Superior Tipperary send Clare into relegation play-off

Tipperary   3-19    Clare    1-14
THERE can be no arguments with the result in Clare’s final-round league tie in Division 1 of the National Hurling League. At Semple Stadium on Sunday, Tipperary were far superior and had their place in the semi-finals sealed long before the final whistle.

Despite being so close to going into this game with maximum points, Clare now must play-off with Cork to determine who will drop to Division 1B for next season.

 

It’s a situation that Clare’s play prior to last Sunday does not deserve and leaves all involved bemoaning the one-point losses to Waterford and Kilkenny.

This was Clare’s poorest performance of the campaign and it suggests there is still a bit to go before Clare can consistently challenge the top guns.

Tipperary’s determination to seal a semi-final spot was signalled in midweek when manager, Eamonn O’Shea named a near full-strength starting 15, which was strengthened further at half-time with the introduction of Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher.

Clare showed one change in personnel from the team that started against Kilkenny a week earlier, with Sean Collins coming into the forward line in place of Fergal Lynch.

The winners had the aid of the wind in the first half and took the lead in the first minute when Eoin Kelly converted a 50m free after Clare captain, Pat Donnellan had fouled. Shane Bourke, one of the winners’ more impressive players, had the opening score from play in the sixth minute and a further two minutes went by before Colin Ryan opened Clare’s account from a 65m free.

Straight from the puckout, the winners struck a vital blow and one from which Clare never really recovered. Lar Corbett ran onto the long delivery before passing to Eoin Kelly, who found the net. It was one of a number of occasions in which the Clare defence was exposed. It was 1-6 to 0-3 by the end of the opening quarter and the game was 19 minutes old before Clare had their first score from play, a Tony Kelly effort after he received a pass from Shane O’Donnell.

Clare were fortunate not to concede a second goal in the 20th minute when Brendan Maher’s piledriver was deflected over the bar by Patrick Kelly. At the other end, two minutes later, Clare had a goal opportunity but Darren Gleeson saved from Colm Galvin and he also stopped the follow-up effort from Shane O’Donnell.

Clare had another goal opportunity three minutes from half-time but a superb tackle by Paddy Stapleton on Shane O’Donnell saved the day for the Premier outfit, who went to the break with an 1-11 to 0-6 lead.

On the resumption, Colin Ryan moved to midfield to partner his namesake, Conor, with Fergal Lynch coming in at wing-forward. Nicky O’Connell was the player withdrawn. Tipperary brought in Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher and he sparkled.

With Lar Corbett now positioned at full-forward, Clare put Brendan Bugler at full-back. John Conlon had the opening score of the half, which suggested that the visitors might do better in this half but disaster struck in the 10th minute.

Bonnar Maher created a goal chance for the home side but Domhnaill O’Donovan intercepted, getting the sliotar to goalkeeper Patrick Kelly, whose attempted handpass was intercepted by Lar Corbett, who flicked to the net to bring the score to 2-13 to 0-9. The score clearly rattled Clare and from here on, Tipperary never looked in trouble.

Their third goal, five minutes from the end, came from another Clare mistake. An Eoin Kelly free from 85m ended up in the net after goalkeeper Kelly and David McInerney appeared to get their calls wrong.
Clare had a consolation goal a minute from the end when substitute Conor McGrath created the opening, which resulted in Tony Kelly scoring.

Domhnaill O’Donovan, arguably Clare’s most consistent player in the league campaign to date, battled to the end on a day when the half-backs were in big trouble, throughout the first half in particular, while Clare were always playing second fiddle at midfield. Seadna Morey got through some good work but, overall, Clare were outplayed in most areas.

One of the few positives Clare can take from the game is the return of Conor McGrath, who saw his first action of the season following surgery on a hip complaint at the beginning of the year.

Paddy Stapleton, Conor O’Mahony, the Mahers, Shane Bourke, Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly proved much too strong as Tipperary put their heavy opening-round defeat behind them to finish top of the group and safely into the semi-final, where they will play either Anthony Daly’s Dublin or Limerick, who meet in the Division 1B final this weekend.

One area of particular concern to Clare must be the number of times they were penalised for questioning referee James Owens’ decisions. On quite a number of occasions the Wexford official moved the ball forward 20m after some Clare players appeared to question his original decisions. It resulted in a number of easy scores for Tipperary.

Tipperary: Darren Gleeson; Paddy Stapleton, Paul Curran, Michael Cahill; Conor O’Brien, Conor O’Mahony, Pádraic Maher; Brendan Maher, Shane McGrath; Seamus Callinan, Lar Corbett, Noel McGrath; Shane Bourke, Eoin Kelly, John O’Dwyer.
Subs: Patrick Maher for O’Dwyer (half-time), James Woodlock for S McGrath (50 mins), John O’Brien for Callinan (53 mins), Thomas Stapleton for O’Mahony (66 mins) and Brian O’Meara for Kelly (68 mins).
Scorers: Eoin Kelly (2-8, 2-7f), Lar Corbett (1-1), Shane Bourke (0-4), Noel McGrath (0-3), Brendan Maher (0-2) and Michael Cahill (0-1).
Frees for: 16; wides: 12.
Bookings: Seamus Callinan (9 mins), Lar Corbett (35 mins), Conor O’Mahony (41 mins), Patrick Maher (53 mins), Paddy Stapleton (54 mins) and Brian O’Meara (73 mins).

Clare: Patrick Kelly; Domhnaill O’Donovan, David McInerney, Seadna Morey; Brendan Bugler, Patrick Donnellan, Patrick O’Connor; Nicky O’Connell, Conor Ryan; Colin Ryan, Sean Collins, John Conlon; Colm Galvin, Shane O’Donnell, Tony Kelly.
Subs: Fergal Lynch for O’Connell (half-time), Conor McGrath for Collins (43 mins), Enda Barrett for Conor Ryan (65 mins) and Darach Honan for O’Donnell (66 mins).
Scorers: Colin Ryan (0-8, 7f, 1 65’), Tony Kelly (1-1), John Conlon (0-2), Seadna Morey, Fergal Lynch and Conor Ryan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 13; wides: 10; 65s: 1.
Bookings: David McInerney (9 mins), Brendan Bugler (35 mins), Sean Collins (41 mins) and Patrick O’Connor (55 mins).
Referee: James Owens, Wexford.