Tipp have too much firepower for Dubs at Croke Park

Tipperary made a winning return to Croke Park on their first appearance at GAA headquarters since the 2019 All-Ireland final, overcoming Dublin 2-23 to 0-24.

It was a sparser crowd this cold February evening but Tipperary's firepower told with second-half goals from substitute Conor Bowe and Jason Forde, who finished with 1-10, for a five-point victory.

The supreme point-scoring of Donal Burke kept Dublin in touch for much of the game and the Na Fianna star struck 15 points, eight from play, before limping off with cramp late on.

In a week when Tipperary hurling lost five-time All-Ireland winner Mick Burns, it was fitting his Nenagh Éire Óg clubmate Conor McCarthy would make his League debut.

It made for a fresh-faced full-back line alongside Bryan O'Mara and Johnny Ryan, all members of Tipp’s U20 All-Ireland champions under Liam Cahill in 2019.

O’Mara was making his first appearance in the no.3 jersey and he couldn’t have had a better start. Three times he blocked down Alex Considine’s shots at the posts before bailing out his defensive colleagues for some casual defending when hooking Cillian Costello as he was eyeing goal.

Gearóid O’Connor was having a similar impact in attack, twice turning over the sliotar to snipe points. Séamus Kennedy and Mark Kehoe also added a pair of points from play.

But every time Tipp edged ahead, Burke inevitably had a response. He lasered over nine points across the first half, six from play, including efforts from inside his own half and when pinned to either sideline.

The game was level five times before four Forde frees had Tipp three ahead approaching the interval. But a one-handed Considine point under pressure and a Burke free had the half-time gap at one, 0-14 to 0-13.

Most notable was that