*Photograph by Martin Connolly

Clare have comprehensively beaten Tipperary to win the Munster Senior Hurling League.

Clare 4-19
Tipperary 1-18
Venue: Gaelic Grounds

Played in front of an attendance of 4,531, Clare secured their first piece of silverware at senior level under Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor beating Tipperary by ten points.

Jason Forde and Colin Guilfoyle swapped scores inside the first three minutes before Tipperary began to get a grip on proceedings hitting three points in succession. At the start of the second quarter, Clare came into their own with Cathal McInerney and Tony Kelly goaling in the space of five minutes to lead by three. This half’s see-saw nature continued with the Premier County finishing the stronger outscoring Clare six points to two in the final fifteen minutes.

Shane Golden hit the first point on the resumption and this was followed by a Colin Guilfoyle goal, the Newmarket-on-Fergus attacker has raised a green flag in each game of this year’s competition. Seamus Callanan and Tony Kelly then raised a white flag each.

Kelly fired over two more points while his Ballyea clubmate Niall Deasy added one as did Diarmuid Ryan. A fourth Clare goal arrived on the forty fourth minute with Tony Kelly’s shot from distance hitting the net as Guilfoyle managed to get in the way of Brian Hogan. Substitute Dan McCormack pulled a goal back for Tipp on the sixtieth minute narrowing the distance to eight points. Guilfoyle, Kelly, Ryan Taylor and Mikey O’Malley all registered scores in the final few minutes to seal the win.

2016 was the first time the Banner won the Munster Senior Hurling League having previously won the Waterford Crystal Cup in 2009 and 2013.

Getting to trial out a number of new players during the pre-season competition and still managing to succeed will please both Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor with Diarmuid Ryan, Aidan McCarthy, Gary Cooney and Colin Guilfoyle among those to make the step up. Bigger days lie ahead and they will renew their rivalry with Liam Sheedy’s Tipperary in 13 days in the first round of the Allianz National Hurling League.

Clare:
1. Donal Tuohy (Crusheen)
2. Jason McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona)
3. David McInerney (Tulla)
4. Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones na Sionna)
5. Aidan McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona)
6. Conor Cleary (St Josephs Miltown)
7. Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
8. Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge)
9. Tony Kelly (Ballyea) – Captain
10. Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
11. Niall Deasy (Ballyea)
12. Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin)
13. Colin Guilfoyle (Newmarket On Fergus)
14. Cathal McInerney (Cratloe)
15. Michael O’Neill (Kilmaley)

SUBSTITUTES:
25. Podge Collins (Cratloe) for
23. David Conroy (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for Ryan (54)
18. Michael O’Malley (Kilmaley) for A McCarthy (58)
17. Gary Cooney (O’Callaghan’s Mills) for C McInerney (64)

Tipperary:
1. Brian Hogan (Kiladangan)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
4. Donagh Maher (Burgess)
5. Alan Flynn (Kiladangan)
6. Séamus Kennedy (St. Mary’s)
7. Joe O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
8. Willie Connors (Kiladangan)
9. Michael Breen (Ballina)
10. Jason Forde (Silvermines)
11. Patrick Maher (Lorrha-Dorrha)
12. Colin English (Fr. Sheehy’s)
13. Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash)
14. Seamus Callanan (Drom-Inch)
15. Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg)

Subs: Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields) for Connors (HT)
Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh) for Kehoe (48)