Facile victory for Clonmel Commercials in Tipperary County Senior Football Championship quarter-final

Clonmel Commercials 4-13 Ballyporeen 0-7

Clonmel Commercials booked their place in the last four of the FBD Insurances County Senior Football Championship with a comfortable victory over Ballyporeen in Sunday's quarter-final in Ardfinnan.
It took the Clonmel team some time to get motoring but once they did Ballyporeen had no answer to their pace and power.
Ballyporeen lined out without their talisman Conor Sweeney, although in the early stages they dispelled the notion that they would roll over too easily without the county captain, who was injured. 
With Rian O'Callaghan, Darragh Lyons, John Martin and Tommy Sweeney all in good form for the outsiders, the teams were level on three occasions by the 20th minute.
However Commercials then seized control to open up a four points lead (1-6 to 0-5) by half-time. 
Ballyporeen's Darragh Lyons was off-target when he had a chance to put his side ahead for the first time, but Padraic Looram made no mistake when he had a similar opportunity at the other end to push his team in front by a point in the 22nd minute. It was a lead they never surrendered.
Points from Jack Kennedy's free, Michael Quinlivan from play and another free, this time from Colman Kennedy, gave Commercials that four-points advantage at the break.
After the turnover the Clonmel side soon took up where they had left off. In the opening ten minutes of the half they were virtually camped in the Ballyporeen half, and after they had added an unanswered 2-4 to their tally during that period they were well on their way to a routine victory.
The half was three minutes old when Padraic Looram found the net after a swift move between Seamus Kennedy (who was twice involved), Jack Kennedy and Sean O'Connor sliced open the Ballyporeen rearguard.Jason Lonergan added a point, and with Commercials completely on top they could have had a few more goals than the four they scored.
Colman Kennedy went close when he sent a shot wide, and after Sean O'Connor and Jack Kennedy scored points Michael Quinlivan raised another white flag, although he was only denied a goal by a great save by Ballyporeen 'keeper Kieran Macken. 
However there was no respite for Ballyporeen and it was no surprise when Padraic Looram scored Commercials' third goal, supplying the finishing touch to a move constructed by Michael Quinlivan and Colman Kennedy.
Sean O'Connor had a shot blocked as the Clonmel team again went for the jugular but the young corner forward wasn't to be denied when he was presented with a chance from the penalty spot, when Michael Quinlivan was brought down, sending the goalie the wrong way for his side's fourth goal.
Darragh Lyons had Ballyporeen's first point of the second half after 22 minutes, which was also their first score in 32 minutes. However by then the outcome had long since been decided, with Christopher English scoring another consolation point for Bally before Commercials' Jason Lonergan had the last score of the afternoon from a free. 
It was only fitting that Lonergan completed the scoring, as he also had the first significant score of the afternoon when he rolled home Commercials' opening goal in the ninth minute, a score created by Michael Quinlivan's piercing solo.
Ballyporeen were very competitive in those opening exchanges, with Rian O'Callaghan, Tomas Vaughan, John Martin (from a free) and Tommy Sweeney (from a 45) kicking fine points.
But once Commercials' Michael Quinlivan, Seamus Kennedy, Padraic Looram, Jason Lonergan, Sean O'Connor and the Kennedy brothers - Jack, Colman and Conal - warmed to the task, there was only going to be one result. 
 
Commercials - Michael O'Reilly, Danny Madigan, Jamie Peters (captain), Cathal McGeever, Kevin Fahey (0-1), Seamus Kennedy, Richie Gunne, Jack Kennedy (0-5, 2 frees and 1 '45), Conal Kennedy, Padraic Looram (2-1), Michael Quinlivan (0-2), Ross Peters, Colman Kennedy (0-1 free), Sean O'Connor (1-1, 1-0 penalty) and Jason Lonergan (1-2).

Substitutes - Donal Lynch for Michael Quinlivan and Shane Taylor for Richie Gunne.

Ballyporeen - Kieran Macken, Shane Molan, Eoin Kearney (captain), Dean Finn, Anthony Crotty, John O'Callaghan, Eoin Morrissey, Rian O'Callaghan (0-1), Tommy Sweeney (0-1), Bobby Breedy, John Martin (0-2 frees), Darragh Lyons (0-1), Christopher English (0-1 free), Noel Vaughan and Tomas Vaughan (0-1).

Substitutes - Seamus O'Callaghan for Shane Molan, Adrian English for Anthony Crotty, Dave Hyland for Tomas Vaughan, Fionan O'Sullivan for Dave Hyland and Mikey Sweeney for Tommy Sweeney.
Referee - Martin Doyle (Ardfinnan).