By Seamus Hayes
Tipperary 0-12 Clare 0-10
A slicker Tipperary side deservingly overcame Clare in the final of the Daryl Darcy under 17 tournament played at the Gaelic grounds in Limerick on Monday night.
The sides had met in the opening round of the tournament when the Premier outfit recorded a one point win at Gurteen. Clare travelled to Limerick for Monday’s final confident that they could overturn that result but, while they played some good football, they had to give best to a livelier Tipperary side who led from the ninth minute
Clare captain Keelan Sexton gave his side the lead inside the opening minute but they had to wait twenty minutes for their next score. In the meantime Tipperary kicked five points as they dictated matters in most areas.
The Banner side came a little more into the game in the last ten minutes of the half and when the half time whistle sounded, the margin was down to four points, 0-7 to 0-3. Five minutes into the second half the margin was down to the, 0-8 to 0-5 but the winners hit the next three points to open a six point advantage with a quarter of an hour to go.
Clare mentor David O Shea on the sideline against Tipperary during their U-17 Munster League final in The Gaelic Grounds. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare outscored the premier side, 0-5 to 0-1, in the final quarter and certainly enjoyed the upperhand in the closing stages but time was not on their side and Tipperary held out for victory which reversed the result of last year’s final when Clare were the winners.
Team captain Keelan Sexton top scored for Clare with 0-6 while others to impress were Pierce Lillis, Colm Pyne, Seanie Malone and Aaron Rudd. Team mentors were Paudie Mescall (Cooraclare) David O’Shea(Kilrush), David O’Connel (Shannon Gaels) and Gordon Kelly (Miltown).
Clare;-Cillian Roche (Cooraclare); Cillian Burke (Cooraclare) Pierce Lillis (Cooraclare) 0-1, Cillian Glynn (Kilrush); Cathal Downes (O’Currys), Colm Pyne (Killimer), Damian O’Loughlin (Corofin); Cillian Brennan (Clondegad) James Howard (Ballyvaughan); Niall McCarthy (Lissycasey) Keelan Sexton (Kilmurry-Ibrickane) Capt 0-6, Conor Magner (Naomh Eoin); Michael Corry (Clooney-Quin), Alan Sweeney (St. Breckans), Seanie Malone (Miltown) 0-1;
Subs—Aaron Rudd(Wolfe Tones) 0-1 for Howard; Conor Downes (Naomh Eoin) for Glynn; Conor Tevlin (Naomh Eoin) for Magner; Nigel Murray (O’Currys) for Corry; Jack Morrissey(Cooraclare) 0-1 for Conor Downes; Rory McMahon (Kildysart) for Sweeney; Darragh Bohannon (Shannon Gaels) for McCarthy; Jack Callinan (Killimer) for O’Loughlin; Darren Torpey (Ennistymon) for Roche;
