Tipperary in control

MUNSTER champions, Clare, having been unlucky to lose the opening round of the All-Ireland series to Cork by a point, travelled to Thurles on Saturday with high hopes of victory over Tipperary.

They were rocked by a first-minute goal and struggled throughout. It was a big call by the umpire as Clare goalie Denise Lynch collected Ryan’s delivery from a free but the match official raised the green flag claiming that she was behind the goal line.
Claire McMahon responded with a point from a free for Clare but this proved to be their only score of the opening half.
Tipperary, buoyed by Ryan’s goal, and with a strong breeze at their backs, drove on to add a further eight points in the opening half, Nicole Walsh splitting the posts on six occasions from placed balls, while Cait Devane and Jill Horan had a point each from play.
Tipperary were dominant all over the field as they out hurled the Banner girls, winning the crucial battle in midfield. Clare did have scoring opportunities in that opening half but were guilty of wayward shooting, leaving the home side in front by 10 points. This margin was increased further at the restart when Horan again pointed for the winners. McMahon was on target again with a free for Clare before two further Tipp points stretched the advantage to 12 points. Chloe Morey and McMahon added  points for Clare but Tipperary put the result beyond doubt with 10 minutes remaining when Cait Devane rattled the Clare net. Having lost their two previous outings to Clare by the minimum margin on each occasion, this was Tipperary’s day.

Tipperary: Rita Bourke; Maria Tynan, Julie Kirwan, Sabrina Larkin; Norma Harrington, Mary Ryan, Julie McGrath; Caoimhe Maher, Jill Horan (0-3); Claire Kennedy, Ereena Fryday, Joanne Ryan (1-0); Nicole Walsh (0-8), Siobhán McGrath (0-2), Cait Devane (1-3).
Subs: Ali Lonergan for Ereena Fryday (inj), Alice Fogarty for Claire Kennedy, Noreen Flanagan for Caoimhe Maher, Clodagh Quirke for Norma Harrington and Sheila Ryan for Maria Tynan.
Clare: Denise Lynch; Máire McGrath, Marian O’Brien, Carol O’Leary; Niamh O’Dea, Susan Vaughan, Chloe Morey (0-1); Sinéad O’Loughlin, Kate Lynch (0-1); Laura Linnane, Shonagh Enright, Orlaith Duggan; Claire McMahon (0-6), Fiona Lafferty, Naomi Carroll (0-1).
Subs: Deirdre Murphy for Sinéad O’Loughlin, Louise Woods for Laura Linnane, Susan Fahy for Shonagh Enright, Sharon McMahon for Fiona Lafferty, Aimee McInerney for Carol O’Leary
Referee: Mike O’Kelly

Galway visit Ennis
CLARE continue their campaign this Saturday with a home tie against Galway, a fixture scheduled for Cusack Park at 5pm on Saturday. The Connacht side has had the upperhand on Clare in recent times and will be favourites to win this one.