Sport

Browne the difference

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier/Tipperary... 1-14 Carlow..

Mon Jun 23 2003 - 01:00

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier/Tipperary ... 1-14 Carlow ... 0-13:  Tipperary bounced back from a heavy defeat by Kerry in the Munster SFC semi-final a week previously to keep their All-Ireland campaign on track with a thrilling, four-point win over Carlow at Thurles on Saturday.

Victory was richly deserved for an unfancied Tipperary side who played Carlow off the field in the second half, after a very poor opening period.

Declan Browne was Tipperary's star turn. He scored 1-9 in a brilliant individual performance that inspired his side to a reversal of the result of their clash with Carlow in the league.

Carlow were the better side early on. With the breeze behind them they called the shots to go 0-7 to 0-3 clear by half-time. It could have been more but for a great save by Tipperary captain and goalkeeper Philly Ryan in the 10th minute off a Thomas Walshe shot.

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It was a different story in the second half as Tipperary took control and Browne showed his All Star class.

Tipperary had drawn level at 0-11 each by the 23rd minute, with Browne scoring six points.

Fergal O'Callaghan put them ahead a minute later, and, in the 27th minute, Browne finished a smart Tipperary move with a great goal.

Tipperary were on a roll but Carlow kept at it. Two points had them only a goal adrift and, as the game went into injury time, Ryan had to be brave and alert to deny Carlow's Brian Farrell a levelling goal.

Tipperary owed their success largely to the heroics of Browne and Ryan, but Seán Collum, Liam England, Declan Fanning, Aidan Fitzgerald and Eamon Hanrahan all figured prominently.

Carlow's second-half collapse disappointed their followers in the 1,773 attendance.

TIPPERARY: P Ryan; D Byrne, S Collum, R Costigan; N Fitzgerald, D Fanning, L England; F O' Callaghan (0-1), E Hanrahan (0-1); A Fitzgerald (0-2), B Hickey, K Mulryan; T Doyle (0-1), D Browne (1-9), P Cahill. Subs: B Hahessy for Byrne; D O'Brien for Doyle; N Kelly for Costigan; L Cronin for Cahill.

CARLOW: J Clarke; C McCarthy, B English, J Kavanagh (0-1); J Hayden, J Kehoe, W Power; D Byrne (0-1), T Walsh; J Nevin, M Carpenter, W Minchin; S Rea (0-4), B Kelly (0-5), P Nolan (0-1). Subs: S O'Brien for Power; M Brennan (0-1) for Nevin; J McGrath for Byrne; B Farrell for Nolan; D Walker for Minchin.

Referee: M Daly (Mayo).