Tipperary deficiencies exposed by clinical Clare in opening round loss of Munster U20 campaign

Dalata Hotel Group GAA Under 20 Munster Football Championship

Tipperary 1-11

Clare 1-16

An impressive flurry of 1-4 that included two beautiful two-pointers and a sensational goal from Clare talisman Sean Fennell halfway through the first half proved to be the undoing of Tipperary who lost out to a slicker and more clinical Clare side in the opening round of the Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 Football Championship in Quilty on Saturday afternoon.

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Played in beautiful spring sunshine on the Atlantic coast, it was as close to perfect conditions as you could expect at the moment. Unfortunately, from a Tipperary viewpoint, the home team were keen to make the most of home comforts, and after Fennell opened up a seven-point gap around the 15th minute, Tipperary didn’t have the scoring nous to bring down the deficit sufficiently for the remainder.

Liam Kiely’s opportunistic goal in the 19th minute gave Tipperary a decent platform to make their way back into the game, but they just couldn’t take advantage of the openings they created at times throughout, and the inability to win possession from kickouts at both ends was also a major handicap in the wind-up.

Paddy O’Gorman’s charges did start the second half well and cut the gap to three points by the 40th minute with vice-captain Emmet Bonner’s introduction making a big difference around the middle third. Clare though, from here, always had a response and managed to get the scores to keep Tipperary at bay for the rest of the second half.

Tipperary started the game very well in the first seconds, particularly with James Power floating over a class two-point effort with hardly 60 seconds elapsed on the clock.

The sides were quite evenly matched in the ten minutes after the throw-in, with Clare hitting the front with their first two points after four minutes through well-taken efforts from Darragh Townsend and Daire Culligan.

The Premier outfit, though, were looking dangerous, particularly through the Nevilles of Fethard with Gavin Neville picking off a classy score in the fifth minute, and when Liam Freaney slipped over a close-range free three minutes later, Tipp would have been happy with their start.

Tipp would go ten minutes before scoring again after that Freaney placed ball. Clare burst into life, or, more accurately, Sean Fennell who showed his quality and why he is one of the brightest prospects in Clare at the moment.

He would pick off two unreal two-pointers either side of a sensational goal, where he burst through the middle of the Tipperary defence before unleashing a right footed effort to the top corner from the outside of his boot. 

Showing all the ability he has, he picked off those two pointers - one with either foot - as the Tipperary defence could not get a handle on the Kilrush Shamrocks man.

It was no coincidence that the Clare dominance came when Tipperary were struggling massively to gain possession from their kickouts. Those Fennell scores were a result of at least four kickouts that the Banner men gobbled up.

Liam Kiely stopped the rot for Tipperary on 18 minutes when a Liam Freaney two-point effort skewed off the boot of the Kilsheelan Kilcash man, holding up in the air, and the contested ball between Kiley and Clare goalie Harry O’Gorman saw the ball spill in front of goal for Kiely to slide home from mere yards.

Indeed, Tipp were right back in the game five minutes later when some incisive attacking play produced goal chances for both Liam Freaney and Shane Ryan, but were fisted over the bar instead. Clare leading 1-8 to 1-6.

Still, Clare managed to steady down before half-time, punishing Tipp indiscipline to flick over two frees from the trusty left boot of Daire Culligan to give the hosts a 1-10 to 1-6 half-time lead.

More primary possession would be required after the resumption for Tipperary, who found themselves six points in arrears within two minutes after Darragh Townsend from play and Sean Fennell's free kick pushed out their lead.

Looking for an injection of energy, Paddy O’Gorman sprung Emmet Bonner off the bench quickly, and he made an immediate difference, hoovering up possessions in the middle third instantly, and it led to three in a row for Tipp with two Liam Freaney frees along with a Liam Kiely point from play bringing it back to three at 1-12 to 1-9.

That gap was maintained up to the 48th minute, but a few harsh decisions that were of the ‘hometown’ variety gave Clare the edge they needed as they picked off the last two scores of the game in the final ten minutes - all from Daire Culligan frees - to copperfasten their victory and leave Tipperary needing two wins from their final Phase 1 games.

They will host Limerick next Saturday afternoon in New Inn, with the Treaty there for the taking after suffering a dismal home loss to Waterford in Rathkeale themselves.

Scorers: Tipperary: Liam Freaney (0-5, 0-4f), Liam Kiely 1-1, James Power (0-2, 1x2pt), Mark Neville 0-1f, Gavin Neville, Shane Ryan 0-1 each.

Clare: Sean Fennell (1-6, 2x2pt, 0-2f), Daire Culligan (0-7, 0-5f), Darragh Townsend 0-2, Donncha O'Dwyer 0-1.

Tipperary: Peter Boland (Moyle Rovers); Jack McGonigle (Rockwell Rovers), Cillian Butler (Ballina), Jack Kearney (Ballyporeen); Gavin Neville (Fethard), Danny Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Jamie O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials); Oran Gahan (St Patrick’s), Dylan Cotter (Thurles Gaels); James Power (Clonmel Commercials), Sean Griffin (Upperchurch Drombane), Liam Kiely (Fethard); Mark Neville (Fethard), Liam Freaney (Kilsheelan Kilcash), Shane Ryan (Ardfinnan).

Subs used: Emmet Bonner (Galtee Rovers) for Morris (38); Charlie Walsh (Fethard) for Cotter (46); John Cronin (Moyle Rovers) for Kiely (46); Darragh Bresnan (Arravale Rovers) for C Ryan (51); Paddy Chapman (Aherlow) for Bonner (64, blood sub).

Clare: Harry O’Gorman (Cooraclare); Louie Griffin (Ennistymon), Stephen Murphy (St Joseph’s Milltown Malbay), Aaron Killeen (Lissycasey); Daniel Brody (Ennistymon), Diarmuid Boyle (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield), Michael Kelly (Lissycasey); Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Sean Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks); Darragh Townsend (Cooraclare), Colm Breen (Corofin), Donncha O’Dwyer (St Breckan’s); Diarmuid McMahon (Lissycasey), Daire Culligan (Lissycasey), Ruben Fallon (Kilmurry Ibrickane).

Subs used: Christian Cummins (Corofin) for Griffin (HT); Seanan Kirby (Corofin) for Fallon (61); Sean O’Dea (Cooraclare) for Breen (62).

Referee: Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh (Kerry)

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