Clonmel Commercials manager pleased that his team 'got there in the end'

“We got there in the end not playing brilliantly but credit goes to Newcastle West for that," manager Tommy Morrissey stated after his Clonmel Commercials team beat the Limerick team in the AIB Munster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final.

Commercials' win has earned them a home semi-final against Kerry representatives Dingle on Sunday week, November 26.

Morrissey described because Newcastle West's brand of football as "defensive, defensive, defensive, and then they turn you over and they’re gone at pace".

“We had to try and react to that and I thought we did. I won’t lie, it took us the guts of the first half to get with it, but in the second half I thought we played well and we did what we wanted to do”.

When asked what was the message at half time, he said “I felt we were being impatient in the first half, it was just about settling ourselves, keeping the ball.

“In the final third we were trying to force it, possibly trying to carry that ball too close to the goal. We just said we need to use the width of the field and look for our shooters, and we did more of that in the second half.

“They had to come out a little bit more and naturally there was more of a gap in behind, and you can see the goal that Peter (McGarry) got from that. If his goal in the county final was ranked as one of the greats, I think this one is even better than that.

“Peter is a fabulous player. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s involved in the extended panel with the Tipperary senior hurlers because he’s full of talent, whether it’s football or hurling, and is someone I think who can play at that level”.

On other individual performances, the manager stated that Rory O’Dowd was “extremely clever in possession and he is extremely strong for a small man as well, he’s very strong in the tackle and hard to dispossess.

“He’s an exceptional player and I have no doubt the new Tipperary management team will be looking at Rory because in my opinion he’s at that standard, and he has proven it on days like today.

“It was good to have Jack Kennedy back and I don’t think I have ever seen Jack not play well. He’s a fabulous footballer and from his assist for Seanie (O’Connor) for the goal, everything else he did I thought was very good. We were delighted to get the hour into him because that wasn’t the plan.

"We had a back-up plan if he needed to come out, but fortunate enough the injury stayed away. Please God he’ll get a bit of rest in the next couple of days and be ready to go for training this week”.

Of captain Seamus Kennedy, he said “When you’re under a bit of pressure Seamus stands up.

“He’s a fabulous athlete and player”.