Hannigan, S O'Connell for W Connors, K Fahey for E Moloney, A Moloney for L Casey, L McGrath for K O'Halloran, J Hennessy for R Kiely.

Longford - P Collum; D McElligott, D Brady, P McCormack; B O'Farrell, B Gilleran, B McKeon; D Gallagher, J Keegan (0-1); J McGivney, D Masterson (0-1), M Quinn (0-3); L Connerton, S McCormack (0-3, 2f), R Smyth (0-7, 6f). Subs: A Farrell for D McElligott (BC), L Moran (0-1) for B O'Farrell, B Farrell (0-1) for J McGivney, D Mimnagh for D Masterson, R McEntire (0-1) for D Gallagher.

Referee - M McNally.

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