Kilkenny 1-20
Clare 0-14

Kilkenny’s greater physical strength and experience proved too much for Clare when the counties clashed in the league semi-final at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday.

The game’s only goal, five minutes into the second half, gave the favourites the upperhand. From there on they had the better of the exchanges and deservingly progressed to the final where they will play Cork who proved too strong for Tipperary in the second game at the Tipperary venue on Sunday. The teams were level on six occasions prior to the goal.
Clare will question referee Alan Kelly’s decision not to award them a free prior to the goal as Eoin Larkin appeared to foul the ball. That said, Larkin had scored a goal 15 minutes before half-time but the match official called playback and awarded a penalty to Kilkenny. Ritchie Power’s effort was saved by Pat Donnellan.
From once Matt Ruth scored the only goal of the tie after Larkin had created the opening, Kilkenny took control and quickly opened a five-point cushion that they stretched to eight with 15 minutes remaining.
Their half-backs dominated while they also had the better of matters at midfield and this ensured a plentiful supply of ball for their forwards. This, in turn, made for a busy afternoon for the Clare defence and here Cian Dillon was outstanding at full-back confining Kilkenny captain Eoin Larkin to a point. Domhnaill O’Donovan also got through a lot of work.
Clare thundered into the game and put pressure on Kilkenny from the start. Scores were exchanged twice in the opening five minutes with Clare leading for the only time when Conor McGrath converted a free for their second score.
By the mid-point of the half, Kilkenny had edged two clear again, 0-6 to 0-4 and were unlucky not to have extended their lead when referee Kelly disallowed Larkin’s goal in the twentieth minute. Clare fought back and levelled twice more before Kilkenny took a one point lead to the break when the score was 0-8 to 0-7.
Early in the second half Colin Ryan pointed for Clare to level the game at 0-8 each but from here on Kilkenny upped a gear. Matt Ruth’s goal came a minute later and was quickly followed by points from Ruth and Michael Fennelly as the Leinster men went five clear.
Clare continued to battle hard but Kilkenny were dominating in the vital areas and by the 20th minute of this half they had gone eight points clear and pushed this to nine with ten minutes still to play.
At this stage Clare replaced both wing-forwards, Fergal Lynch and Enda Barrett, introducing Jonathon Clancy and Aaron Cunningham. It was a little surprising that they hadn’t made changes earlier as this sector struggled throughout the second half.
Points from Pat Donnellan and two Colin Ryan frees kept Clare hopes alive but the winners finished strongly with the last three scores to comfortably book a place in the final.
As Clare continue their preparations for the championship in June, this game should benefit them. Cian Dillon and Domhnaill O’Donovan did well in defence. Pat Donnellan worked hard in the half-back line having dropped back to fill in at centre-back for the injured James McInerney,
Liam Markham worked hard at midfield but overall Kilkenny had the better of the exchanges in this area.
Their defence also dominated against a Clare forward line which struggled and this is reflected in the fact that they managed just five points from play. Colin Ryan was Clare’s best player in this sector.
JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, Michael Fennelly, Cillian Buckley, Ritchie Power Colin Fennelly and Matt Ruth were prominent for the winners.

Kilkenny: David Herity; Paul Murphy, JJ Delaney, Jackie Tyrell; Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, Ritchie Doyle; Michael Fennelly, Cillian Buckley; TJ Reid, Ritchie Power, John Mulhall; Colin Fennelly, Eoin Larkin, Matthew Ruth.
Subs: Mark Bergin for Larkin (63 minutes); Kieran Joyce for Walsh (63 minutes); Conor Fogarty for Doyle (64 minutes).
Scorers: Ritchie Power (0-9, 6f); Matt Ruth (1-3); Colin Fennelly, Michael Fennelly (0-2 each); TJ Reid, John Mulhall, Eoin Larkin. Kieran Joyce (0-1 each).
Frees: 14   wides: 9
Bookings: Tommy Walsh (62 minutes).

