Munster U20 Hurling Championship Semi-Final
Tipperary 0-17
Clare 3-17
Tipperary were sent crashing out of the Munster U20 championship at the semi-final stage by a better and more deserving Clare team in this evening’s final four clash in FBD Semple Stadium.
There can be no complaints about who the better team were on the day, with Clare by far the better team (even minus senior starter Adam Hogan) as Brendan Cummins’ side never got going at any stage and were always playing catch up, and despite somehow getting in at the break level, Tipp didn’t have the answers at half time as the Banner goaled through Keith Smyth in the 57th minute, as Tipp’s day was summed up with the last puck of the game from Smyth’s long range free squirting in over the line through the despairing efforts of Jason O’Dwyer.
Just like their clash in the opening round of the championship back in March the first half went along similar lines with both teams finding it hard to separate from each other, with no more than two points the difference at any point in the first 30 minutes.
Oran Cahill got the scoring off in the third minute with a long range point before Tipperary hit three on the bounce in the next five or so minutes, first through a Jack Leamy free, before Eddie Ryan and Cathal Quinn got their first points of the game to give Tipp a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes.
Jack Leamy was in fine form in the opening quarter, proving to be a brilliant puckout option and was causing the Clare half backs issues, but the Tipp midfield and half back line were gettin opened with semi-regularity as Clare were getting plenty of sights at goal, but let themselves down with some poor shooting in the first half.
However, they found the target eventually in the 11th minute with through the diminutive figure of David Kennedy who broke onto a deflected 65 effort from Keith Smyth - the sun playing havoc with Jason O’Dwyer who opted to bat the short effort - Kennedy cutting in and shooting from an angle, but despite O’Dwyer saving well the Clare forward reacted to the rebound to bat to goal.
Jack O’Neill added a point quickly from play and after Jack Leamy had responded with a placed ball, Clare continued to have the better of the play; two points coming in a row from Patrick Crotty and Keith Smyth (free) to open a 1-4 to 0-5 lead by the 19th minute.
Tipp were getting no return inside with Tony Cahill and Damien Corbett living off scraps with a spare man apiece being employed by the teams, but Eddie Ryan did well to score his second moments later after winning a fifty-fifty ball and pointing, before Peter McGarry was fed a quick free from Jack Leamy to point on the run in space and level the game after 23 minutes.
Clare should really have been further ahead at this point, as the Banner hit some brutal wides which kept Tipp close, and indeed, Tipp hit the lead in the next seven or so minutes through Ryan again and a brace from Sean Kenneally who was finally starting to influence the match as he is capable.
However, Clare were still finding sights at goal though, and they hit three out of the next four points from Keith Smyth (free), Sean Rynne and Patrick Crotty meant the sides were as you were at the break at 0-11 to 1-8.
Tipp were really lacking any cohesive play and the second half started in similar circumstances as Clare opened a lead in the first five minutes with two Keith Smyth frees finding the target, while Jack Leamy missed a few chances himself at the far end from placed balls as Tipp really began to live off scraps.
Eddie Ryan in fairness was the only Tipp player getting any return when getting onto possession and his point reduced the gap to the minimum with a fine run and score, but he was soon outdone by Danny Slattery who gathered possession deep in defence before travelling at least 70 metres with possession and floating over for what was the score of the game; levelling the proceedings in the process at 0-13 to 1-10.
Clare were dominating in the midfield and half back line and it was they who were finding room to shoot as Daithi Lohan found himself in space for a fine score in the 37th minute, before Jack Leamy missed yet another free to suck the life out of the Tipp effort.
Changes were being made finally by Cummins and his first made a good impact early, Maidhc Fitzpatrick being found with a quick thinking free finding him in space to point from a difficult angle.
But Tipp were slowly starting to get a grip of the possession and began to win some aerial balls and it was a Peter McGarry sideline which started a quick burst of scores to level the game, followed by a well struck effort from play from the St Marys man which left the sides level at 0-16 to 1-13 coming up to the final ten minutes.
Patrick Crotty was playing serious stuff for Clare and continued to cause problems and he found a major of a point in the 50th minute to put Clare back in front, but Tipp had the response again with Stephen Ferncombe setting up his captain to fire the sides level again.
It was going to be a very close finish but Clare hit the front again from a Keith Smyth free in the 53rd minute, before Tipp missed a guilt edged goal chance when Darragh Stakelum put a handpass on a plate for Maidhc Fitzpatrick who couldn’t control it and whipped wide.
That proved to be a big miss which was compounded further by a second Clare goal as Keith Smyth fielded a high ball brilliantly before turning out and blasting the ball to the top corner.
It was all going pear shaped for Tipp now and they must have another big goal chance with two minutes left, a quick sideline taken to Stephen Ferncombe in the corner before he rifled a ball across the goalmouth with Sean Kenneally missing the flight to hit wide from right in front of goal.
Tipp tried hard to pull it back in the final five minutes of allotted added time, but it just wasn’t to be the Premier men’s day as Clare goaled for a third time in fortuitous fashion with Smyth’s second finding the net as they held out to claim their place in the final against Cork in a few weeks time.
Scorers: Tipperary: Jack Leamy 0-4f, Eddie Ryan 0-4, Peter McGarry (0-3, 0-1sl), Sean Kenneally 0-2, Cathal Quinn, Danny Slattery, Maidhc Fitzpatrick, Darragh Stakelum all 0-1 each.
Clare: Keith Smyth (2-7, 1-5f, 0-1 ‘65), David Kennedy 1-1, Patrick Crotty 0-3, Oran Cahill, Jack O’Neill, Sean Rynne, Daithi Lohan, Keelan Hartigan, Niall O’Farrell all 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Jason O’Dwyer (Clonoulty Rossmore); Danny Slattery (Clonoulty Rossmore), Robert Doyle (Clonoulty Rossmore), Luke Shanahan (Upperchurch Drombane); Conor McKelvey (Silvermines), Joe Caesar (Holycross Ballycahill), Cathal Quinn (Cashel King Cormacs); Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), James Morris (St Marys); Sean Kenneally (Moneygall), Eddie Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Jack Leamy (Golden Kilfeacle); Peter McGarry (St Marys), Tony Cahill (Drom & Inch), Damien Corbett (Gortnahoe Glengoole).
Subs: Maidhc Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch) for Corbett (40); Stephen Ferncombe (Clonoulty Rossmore) for Cahill (46); Joe Egan (Moycarkey Borris) for E Ryan (58).
Clare: Aaron Shanahan; Oisin Clune, John Conneally, Ian McNamara; Ja Collins, Daithi Lohan, Oran Cahill; Sean Rynne, Jack O’Neill; Oisin O’Donnell, Patrick Crotty, Keith Smyth; David Kennedy, Senan Dunford, Gearoid Sheedy.
Subs: Niall O’Farrell for Collins (HT); Keelan Hartigan for Dunford (40); Colm Cleary for Sheedy (48); Diarmuid Stritch for Lohan (inj, 58).
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
