NFL DIVISION FOUR:A POINT from play by Paul Reid on 68 minutes gave Carlow a 1-10 to 1-9 victory at Dr Cullen Park yesterday and killed off the promotion hopes of Tipperary.
The visitors were never headed in the opening half and a splendid 10th-minute goal from Robbie Costigan put them 1-1 to 0-1 in front. Carlow battled strongly and by half-time were only a point adrift, 1-6 to 0-8.
Carlow scored a fine 42nd-minute goal when Paul Broderick's great run set up midfielder Patrick Walsh for the score.
Carlow now led 1-8 to 1-7, but Tipperary hit back and a Barry Grogan point from a free followed by a fine point by substitute Cathal Dillon edged them back in front.
However, in a thrilling finish, Paul Broderick converted a free earned by man of the match Paul Cashin, before Palatine clubman Reid kicked the winning point to the delight of the home fans.
While there were three red cards (two for Tipp and one for Carlow) and a total of five yellows flashed, it was not a dirty game.
Meanwhile, Offaly had to dig deep to defeat Waterford by two points - 0-13 to 1-8 - at O'Connor Park. The result almost assures Offaly of promotion, but manager Pat Roe will have gained little satisfaction otherwise.
The home side were only slightly the better of two poor sides in a game in which the visitors enjoyed a marked physical advantage but wasted far too many scoring opportunities - shooting a total of 11 wides.
Waterford's forwards proved particularly wasteful in the early stages. The opening 13 minutes was devoid of a score, the visitors firing over a sequence of six wides.
At the other end, the Offaly centre forward Neville Coughlan had the miss of the match when blazing wide from point-blank range with the goal at his mercy.
The home side eventually found their scoring touch, reeling off five points without reply through Niall McNamee (two), John Reynolds, Thomas Deehan and Nigel Grennan to lead 0-8 to 0-3 at the interval.
The visitors resumed on a more promising note and, with 11 minutes remaining, a fluent passing movement set up centre forward Ger Power for an equalising goal - 1-7 to 0-10.
That might have proved a turning point, but a magnificent pointed free from 60 yards out by Ciarán McManus helped to settle the home side and they went on to finish deserving, but unimpressive, winners.
In the other Division Four games, Clare had three points to spare over Wicklow in Ennis - 0-11 to 0-8, while Antrim crushed London, 3-19 to 0-5, in Ruislip.