Clare: Patrick Kelly; Domhnaill O’Donovan, Cian Dillon, Conor Cooney; Brendan Bugler, Pat Donnellan, Patrick O’Connor; Nicky O’Connell, Liam Markham; Fergal Lynch, Sean Collins, Enda Barrett; Colin Ryan, Conor McGrath, John Conlon.
Subs: Jonathon Clancy for Lynch (61 minutes); Aaron Cunningham for Barrett (61 minutes) Seadna Morey for Collins (66 minutes).
Scorers: Conor McGrath (0-6, 5f); Colin Ryan (0-3, 2f); Nicky O’Connell (0-2f); Liam Markham, Patrick Donnellan, Sean Collins (0-1) each.
Frees: 14   wides: 10
Bookings: Cian Dillon (18 minutes); Brendan Bugler (21 minutes); Conor Cooney (49 minutes).

Referee: Alan Kelly, Galway.

Davy complains referees ignoring him

Referees are ignoring Davy Fitzgerald the Clare manager has claimed.
Unlike the attention match officials might pay to Brian Cody or Declan Ryan, “when it comes to me, I am not allowed say anything,” Fitzgerald said this week. “I am not allowed have any animation, I am not allowed to question anything. It’s disappointing.”
“I honestly believe that referees have something in for me, that they say ‘sort Davy out’ and that’s the story. A number of referees have that view,” he claimed on Sunday.
“I am asking everybody to keep a close eye on the championship and see do they take it out on me and my team because it has happened now on more than one occasion. They ignore me completely,” he continued.
While he had no qualms about admitting that, “Kilkenny were the better side and fully deserved to win,” he questioned some of referee Alan Kelly’s decisions, particularly the allowing of a goal to Kilkenny early in the second half.
“The goal changed it and I don’t have to tell ye about that decision. The sideline ball was a Clare ball. I was right there in front of it. How is it always the Clares that get those decisions against them. I am fairly certain he (Eoin Larkin) turned with the ball three times and the scorer was inside on top of Patrick Kelly when he made the save,” said the Clare boss.
“We got on to Alan Kelly two or three times and you might as well be talking to the wall. I am not happy about those decisions. They have to be honest and fair,” he added.
“That goal killed the game as a contest. Are referees afraid to make a mistake where the big teams are at stake? That’s my question. Are they afraid they won’t get a bigger match or stuff like that. They have to start standing up,” he said.
“They can’t be getting those decisions wrong. The sideline ball cost us a score. They are given to the bigger sides no matter what. I knew Kelly was wondering whether or not to blow.
“At the end of the day Kilkenny were deserving winners. They got some lovely scores but that kind of killed us. We were playing with a strong breeze in the first half but didn’t get up enough scores. We tackled fairly well and battled well. There were only one or two clear chances at goals. If Kilkenny get the chance to put you away they will put you away”.
Overall, Fitzgerald said he was happy with Clare’s performance. “Physically we weren’t blown out of it today. We stood up. They shipped a lot of hard tackles. We have a very young team and the most important thing is that we weren’t blown off the field.
“What they did to Galway a few weeks ago will be in Galway minds every time they play them. They are capable of doing that any day they go out. Today they didn’t look like scoring goals every two seconds. They tacked on the points alright with that breeze. It got up in the second half and we were defending like crazy all the time.
“I am happy with the guys. We have a lot of work to do going into the Waterford game. We are making progress. As I have said many times we are not going to be back in the big time straight away. We will make progress and we will keep going. Them lads will keep fighting.
“The only times we were in trouble was when we hit the long ball on top of their big lads. When we found the gaps and hit the guys we wanted to hit we had them in trouble. When we were running at them they pulled us down a lot of the time and we got frees out of it,” the Sixmilebridge man said.
The Clare manager said he went to Alan Kelly at half-time.
“I wanted to ask him a question but he ignored me as if I was dirt. I wanted to question one thing. I could not be bothered going after the game. It’s frustrating. It looked out there that we are never going to get the rub of the green.
“We know we would not have beaten them today but it might have been a bit closer if that goal hadn’t gone in. That put us under the cosh and we didn’t look like conceding a goal at any stage. That’s annoying me. I will probably get reported for going 20 yards onto the field to ask about it. What way would you be if you were on the sideline asking about it and it’s ignored. I am disappointed in it. These calls have to be made across the board,” he said.
“Kilkenny were the better team. We would not have won the game regardless of that decision but the decisions annoy me when they can be better,” he concluded.