History-making Tipperary struck three injury-time points to beat Derry by 1-21 to 2-17 in a brilliant Round 4A Qualifier at Breffni Park.

Substitute Eoghan Brown's 66^th-minute goal seemed to have given the Ulster county a dramatic win but there would be one more twist in a remarkable encounter as Conor Sweeney drilled over a 74^th-minute winner, having also equalised from a stoppage-time strike after Kevin O'Halloran had also converted a late free.

Victory secures Tipp's first-ever All-Ireland quarter-final date, wherein they face Galway at Croke Park in eight days. The Premier County showed remarkable courage and character to prevail. Having led by five points after an hour, they shipped 1-4 in the last ten minutes to trail by two going into five minutes of injury time. It looked like Derry had completed a smash and grab but Tipp had other ideas...

Having played with the wind, the winners trailed by 1-8 to 0-10 at the break, captain Mark Lynch firing to the top corner of their net with a sweet half-volley in the 32^nd minute after a penetrating Danny Heavron run. Tipp had led by four points after 19 minutes and notched two injury-time scores at the end of the first half but, in between, were outscored by 1-5 to 0-1.

There were three late changes to the Derry XV as Niall Loughlin, Enda Lynn and Oisin Duffy replaced Christopher Bradley, Brown and the unfortunate Gareth McKinless, who was injured during the warm-up. Loughlin opened the scoring inside the opening minute and Michael Quinlivan replied from a converted free.

A sumptuous Sweeney score from distance had the beaten Munster finalists ahead and Philip Austin doubled the difference before captain Peter Acheson made it 0-4 to 0-1 after eight minutes.

Quinlivan and Danny Heavron (whose shot was tipped over by Evan Comerford) traded points before Loughlin grabbed his second after a James Kielt strike found an upright. It was double scores, 0-6 to 0-3, when O'Halloran struck over a '45' (culminating from a Mallon save from Quinlivan) - the Tipp centre forward then speared over a terrific free from the wrong side to leave four between them after 19 minutes.

A Lynch free kept Derry in touch and Kielt followed up with his first from the restart; seven minutes from the break, Loughlin's third point made it a one-point game but Sweeney replied instantly. A soft Lynch free preceded his goal and Enda Lynn's point made it 1-8 to 0-8.

In added time before the break, Tipp wanted a penalty when Austin was dragged down but instead were awarded a free for a previous offence (advantage was being played but wasn't given). O'Halloran (free) and Quinlivan stroked over the last two scores before the short whistle to leave things very finely balanced.

O'Halloran (free) tied the scores up upon the restart after a magnificent Mallon save from Sweeney but Heavron brilliantly restored the Oak Leaf advantage only for Sweeney to equalise with his third point - 0-12 to 1-9. Josh Keane was the fifth Tipp attacker to score and Kielt's left-footed free tied the scores up again with 25 minutes left.

A Mallon slip presented O'Halloran with a gift of a goal twelve minutes into the second half and Keane replied to a Lynch effort as Liam Kearns' men grabbed a three-point lead. Quinlivan's free made it a four-point match with a quarter of the game left.

Substitute Emmett Bradley's point was cancelled out by Quinlivan's fifth (free) - Heavron's third was struck out by the Tipp full forward's sixth (his fourth free). Lynch replied to a Bill Maher strike as the gap stayed at four with nine minutes remaining.

Substitute Liam McGoldrick reduced the arrears with six minutes left and Chrissy Bradley made it a two-point match 60 seconds later before sub Brown netted with his fist four minutes from time to propel the Ulster county back in front - 2-16 to 1-18.

Heavron pointed to leave two between them with five additional minutes to be played. O'Halloran nailed another free before Sweeney equalised in the 72^nd minute and then fired over the winner two minutes later.

Tipperary - E Comerford; C O'Shaughnessy, A Campbell, C McDonald; B Maher (0-1), R Kiely, J Feehan; P Acheson (0-1), G Hannigan; J Keane (0-2), K O'Halloran (1-5, 0-4f, 0-1'45), B Fox; P Austin (0-1), M Quinlivan (0-6, 4f), C Sweeney (0-5). Subs: A Maloney for G Hannigan, S Leahy for R Kiely, M Hanley for C O'Shaughnessy.

Derry - T Mallon; O Duffy, C McKaigue, K McKaigue; C McFaul, B Rogers, C Mullan; C McAtamney, N Holly; D Heavron (0-4), N Loughlin (0-3), E Lynn (0-1); J Kielt (0-2, 1f), E McGuckin, M Lynch (1-4, 0-3f). Subs: N Toner for E Lynn, C Bradley (0-1) for J Kielt, E Bradley (0-1) for N Holly, L McGoldrick (0-1) for O Duffy, E Brown (1-0) for E McGuckin, N Forrester for D Heavron.

Referee - M Duffy.

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