Clonmel Commercials keep their bid for three in a row Tipperary football championships alive

Clonmel Commercials 0-16 Kilsheelan/Kilcash 0-5

Champions Clonmel Commercials cruised into another FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship final with the minimum of fuss, following an eleven-points victory over neighbours Kilsheelan/Kilcash at Leahy Park, Cashel on Sunday.

After the earlier defeat of favourites Moyle Rovers by Loughmore/Castleiney in the first semi-final, the Clonmel side were determined not to be the victims of a second upset on the day, as they eased past the challenge of Kilsheelan.

As they bid for three-in-a-row, they now face the formidable prospect of meeting remarkable dual club Loughmore/Castleiney in the decider. They’ll know after this Sunday’s hurling final if the Mid side will be looking for a county double or else making up for a hurling final defeat.

Of course, Clonmel Commercials will be concentrating on their own game, and Tommy Morrissey and his management team will be happy enough with how they got through Sunday’s semi-final.

It was workmanlike rather than flashy, building their score steadily in the first half to lead 0-7 to 0-2 at half-time. They conceded two points to Kilsheelan in the opening minutes of the second half, but then went on to hit seven without reply to consolidate their supremacy.

Their defence was as much a key to their win as the attack, shutting up shop on the Kilsheelan attack and restricting it to just three points from play, with a virtual chokehold on their forwards. Back in defence again, Michael Quinlivan combined his defensive duties with a roving role in attack when needed while Kevin Fahey, Tadhg Condon, Ross Slattery and Padraic Looram minded the house at the back with a hugely impressive defensive display.

Kevin Fahey didn’t come back out for the second half after feeling a twinge in his hamstring, and with Jason Lonergan departing the scene in the second half with what looked like a similar problem, those injuries might be a concern for manager Morrissey before the final.

Upfront Sean O’Connor was in sparkling form and involved in most of the side’s best plays. He was unerring from placed balls, pointing four frees and two marks, as well as kicking two points from play in his impressive 0-9 total.

Equally crucial was Peter McGarry’s three points from play. McGarry always picks the direct route to goal when in possession and it paid handsome dividends on Sunday. One of his best runs looked certain to end with a goal in the second half but for once his shot was low and off target.

Despite picking up a head injury in the opening minutes, Joe Higgins returned to the action with his head bandaged but that didn’t prevent him from putting in an impressive display, using his strength to break tackles and set up teammates with accurate lay-offs.

After an impressive run to the semi-final, the game didn’t pan out as Kilsheelan would have hoped. Mark Stokes gave them the lead inside the first minute, and they were only 0-3 to 0-2 behind midway through the half. But once Commercials got into their usual rhythm, they weren’t able to stay with them.

Daire Brennan was a pillar of strength at the heart of the defence, as well as joining in many of the attacks, with Micheál Freaney busy at midfield, and Liam Freaney and Jamie Roche the pick of the attack.

Kilsheelan matched Commercials in all aspects of play in the opening quarter. Sean O’Connor from a free cancelled out Stokes’ opener, but it was another nine minutes before he pointed another free to give the champions the lead – it followed a flowing move, with Quinlivan putting Cian Smith in the clear before he was fouled.

Smith pointed in the next minute from a Joe Higgins pass, but Kilsheelan hit back immediately with Liam Freaney kicking a great score.

The rest of the half belonged to the town side as they hit four without reply. O’Connor made it 0-4 to 0-2 from a mark after taking a Cathal Deely pass, and Jason Lonergan pushed the lead out to three following a quick break.

Following a foul on Micheál Freaney, Kilsheelan goalkeeper Evan Comerford was surprisingly off-target from the resulting free. Commercials capitalised on the let-off, with Peter McGarry spotting a gap at the heart of the Kilsheelan defence and bursting through to score.

McGarry was also heavily involved in the next score before Ross Peters was fouled, and Sean O’Connor pointed the free for a 0-7 to 0-2 interval lead. Kilsheelan should have been closer when they won a free following good play from Tommy O’Connor and Mark Stokes, but Jamie Roche was off-target with the free.

The half-time break appeared to revitalise Kilsheelan, as they were the better side in the first ten minutes of the second half. In the first minute, a high ball into the Clonmel square from Mark Kehoe was fisted over by Liam Freaney to reduce the gap to four points.

Commercials replied immediately when Michael Quinlivan put Sean O’Connor through to score, and then Commercials produced one of their best moves of the game, involving Cian Smith and Peter McGarry, before O’Connor shot to the net, but the referee disallowed the goal for an infringement and awarded a free out.

Then after Jack Kennedy was off-target from a free, Kilsheelan hit back again when Jamie Roche pointed a free to make it a four-points game, 0-8 to 0-4, eight minutes into the half.

But that was as good as it got for the village side, as Commercials moved up through the gears. In the space of four minutes, O’Connor hit three points – from a free following a foul on Smith; from play after a great run from McGarry; and from a free after he had been fouled himself.

At 0-11 to 0-4 entering the final quarter, the game was slipping from Kilsheelan. Commercials were now playing with a fluency and freedom and four more points from McGarry, a Jack Kennedy free, a Sean O’Connor mark and another from McGarry made it 0-15 to 0-4 with five minutes to go.

Comerford pointed a Kilsheelan ‘45 for the side’s first score in twenty minutes before Ross Peters completed the Commercials’ total in the final minute. After being competitive in the early stages of both halves, it was a dispiriting outcome for Kilsheelan, who failed to stay with Commercials once the champions upped the pace.

Those from Commercials who were in Cashel early to watch the first semi-final will know that a totally different challenge awaits them in the final.

SEE ALSO: Tipperary hurler Patrick 'Bonner' Maher announces retirement

Clonmel Commercials: Shane Ryan, Kevin Fahey, Tadhg Condon, Ross Slattery, Michael Quinlivan, Padraic Looram, Jason Lonergan 0-1; Cathal Deely, Jack Kennedy 0-1 free; Joe Higgins, Peter McGarry 0-3; Cian Smith 0-1; Conal Kennedy, Sean O’Connor 0-9, 4 frees, 2 marks; Ross Peters 0-1.

Subs: Thomas Charles for Kevin Fahey, Conor Deely for Padraic Looram, Rory O’Dowd for Jason Lonergan, Darragh O’Connor for Jack Kennedy, Billy Tierney for Ross Peters.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Evan Comerford 0-1 ’45; Conor Neville, Jason Madigan, Mark Stokes 0-1; Emmet Butler, Daire Brennan, Billy O’Connor, Micheál Freaney, Billy Murphy, Tommy O’Connor, Mark Kehoe, Barry Kehoe, Jamie Roche 0-1 free; Conor Davin-Murphy, Liam Freaney 0-2.

Subs: Senan Butler for Conor Davin-Murphy, Sean Ryan for Emmet Butler, Tadhg McGuire for Billy Murphy, Eoin Kehoe for Tommy O’Connor.

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne/Templetuohy).