*Clare centre forward Seán Fennell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s hopes of progressing to a Munster U20 final were ended by Tipperary on Tuesday evening.
Tipperary 2-16
Clare 0-17
Venue: New Inn, Tipperary
A five-point loss to Tipperary has ended Clare’s chances of advancing to the Munster U20 final. Irrespective of how Maurice Walsh’s side do in their final group game against Kerry next Tueday in Tralee, they will not be progressing any further following their fourth defeat in this year’s campaign.
Ten minutes into this Munster under 20 phase 2 football championship round 2 game at New Inn, Clare looked to be heading for a heavy defeat as they were eight points adrift of Tipperary.
Clare had made the better start and it took a good save from Tipperary goalie Robbie McGrath to deny Luke Pyne a goal in the opening minute as he deflected the Éire Óg man’s effort over the bar. From the kickout the home side won possession and they proceeded to cut Clare apart for he nest ten minutes. They quickly had 0-7 on the board which included two 2 pointers before full forward Paddy O’Keeffe registered his only score of the evening when pouncing on a defensive error to shoot to the net.
The visitors were struggling everywhere and were a little fortunate not to have been further behind, they seemed to be in second gear initially but played great football in the second quarter. They also struggled in midfield where senior panellists Evan Cahill and Seán McAllister didn’t hit the heights they were capable of.
Gradually the visitors got a grip on proceedings and out scores the home side 0-7 to 0-2 in the second quarter to go to the break four in arrears, 0-10 to 1-11, corner forwards Daire Culligan and Sean McMahon having landed four points each.
Clare had two good opportunities for two pointers in the opening two minutes of the new half but both were off target but the margin was down to two points ten minutes into the half after Sean Fennell converted the team’s only two pointer on the evening followed by a point from Darragh Killeen.
Clare had the margin down to two points ten minutes into the second half but that was as close as they got. Tipperary pushed ahead and finally killed off Clare’s challenge five minutes from time when they punished a defensive error when striking for their second goal through lively corner forward Daithi Hogan. Indeed both green flags for the winners arose from blunders in the Banner backline.
An injury to Seán McAllister saw Clare finish with fourteen men. The midfielder went off in additional time when Clare had all their substitutes used, it was initially feared to be a collarbone injury but that is not understood to be the case but it remains to be a worry for the senior panellist who went straight to hospital from New Inn with his arm in a sling. Peter Keane and his management will be hoping to call on the Clondegad man for a potential senior championship debut on Easter Saturday.
To their credit Clare battled on and landed the last three points through substitutes Darragh Townsend and Darren Keane and defender Conor Hill.
They travel to play the Munster championship hot favourites Kerry at Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Tuesday next in the knowledge that they can’t progress and it’s likely that senior panelists Sean McAlllister, if fit and Evan Cahill will be rested ahead of Clare’s Munster senior semi-final game five days later.
Scorers: Tipperary; d. Hogan 1-3: Paddy O’ Keeffe 1-0: J O’Keeffe (to), T Charles (to), J Higgins, B Carey, D. Cotter 0-2 each K Butler, D O’Connor 0-1 each
Scorers Clare: D, Culligan, S McMahon 0-4 each: S Fennell 0-3 (1tp) L Pyne, D, Townsend, T. Curran, D. Keane, C Hill D. Killeen 0-1 each
Tipperary
1: Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers)
2: Emmet Bonnerm (Galtee Rovers)
3: Eoin O’Connell (Loughborough Castleiney)
4: JP Mbokha Tansia (Ballincar)
5: Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers)
6: Charlie King (Ballincar)
7: Jamie O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials)
8: Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials)
9: Darragh O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials)
10: Thomas Charles (Clonmel Commercials)
11: Ben Carey (Ballylooby Castlegrace)
12: Dylan Cotter (Thurles Gaels)
13: Daithi Hogan (St. Patrick’s)
14: Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers)
15: Tommy O’Connor (Kilsheelin Kilcash)
Subs:
L Freaney for T O’Connor (40)
C Ryan for E Bonner (inj 57)
D Hogan for P O’Keeffe (59).
Clare
1: Eoin Byrne (St.Breckan’s)
2: Conor Hill (Lissycasey)
3: Daire Hill (Lissycasey)
4: Michael Kelly (Lissycasey)
18: Sean Conneally (Ennistymon)
6: Caoimhin O’Donovan (Corofin)
7: Luke Pyne (Éire Óg)
8: Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
9: Sean McAllister (Clondegad)
10: Odhran O’Connell (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
11: Sean Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks)
12: Darragh Killeen (Lissycasey)
13: Daire Culligan (Lissycasey)
14: Colin Riordan (Wolfe Tones)
15: Sean McMahon (Banner)
Subs:
21: Darragh Townsend (Cooraclare) for Conneally (15)
20: Tom Curran (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Riordan (HT)
22: Diarmuid McMahon (Lissycasey for O Connell (45)
19: Darren Keane (Lissycasey )for Culligan (56)
24 Cathal Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane )for Fennell (58)
Referee: Eoin Morrissey, Waterford
