Sport

All too easy for a Scroope-inspired Tipperary

Tipperary 4-20 Down 0-5: For the second successive year Down have suffered humiliation at this stage of the competition.

Mon Aug 30 2004 - 01:00

Tipperary 4-20 Down 0-5: For the second successive year Down have suffered humiliation at this stage of the competition.

Twelve months ago in Mullingar they lost to Kilkenny by 19 points. On Saturday in Portlaoise the margin was even greater and one wonders does this do anything for the future of the game on the Ards Peninsula.

The Munster champions got off to a dream start with a goal from Tony Scroope. He went on to add four points in the opening half after which Tipperary led by 1-12 to 0-3.

Within five minutes of the resumption, the game was effectively over. Tipperary's Shane Sweeney soloed through unhindered to score an easy goal and right from the puck-out Richie Ruth scored his side's third goal.

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Midway through the second half Tommy Fitzgerald added the fourth goal. Long before then Tipperary knew they had won their place in another All-Ireland final.

TIPPERARY: P McCormack; A Morrissey, C O'Mahoney, H Maloney (0-1); D Walton, D Fitzgerald (0-2), E Hanley; J Caesar (0-1), W Cully; S McGrath (0-1), S Sweeney (1-4), P Buckley (0-1); T Scroope (1-9), P Fitzgerald (1-0), E Sweeney (0-1). Subs: R Ruth (1-0) for E Sweeney; D O'Brien for W Cully; D Morrissey for A Morrissey; D Sheppard for E Hanley.

DOWN: R Murray, M Ennis, J Doherty, C Braniff, K Coulter, A Dynes, D Coffey, D McCusker (0-2), D Flynn, J McCusker (0-1), P McGourty, G Flynn, P Smith, E Clarke, M Gilmore (0-2). Subs: S McManus for G Flynn; P Hughes for M Ennis; M Watson for C Braniff.

Referee: E Morris (Dublin).