Derry ... 1-13 Tipperary ... 2-10A last-minute point from Tony Doyle earned Tipperary an unlikely but warranted point at a blustery Celtic Park yesterday.

It had looked like the Munster men's long trip to the north-west was going to be in vain after Derry had clawed back a five-point half-time deficit to edge in front late on, but the big Tipperary full-forward kept his nerve to drive the ball over the bar and earn the Premier county their first point of this campaign.

Despite playing into the strong gale it was Derry who started brightest with Paddy Bradley goaling to help them into a 1-2 to 0-1 lead after 14 minutes.

However, over the next 22 minutes Tipperary outscored Derry by 2-5 to one point. Peter Lambert got the first goal from a penalty and the second three-pointer was a bizarre own-goal when Seán Martin Lockhart's attempted clearance rebounded off Kevin McCloy into the net.

Derry slowly ate away at the Tipperary lead to ensure a tight finish.

TIPPERARY: P Ryan; S Maher, N Kelly, L Cronin; N Fitzgerald, D Fanning, P Hally (0-1); F O'Callaghan, K Mulryan; A Fitzgerald (0-1), E Hanrahan, B Hickey (0-2, 1f, 1 45); P Lambert (1-4), T Doyle (0-1), D Byrne (0-1). Sub: N Sheehan for N Fitzgerald (59 mins).

DERRY: S McGuckin; SM Lockhart, K McCloy, K Doherty; P O'Kane (0-2), P McFlynn, G Doherty (0-1); E Muldoon (0-1), F Doherty; F Glackin, R Rocks (0-4, 1f, 1 45), D Conway; P Bradley (1-5), D Dougan, J Kelly. Subs: C Gilligan for Glackin (45 mins), G Diamond for Kelly (55 mins), P Brown for Conway (61 mins).

Referee: D Joyce (Galway)