**All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round 2B **

CAVAN 0-18 TIPPERARY 2-15

By Orla Bannon at Kingspan Breffni

They looked down and out at half-time, but Tipperary mounted an impressive comeback from six points down to advance to Round 3B of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers at Kingspan Breffni.

Cavan were well in control leading 0-12 to 0-6 at half time, and fully deserving of their lead having hit 12 points from 14 attempts, all but one from play.

Somehow out of somewhere, Tipp found a bit of resolve and were a transformed team after the break, reeling off four points in a row within eight minutes of the restart to begin a serious fightback.

Tipp's injured stars had a big influence in getting them over the line.

Michael Quinlivan – who suffered a bad ankle injury in the Munster semi-final defeat by Cork just four weeks – came on after 46 minutes and while clearly still hampered by the injury, his mere presence seemed to stir the troops.

Fellow sub Philip Austin was another player making his long-awaited return from injury and he had a huge influence, first kicking the equaliser to make it 13 points each after 54 minutes.

Last year's All-Ireland semi-finalists got a penalty a minute later when Austin was judged to have been fouled in the square by Jason McLoughlin, Conor Sweeney tucking the penalty away superbly.

Gearoid McKiernan ended Tipp's run of 1-3 with a free for shell-shocked Cavan, who collapsed in midfield and faded badly in the second half, and all the momentum was with Tipp now.

Austin and Conor Sweeney set up Robbie Kiely who buried a second goal after 62 minutes.

Cavan had absolutely exploded out of the blocks in the opening, with all but one of their first-half points coming from play.

They definitely had their shooting boots on hitting five points in a row between the 19th and 27th minute.

McKiernan was ruling midfield and bursting forward, himself and partner Tomas Corr scoring 0-4 between them in the first-half.

Dara McVeety, Conor Moynagh and Cian Mackey on target with wing-back Martin Reilly scoring two class long-range points.

Tipp lacked penetration up front and relied heavily on Sweeney, who was double-marked and lacking support. He tapped over four frees and almost set up a goal for Brian Fox whose shot crashed off the crossbar.

Tipp came alive after the break and hit four points in a row with Kevin O'Halloran and Fox scoring from play to close the gap to 0-12 to 0-10.

Cian Mackey lifted the siege with a pressure-relieving solo run and drew the free, which Niall McDermott pointed to stretch Cavan's lead to three.

Then Tipp hit their stride with 1-3 in a row and Cavan wilted. Quinlivan, clearly not fully fit, wriggled free to score one point with Tipp in no mood to let them back into it.

The home side fought on through five minutes stoppage time and got to within two points but Tipp held on to book a place in Monday morning's draw.

Scorers for Cavan: Gearoid McKiernan 0-3 (1f), Martin Reilly, Tomas Corr, Caoimhin O'Reilly 0-2 each, Niall McDermott 0-2 (2f), Seanie Johnston 0-2 (1f), Cian Mackey, Conor Moynagh, Dara McVeety, Padraig Faulkner, Thomas Galligan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tipperary: Conor Sweeney 1-5 (one pen, 5f), Robbie Kiely 1-1, Jack Kennedy 0-3 (2f), Kevin O'Halloran 0-2 (1f), Brian Fox, Philip Austin, Michael Quinlivan, Diarmuid Foley 0-1 each

CAVAN: Raymond Galligan; Padraig Faulkner, Killian Clarke, Jason McLoughlin; James McEnroe, Niall Murray, Martin Reilly; Gearoid McKiernan, Tomas Corr; Cian Mackey, Ciaran Brady; Caoimhin O'Reilly, Conor Moynagh, Liam Buchanan, Dara McVeety.

Subs: Niall McDermott for Brady (12), Ryan Connolly for Buchanan (HT), Thomas Galligan for Corr (46), Joe Dillon for McDermott (57), Seanie Johnston for O'Reilly (60), Niall Clerkin for McVeety (BC, 65)

**TIPPERARY: **Ciaran Kenrick; Conor O'Shaughnessy, Alan Campbell, Emmet Moloney; Bill Maher, Robbie Kiely, Jimmy Feehan; Liam Casey, George Hannigan; Josh Keane, Liam Boland, Brian Fox; Conor Sweeney, Kevin O'Halloran, Jack Kennedy.

Subs: Diarmuid Foley for Boland (23), Philip Austin for O'Shaughnessy (HT), Michael Quinlivan for Hannigan (46), Liam McGrath for O'Halloran (68), Kieran Bergin for Maher (70)

REFEREE: Fergal Kelly (Longford)