*Ian Galvin celebrates Clare’s goal. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s senior hurlers have roared back to life in the Munster SHC and in the process have eliminated All-Ireland champions Tipperary from the championship.
Clare 1-25
Tipperary 0-17
Venue: FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles
Coverage in association with McKeoghs Hardware, Ballina-Killaloe
Twelve months on from Tipperary ending Clare’s reign as All-Ireland champions, it was a reversal of fortunes as Brian Lohan’s side bounced back from their Limerick loss to put themselves in the mix for a Munster final place while also guaranteeing they will qualify from the province.
An improvement was needed from Clare and it was certainly delivered in spades, they are now firmly back in the equation.
It caps off a memorable week for Clare hurling, the seniors were inspired by the heroics of the U20s who claimed a first provincial crown in twelve years with victories over Tipperary always savoured in the Banner County.
Winning by the margin of eleven points will strengthen Clare’s chances of making the Munster final but that can only become a reality by defeating Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening half, Clare carved out a six point advantage by the interval but they should have been further ahead, nine wides serving as a roadblock.
John Conlon cleaned up the world of ball in the opening half, making his presence known in the heart of defence while his Clonlara clubmate Diarmuid Stritch showed his worth at this level with a blitz of three points within a period of 105 seconds.
(Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill)
Capping off the Clonlara highpoints was Ian Galvin who for the third time in four championship meetings in Semple Stadium between Clare and Tipperary, he struck for goal and this was Clare’s first score of the second half which deflated an already lifeless Tipperary.
Seán Rynne who was harshly substituted at half time in Clare’s fifteen point drubbing had some confidence restored, pointing after eleven seconds and then doubling his tally on twenty six minutes. He finished with four points in his sixty one minute spell on the field and did more than enough to retain his starting jersey for a fourth game running.
All the while, Tipperary were struggling, so much so that they adapted a sweeper which suited Clare with Conlon latching onto breaks at the other end.
A late and reckless foul by Willie Connors on five minutes led to the tempers flaring but more worryingly an injury to Mark Rodgers which he tried to shrug off but eventually led to his premature departure. The loss of the Scariff sharpshooter is the main downer from the trip to Tipp while Tony Kelly also limped off before the end of the tie.
There was an attendance of 32,327 in Semple Stadium, the vast Tipperary cohort in this figure exited in their droves by the sixtieth minute with the reality long known that the Premier County’s wait to win back to back All-Ireland titles which stretches back to 1965 will continue for some time more.
Following Galvin’s major on thirty six minutes, Tipp replied with efforts from Darragh McCarthy and Jake Morris, then Diarmuid Stritch and Morris traded scores before Clare fired over four points on the trot, Rynne, Tony Kelly, a long-ranger from Niall O’Farrell and a sideline cut from Peter Duggan the scores.
Eibhear Quilligan with a brilliant save on forty minutes from Jake Morris stopped Tipp from raising a green flag prior to the four point run.
There would be another unanswered rally of four points entering the final fifteen, Galvin, Stritch, Duggan and Kelly sending the umpires reaching for the white flag. Tipp did hit the final two scores of the evening but Clare certainly helped their scoring difference with the eleven point victory.
Liam Cahill’s Tipp will be dejected with their poor All-Ireland defence, Jake Morris was the only player to emerge with some credit on an evening where they lost all the big battles.
On his starting debut, Diarmiid Stritch was Clare’s best. Others to stand out were John Conlon, Seán Rynne, Diarmuid Ryan and Cathal Malone.
Gallery of photographs by Ruth Griffin.
Scorers Clare: D Stritch (0-6), T Kelly (0-5 4f), I Galvin (1-2), S Rynne (0-4), P Duggan (0-4 2SC 1f), C Malone (0-2), N O’Farrell (0-1), R Taylor (0-1).
Scorers Tipperary: J Morris (0-4), J Forde (0-3 1SC), D McCarthy (0-3 3f), E Connolly (0-3 1f), A Tynan (0-1), W Connors (0-1), C Stakelum (0-1), S Tobin (0-1)
Clare:
1: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
19: David McInerney (Tulla)
17: John Conlon (Clonlara)
8: Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones)
5: Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
6: Niall O’Farrell (Broadford)
4: Adam Hogan (Feakle)
22: Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara)
9: Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin)
7: Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
15: Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
12: Seán Rynne (Inagh/Kilnamona)
10: Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg)
11: Peter Duggan (Clooney/Quin)
14: Mark Rodgers (Scariff)
Subs:
24: Ian Galvin for Rodgers (24) (inj)
13: David Reidy (Éire Óg) for Taylor (45) (inj)
26: David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona) for Kelly (56) (inj)
3: Conor Cleary (Kilmaley) for Rynne (61)
18: Shane Meehan (Banner) for O’Donnell (64)
Tipperary:
1: Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey-Borris)
4: Michael Breen (Ballina)
6: Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7: Bryan O’Mara (Hoylcross/Ballycahill)
3: Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs)
2: Robert Doyle (Clonoulty/Rossmore)
5: Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs)
8: Willie Connors (Kiladangan)
9: Alan Tynan (Roscrea)
10: Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg)
11: Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens)
12: Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs)
13: Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara)
14: John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
15: Jason Forde (Silvermines)
Subs:
25: Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for Ormond (HT)
24: Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for Breen (41)
20: Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg) for Tynan (47)
26: Stefan Tobin (Carrick Swan) for McCarthy (50)x
19: Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney) for Forde (56)
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
