Dominant Clonmel Commercials win South Tipperary Senior Football Cup final

Clonmel Commercials 3-18  Ballyporeen 2-11

Clonmel Commercials cruised to victory in the Clonmel Oil South Tipperary Senior Football Cup final at Monroe on Sunday evening with a more comprehensive victory over Ballyporeen than the final scoreline suggests.

They were four points to no score ahead after just four minutes, led 0-12 to 0-5 at half-time, and were virtually out of sight midway through the second half when leading 2-15 to 0-7, the goals coming from Sean Kennedy and Sean O’Connor.

However, Ballyporeen staged a mini-revival with two goals of their own in the space of six minutes, from Riain O’Callaghan and Christy English, to put a more respectable look on the scoreline but it was never going to change the outcome.

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Commercials played a high-intensity brand of attacking football, cutting through the Ballyporeen defence with considerable ease. They put in a performance and built up a large score that pleased manager Tommy Morrissey, who has now seen his side add the divisional title to the county league success last month.

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“We didn’t win the county league or the south title last year so that was a target that we set for this year.
“This is a competition that we don’t take lightly in the club and we have a strong tradition of winning it so we are delighted to have it back,” he said.

“The new rule enhancements are allowing for big scores and we have players who are capable of getting two-pointers, which is a big addition for us. We moved the ball well and the conditions allowed us to play our brand of football,” he added.

Morrissey is also delighted to see new players coming through and challenging the more established members of the squad.

“It’s a headache for me but a great problem to have. We are focussing on who’s available but I have warned the players that if they want to hand over the jersey then they can, but hopefully they will hold onto it for as long as they want”.

Full forward Sean O’Connor’s 1-12 reflected what his manager said about score-taking. He hit three two-pointer frees, three other frees, three points from play and finished off a beautifully-crafted move with a superb goal.

Ballyporeen struggled to cope with the pace of the Clonmel attack, Joe Higgins scoring 1-2 in a hugely impressive performance, Darragh O’Connor putting in a man of the match display, Rory O’Dowd busy throughout with a number of darting runs, and team captain Tadhg Condon keeping a close watch on Ballyporeen dangerman Conor Sweeney, who was never allowed the space in which he can be so effective.

The Ballyporeen supporters would also have been looking to Darragh Brennan for a big impact and he worked tirelessly but without the rewards that he had in the semi-final win over Grangemockler/Ballyneale. He hit a wonderful two-pointer deep in injury time but by then the outcome was long decided.

It was even a long way towards being decided by the 15th minute, when Commercials led 0-10 to 0-2.

O’Connor accounted for the first four points, a two- point free in the second minute followed by two points from play, and then two points from Higgins, one each from Condon and Ryan Lambe, and then a two-point free from O’Connor after he had been fouled himself. The only Ballyporeen replies were from a Conor Sweeney free and a Darragh Brennan fisted point. That followed a ‘45 after Commercials goalkeeper Shane Ryan had brilliantly deflected a Kevin O’Mahoney shot on goal.

After the early Commercials onslaught, Ballyporeen settled well, but their shooting too often let them down. They did manage to score the next two points, a lovely score from Conor Sweeney after Mike Maher created the opening, and then a Sweeney free, after a move involving Christy English and Tommy Sweeney ended with a foul on Tomás Vaughan.

O’Connor replied with a two-point free for Commercials before Ballyporeen’s Tommy Sweeney curled over a lovely point to leave the half-time score 0-12 to 0-5. Then just twenty seconds into the second half, Darragh Brennan pointed after Bally’ had won the throw-in and the margin was down to six points.

However, it was a false dawn and over the next ten minutes Commercials put the game beyond the reach of their opponents, hitting 2-3 without reply – the points from Kevin Fahey, Ross Peters and a Sean O’Connor free, and the goals in the space of four minutes from O’Connor, after great play from Peters and Lambe to create the opening, and then from Sean Kennedy, following a great run at the heart of the defence from O’Dowd.

At fifteen points down, 2-15 to 0-6, and twenty minutes still to play, Ballyporeen were facing an embarrassing defeat, but their response was impressive, reflecting the character of the club and the players.

A Darragh Brennan shot rebounded off the crossbar when a goal looked certain; Christy English kicked a point; and Riain O’Callaghan gave Shane Ryan no chance with a superb shot to the top corner of the net following good play from Darragh Lyons and Conor Sweeney.

Sean O’Connor replied with a Commercials point, but back came Ballyporeen again with a brilliant Christy English goal after good play from Darragh Brennan in the build-up, followed by a point from sub Gavin Canty to leave Ballyporeen eight in arrears, 2-16 to 2-8, with more than five minutes to play.

O’Connor from play and Sweeney from a free exchanged points before a third Commercials goal put the result beyond any doubt, Joe Higgins finishing after the best move of the game that showcased the speed and accuracy of the side’s attacking prowess.

O’Connor, with another free, and Darragh Brennan with a two-pointer from play wrapped up the scoring to leave Commercials ten points clear at the final whistle.

Clonmel Commercials: Shane Ryan, Jamie O’Keeffe, Ross Slattery, Jamie Ahearn, Billy Tierney, Tadhg Condon 0-1; Conor Deely, Joe Higgins 1-2; Darragh O’Connor, Rory O’Dowd, Kevin Fahey 0-1; Ross Peters 0-1; Sean Kennedy 1-0, Sean O’Connor 1-12, 3 2pt f, 3f; Ryan Lambe 0-1.

Sub: Tadhg Walsh for Peters (47).

Ballyporeen: Glen Walsh, Riain O’Callaghan 1-0; Mikey Maher, Eoin Morrissey, Charlie English, Tomás Vaughan, Kevin O’Mahoney, James Barry, Darragh Brennan 0-4, 1 2pt; Darragh Lyons, Christy English 1-1; Dean Finn, Fionán O’Sullivan, Conor Sweeney 0-4, 3f; Tommy Sweeney 0-1.

Subs: Oisin Brennan for O’Sullivan (41), Gavin Canty 0-1 for Tommy Sweeney (52), Colm O’Flynn for Lyons (61).

Referee: Willie Fitzharris (Fr Sheehy’s).