Tipperary edge Donegal in encouraging penultimate league outing

Tipperary 0-7
Donegal 0-6

Tipperary signed off from their penultimate Lidl National Football League Division 2 outing with a narrow but deserved victory over Donegal, claiming the points after a closely fought and low-scoring encounter. While the result does not alter their promotion prospects, it offered another positive step in their preparations for the Munster and All-Ireland championships.

Donegal were first off the mark through Katie Dowds, but Tipperary settled quickly and responded with scores from Sarah English and captain Anna Rose Kennedy. With both defences well on top, scores were hard-earned throughout the opening half, but Kennedy’s sharpness in attack and a point from Emma Morrissey helped Tipperary to a 0-4 to 0-3 interval lead. Donegal remained firmly in touch through efforts from Susanne White and Ciara McGarvey.

Tipperary made a strong restart and looked to have given themselves a cushion as Kennedy and Heather Spillane added points before Morrissey converted a free to open a four-point gap. At that stage, the home side appeared to have taken control of the contest.

Donegal, however, finished strongly and ensured there would be no comfortable conclusion for Tipperary. Dowds added her second point, while Mia Bennett and substitute Eva Gallagher also split the posts to leave the minimum between the sides entering the closing stages.

Tipperary held their nerve well in the closing minutes, standing firm at the back and showing the kind of resilience that management will have been pleased to see. A late Donegal wide underlined how little separated the teams by full-time, with the Premier County doing enough to close out a 0-7 to 0-6 success.

Kennedy was Tipperary’s leading scorer with three points from play, while Morrissey contributed two and also caused problems throughout. For Donegal, Dowds finished with two points, with White, McGarvey, Bennett and Gallagher also on target.

More than anything, this was a useful and timely workout for Tipperary as attention begins to turn away from league matters and towards the bigger tests that lie ahead in the provincial and All-Ireland series.