Tipperary 2-15 Antrim 1-11 A shock goal by Aidan Fitzgerald on 41 minutes was the launching pad that spurred Tipperary to victory over Antrim in yesterday's game at Casement Park.

Up until then Antrim had controlled the game but couldn't put the opposition away and once Tipperary got the measure of the occasion they strode to victory over the closing stages, hitting 1-6 to a solitary Antrim point over the final 12 minutes of the match.

Antrim's goal from Kevin McGourty on 12 minutes put the home side 1-1 to 0-1 ahead and Kevin Madden sent over four points by half-time.

Fitzgerald's goal was a surprise to himself as much as his opponents. He lobbed the ball from the left wing, around 40 metres out, and it swung into the net at the cross section of the bar and post. That closed the gap to two points (1-8 to 1-6) after the home side had led by 1-6 to 0-5 at the interval.

TIPPERARY: B Enright; N Kelly, S Collum, P Halley; G Burke (0-1, 45), D Byrne, R Costigan; L England (0-1), K Mulryan (0-2); M Webster (0-3), A Fitzgerald (1-2), D Byrne; T Doyle, E Hanrehan (1-1), D O'Brien (0-3, all frees). Subs: C Maher for Kelly (51 mins); J Williams for Byrne (53 mins); P Cahill (0-1) for Doyle (57 mins); N Sheehan (0-1) for Williams (66 mins); T Russell for Hanrehan (73 mins).

ANTRIM: C Lynch; K Murray, C Brady, N Ward; S Kelly, T Convery, A Finnegan; J Quinn, D Martin; P McCann, M McCarry, H McKay; K Brady (0-1), K McGourty (1-2), K Madden (0-8, four frees). Subs: G Boyle for McKay (50 mins); J McKeever for Finnegan (63 mins); P Close for Martin (63 mins).

Referee: P Daly (Westmeath).