Extra time class wins the day as Tipp's minor footballers regain the Daryl Darcy Cup

Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship -  Phase 1 Final (Daryl Darcy Cup)

Tipperary 1-16

Clare 1-14

AET

By Michael Dundon

Having edged Clare out in a thriller a week previously, Tipperary's minor footballers delivered more of the same as they ousted the Banner boys in a nail-biting phase 1 final of the Munster minor football championship at Semple Stadium on Monday to book their place in the provincial semi-final against the losers of  Kerry versus Cork.

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The double bonus for the Tipp lads is that they also captured the Darryl Darcy cup, and the win gives them a home semi-final next week, both richly deserved. 

They also made amends to some degree for the disappointment of having been beaten in the Darcy Cup final for the past two years, last year to Clare and Limerick the year previously.

After the hectic finish to their round 3 clash with Clare, Tipp getting over the line by a point with a Dylan McCormack penalty goal deep in injury time, all the indications were that this would be tight, and so it was, but there was no questioning the merit of the home win. 

Indee,d it could have been more, a disallowed goal and two goal chances going begging in the first half, and then a miscued free in front of the posts on the hour mark ending the game to extra time.

On top of that, Tipp were down to fourteen players for the closing minutes of the first hour, Darragh Bresnan being black-carded in the 52nd minute when they were 2 points behind. 

But this team is bursting with character, and they had the last 2 points to force extra time, having spurned a glorious chance for a winner with the missed free.

It all made for wonderful entertainment and prompted the thought that it was a pity there was a loser. The 642 attendees got full value for their money with a rip-roaring contest from start to finish. 

Tipp opened well and were 0-2 to 0-1 ahead by the 10th minute when a Dylan McCormack effort was helped over the line for a Tipp goal by team captain Ned O'Meara, but the umpires ruled that the Mullinahone lad was infringing the square and crossed the flags.

With the score at 3-2 for Tip,p Clare might have had a goal, but Tipp goalie James O’Brien saved well from Clare dangerman Conor Burke after 15 minutes. Tipp had another goal chance coming to the break, but Aaron McAndrew was off target. Still, late points from Dylan McCormack and Ned O'Meara gave Tipp a 0-6 to 0-4 advantage at the break.

The third quarter was  Clare’s as they established a 0-13 to 0-9 lead, thanks largely to two double pointers from Conor Burke. Tipp were on the back foot, a goal chance for Sean Cleary yielding nothing but, as in the round-robin series, the Tipp lads didn’t die. A brace of O’Meara points and another for the very impressive Sean Burke, to which Burke responded for Clare, made it a two-point game after 51 minutes, but then Tipp lost Darragh Bresnan to a black card.

Yet agai,n the Tipp lads showed their resilience as they piled on the pressure to secure extra time with points from a Niall Delaney rasper brilliantly turned over the bar by Clare goalie Oisin Tierney, and Ned O'Meara in the 62nd minute.

The drama continued in extra time, as Conor Burke engineered a quality goal for Clare in the second minute. But in the seventh minute, Dylan McCormack netted a penalty for Tipp after Sean Griffin was fouled to leave it tied at 1-14 each at the break. 

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It was now a case of survival of the fittest, and in this regard, Tipp came out on top. Three minutes after resuming, Ned O'Meara pointed a free, and in the 78th minute, Killian Smith added another to clinch the win, Clare having failed to score in the second half of extra time.

Jubilation all round in the Tipp camp and rightly so, and following on the impressive showing by the county U20 squad this year, it heralds good times ahead for Tipp football. Next up, however, is the Munster semi-final next week, and hopefully this marathon encounter will not take too heavy a toll on the players. 

There were many star showings with the displays of Jack Kearney, Sean Burke, Sean Griffin, and Daniel Carles, particularly eye-catching. Dylan McCormack’s composure when converting the penalty chance, along with  Niall Delaney and Cormac McInerney’s work in defence in front of a very capable goalkeeper in James O’Brie,n were also worthy of note.

Clare contributed enormously to this encounter and in Conor Burke they had an outstanding young player with a bright future ahead of him. Donncha O’Dwyer, Shane Cahill, Oisin Tierney, Cathal McNamara and Aidan O’Connell were others to impress.

Scorers: Tipperary: Ned O’Meara (0-7, 0-6f), Dylan McCormack (1-1, 1-0 pen), Séan Burke 0-4, Killian Smith, Niall Delaney, Jack Kearney, Dara Maher all 0-1 each.

Clare: Conor Burke (1-9, one 2pt free), Michael Normoyle 0-2, Liam Casey, Ajay Daly, Danny Lyne all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: James O’Brien (Moyle Rovers); Cormac McInerney (Cashel King Cormacs), Daniel Charles (Clonmel Commercials), Conor Hurley (Moyle Rovers); Darragh Bresnan (Arravale Rovers), Niall Delaney (JK Brackens), Jack Kearney (Ballyporeen); Sean Griffin (Upperchurch Drombane), Aaron McAndrew (Moyle Rovers); Sean Burke (JK Brackens), Killian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Aaron Brazil (Lattin Cullen); Dylan McCormack (Clonmel Óg), Ned O’Meara (Mullinahone), Dara Maher(Clonmel Commercials).

Subs used: Sean Cleary (Knockavilla Kickhams) for Brazil (HT); Charlie Hall (Golden Kilfeacle) for McAndrew (43); Cillian Morrissey (Moyle Rovers) for Maher (45); Reuben Grace (Galtee Rovers) for Smith (59); Killian Fitzgerald (Lorrha) for Cleary (59); Killian Smith for Burke (73), Luke McKeogh (Ballina) for Kearney (76).

Clare: Oisin Tierney (Corofin); Cian Corry (Cooraclare), Aidan O’Connell (Éire Óg Ennis), James Rafferty (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield); Eoin Murphy (Cooraclare), Shane Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Ajay Daly (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Donncha O'Dwyer (St Breckan’s), Ruben Fallon (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Liam Keane (Lissycasey), Jack O’Loughlin (St Breckan’s), Danny Lyne (Éire Óg Ennis); Conor Burke (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Liam Casey (Kiladysart), Cathal McNamara (St Breckan’s).

Subs used: Michael Normoyle (St Breckan’s) for O’Loughlin (HT); Aaron Kelly (Cratloe) for Keane (HT); Rian O’Neill (St Breckan’s) for Muprhy (44); Ollie Sherlock (Cratloe) for Casey (49); Sean Hegarty (Banner) for Lyne (53); Darragh Fahy (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for O’Connell (ET); TJ Moore (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for Fallon (ET); Liam Casey for McNamara (72).

Referee: James Regan (Cork)