Tipperary thwart Royal County in race for All-Ireland minor title

Faltering against Tipperary at any grade of football would normally be unforgiveable for a Meath side, but losing out in the All-Ireland MFC quarter-final at Portlaoise on Monday to the Munster champions was no disgrace. Indeed if Meath had enjoyed a bit more luck and didn't have a perfectly good goal ruled out for a square ball in the 39th minute then they may have caused an upset against a side that defeated both Cork and Kerry on their way to provincial glory. Referee Barry Cassidy made many strange calls during the hour, but the most baffling was when he ruled Bobby O'Brien (pictured) to have been in the square prior to punching Cillian O'Sullivan's skied effort to the net. Cassidy was over 30 metres from the small rectangle and was in no position to judge the flight of the ball. The umpires saw nothing wrong with the effort, but the referee's shrill whistle dampened Meath's celebrations before they even got started. If that goal had stood then Meath would have taken a decisive step towards a place in the last four against Roscommon, but instead it was Tipperary who countered from the resultant free and edged into a lead which they didn't relinquish. The issue of the square ball has sparked controversy in several major games this summer and O'Brien's disallowed effort was one of the more blatantly obvious goals that should have stood. However, it wasn't to be for Davy Dalton's side and after suffering their third defeat of the campaign they are now out of the running to capture a first All-Ireland MFC title since 1992. That disallowed goal wasn't the only time that lady luck deserted Meath. In the 19th minute, with his side holding a slender 0-2 to 0-1 lead, O'Brien also cracked a fierce drive off the post. Tipperary also responded positively to that reprieve and claimed the next two points to take a 0-3 to 0-2 lead. The low-scoring contest was littered with careless play, sloppy passing, poor defending and bad mistakes, but it certainly didn't lack in intensity or excitement as both sides contributed to an entertaining game. The slippery conditions and rising wind in the second-half wasn't conducive to attractive football, but both sets of players put their bodies on the line and the sizeable crowd, mostly from the Premier County, were suitably entertained. Meath were left to rue their bad luck, but some of their misfortune was of their own making. A tendency to over-play the ball out of defence and a sluggishness to release possession into a dangerous full-forward line contributed to their downfall. Tipperary gave Meath every chance. Their standard of passing was very poor, but Meath failed to capitalise as they struggled to get O'Sullivan, Bryan McMahon and Willie McGrath into the game. O'Sullivan and McMahon were obvious threats and it took some superb defending from John Meagher to restrict that pair and while O'Brien was often involved in the thick of the action he squandered several decent chances. It certainly wasn't a lack of endeavour that undid Meath. They hassled and harried Tipperary at every juncture. Meath defended in packs and forced the Munster champions into mistakes, but when they did make them, Meath couldn't capitalise. Numbers on jerseys and positions on the field mattered little as both sides got as many players as possible behind the ball when defending and then tried to break from the back. That tactic ensured scores were scarce and the opening 28 minutes threw up just three white flags as Meath opened a 0-2 to 0-1 lead. O'Brien gave them a great start after just three minutes when he gathered O'Sullivan's pass before lofting over. Tipperary responded four minutes later with a Philip Quirke free after Oran Fitzpatrick had fouled Ian Fahey. The second-quarter started with a McMahon free restoring Meath's cushion, but after O'Brien rattled the woodwork it was Tipperary who grew in confidence with two points, one from a free, from Michael Quinlivan giving them a 0-3 to 0-2 lead. Meath kept piling on the pressure and in the fourth minute of first-half injury-time McMahon found Oliver Sheridan with a quick free and the Moynalty player pointed to ensure parity at the break, 0-3 each. After going 17 minutes without a score in the first-half it took Meath just 30 seconds to strike after the break when McMahon converted a free after he had been fouled by Conor O'Sullivan. However, Tipperary were allowed back into the game as sloppy defending resulted in frees which were converted by Quirke and Fahey to give the Munster side a 0-5 to 0-4 lead. McMahon levelled for Meath a minute later, but after O'Brien's goal was disallowed it was Tipperary who took control with Colin O'Riordan giving them the lead for the third time. Meath introduced Conor Sheridan to try to assert some authority around midfield, but the Simonstown player sustained another injury and was forced off again. Stephen O'Brien stretched Tipperary's lead to two points and with 10 minutes remaining Bill Maher took advantage of more poor defending to make it 0-8 to 0-5. Meath rallied again with another McMahon free and an excellent score from Anthony Forde closing the gap to the minimum with seven minutes left. However, that was as good as it got for Meath as they failed to score again. Another foul by Conor McGill on Quinlivan gifted Tipperary their ninth point and two minutes later Quinlivan added his fourth of the afternoon to make it 0-10 to 0-7. Meath were in need of a goal, but they rarely looked like getting it as Tipperary sealed their place in the last four with the point of the day from Dylan Fitzelle. SCORERS Tipperary - M Quinlivan 0-4, one free; P Quirke 0-2, one free; C O'Riordan 0-1; D Fitzelle 0-1; B Maher 0-1; S O'Brien; I Fahey 0-1 free. Meath - B McMahon 0-4, two frees; B O'Brien 0-1; O Sheridan 0-1; A Forde 0-1. THE TEAMS Tipperary - G Slattery; N Sullivan, J Meagher, C O'Sullivan; C O'Riordan, D Fitzelle, S Kennedy; S O'Brien, I Fahey; G Henry, P Quirke, B Maher; L McGrath, M Quinlivan, J McGrath. Subs - J Lonergan for Henry 48 mins, T J Ryan for Fahey 58m, J martin for Quinlivan 60m. Meath - R Burlingham; C Finn, C McGill, O Fitzpatrick; A Forde, P Harnan, S Melia; S McEntee, A Flanagan; S Sheridan, B O'Brien, O Sheridan; B McMahon, C O'Sullivan, W McGrath. Subs - E Wallace for S Sheridan 38 mins, C Sheridan for McEntee 42m, D Smyth for C Sheridan 48m, R Gore for McGill 60m, R Farrelly for McGrath 60m. REFEREE Barry Cassidy (Derry).