NFL DIVISION THREE Tipperary 0-11 Offaly 0-8:GERRY COONEY'S troubled Offaly suffered relegation to Division Four of the Allianz National Football League yesterday.

The Faithful County slipped to a three-point defeat against Tipperary in Clonmel and dropped out of Division Three.

New Tipperary manager Peter Creedon celebrated his first game in charge with an impressive victory as leading forward Barry Grogan – who could be on his way to America for the summer – racked up a total of six points.

That was just two less than the entire Offaly team could muster during the course of a desperately disappointing display.

Offaly registered 10 first-half wides and had just two points on the board by half-time as Tipp led by 0-4 to 0-2.

Tipp had nothing but pride to play for as they were already relegated to Division Four but Offaly were fully aware throughout that a win would be enough for them to stay up, with Cavan losing to Antrim.

That was still not enough to stir a response from them – although midfielder Brian Connor could personally do no more as he kicked four points from play and carried the fight to Tipperary.

In attack, Offaly were simply impotent as their six starting forwards managed just one point from play between them, with Bernard Allen kicking two scores from placed balls.

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; R Kiely, P Codd, A Morrissey; A Campbell, R Costigan, C McDonald; G Hannigan, H Coghlan; D Heffernan, P Acheson, A Matassa; M Quinlivan, C Sweeney, B Grogan (0-6, 0-3 frees). Subs: D Leahy (0-1) for Matassa (half-time), B O'Brien (0-3, 0-1 free) for Sweeney (half-time), A Moloney (0-1) for Heffernan (54 mins).

OFFALY: A Mulhall (0-1, 45); J Moloney, E Rigney, J Gallagher; P McConway, B Darby, D Kelly; B Connor (0-4), A McNamee; M Brazil (0-1), A Kennaghan, G Guilfoyle; B Allen (0-2, frees), N Dunne, A Sullivan. Subs: N Darby for Guilfoyle (50 mins), J Coughlan for Sullivan (62 mins).

Referee: P O'Sullivan(Kerry).