By Seamus Hayes
IT was a bad night for Clare football at Miltown on Wednesday evening, as the U-21 footballers suffered a heavy defeat to Tipperary in the Munster championship semi-final.
All-Ireland minor champions three years ago, Tipperary went into the game with the favourites’ tag but not even their most ardent of supporters expected this tie to be so one-sided.
Clare were, to put it simply, outclassed by a visiting side that scored all but a point of their tally from play, whereas Clare could only manage two scores from play.
In front of an attendance of 624 at Hennessy Park, Clare went into the half-time break trailing by four points. The writing was on the wall as they had just played with the aid of a very strong wind but had failed to make any real impression on the favourites, who kicked some impressive scores.
Tipperary were by far the livelier side and used the ball much better. Clare missed a couple of easy chances in that opening half while, at the other end of the field, they gave away a couple of soft scores.
Seven Tipperary players shared in the Premier side’s first half tally of 0-9, while Clare only managed to get two of their players on the scoreboard, Niall Hickey kicking all but one of their tally of five.
The home side had a great goal chance as early as the third minute but Jamie Malone failed to capitalise, while fellow inter-county senior panelist, Martin O’Leary, was guilty of two bad missed chances at points.
Points were swapped five times up to the 23rd minute but the visitors finished strongly, kicking five unanswered points in the last eight minutes to bring the score to 0-9 to 0-5, when Limerick’s Richard Moloney sounded the half time whistle.
Clare’s tactic of playing with just two in the full-forward line in the opening half was surprising, given that they had the advantage of such a strong wind. Indeed, it was the visitors who looked like they had wind assistance, as they transferred the ball from one end of the pitch to the other with greater ease.
Tipperary hit the first two points of the second half but three pointed frees by Clare, two from Niall Hickey and one from Martin O’Leary, suggested a fight was on the cards from the home side. The score stood at 0-11 to 0-8 10 minutes into the half.
From here to the finish, however, there was only one team in this contest and, in truth, the visitors could have had a much greater winning margin, such was their dominance.
The game’s first goal came at the midpoint of the half when Greg Henry finished off a five-man move. They had to wait until the final minute for their second goal, from Liam McGrath. The skillful Michael Quinlivan could have found the net earlier but he opted to fist the ball over the bar, with only goalie Darren Sexton to beat after the Clare net minder had sent his kick out to a Tipperary player.
Tipperary will play Cork in the provincial decider on April 9, while it’s back to the drawing board for Clare and, going on this display, there certainly is a huge amount of work to be done to get up to the level required if the Banner men are to challenge for honours in the near future.
Clare: Darren Sexton (Kilmurry-Ibrickane); Jack O’Dea (Kilfenora), Enda Ralph (Ennistymon), Conor Brennan (Éire Óg); Stan Lineen (Kilmihil, captain), Liam Corry (Éire Óg), Eoin Brew (O’Curry’s); Darragh McDonagh (Miltown St Joseph’s), Ciaran Devitt (Ennistymon); Darragh Bolton (Kilrush), Luke Brannock (St Joseph’s), Niall Hickey (0-7, Kilmurry-Ibrickane); Jamie Malone (Corofin), Martin O’Leary (0-2, Kilmihil), Eoin Cleary (Miltown St Joseph’s).
Subs: Tadhg Lynch (Clondegad) for Brannock; Darragh Doyle (St Bridget’s, Dublin) for Bolton; Dale Masterson (St Breckan’s) for Cleary.
Tipperary: Gearóid Slattery; Niall O’Sullivan, James Feehan, Conor O’Sullivan; Adrian McGuire, Seamus Kennedy, Bill Maher (0-1); Steven O’Brien (0-3), Colin O’Riordan (0-2); John McGrath (0-4), Ian Fahey, Greg Henry (1-2); Liam McGrath (1-1), Michael Quinlivan (0-6), Sean Flynn (0-2).
Subs: Philip Quirke for Flynn, Jason Lonergan for Henry, Colman Kennedy (0-1) for Fahy, Liam Casey for O’Riordan, Joshua Keane for O’Brien, Jack Loughnane for Feehan.
Referee: Richard Moloney, Limerick.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.