Clonmel Commercials win another Tipperary County Senior Football Championship

Clonmel Commercials 1-10 Upperchurch/Drombane 1-2

They might have been outscored in the second half and they even finished the game with 13 players, but strong favourites Clonmel Commercials still enjoyed a relatively comfortable victory in today's FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship Final.
In a game in which the persistent rain made for extremely difficult conditions at FBD Semple Stadium, the Clonmel team was fuelled by powerhouse performances from man of the match Jack Kennedy, Kevin Fahey, Michael Quinlivan and Seamus Kennedy as they secured their 20th title and a third in four years, which puts them one behind Fethard in the overall roll of honour.
Rank outsiders Upperchurch/Drombane, playing in their first county senior football final, were ten points in arrears at the midway stage (1-8 to 0-1) but to their credit they battled away to the very end.
Surprise conquerors of holders Loughmore/Castleiney in the semi-final, Upperchurch spent large periods of the second half camped in the Commercials half, as they pressed forward relentlessly, but they found scores hard to source against a mean Commercials defence.
As the rain that fell from a slate grey sky got heavier, Luke Shanahan converted a free from a tight angle six minutes into the second half and they had a gilt-edged chance to get even closer when they were awarded a penalty in the 38th minute, when Luke Shanahan was fouled as he raced through on goal.
However, Commercials goalie Michael O'Reilly came to his team's rescue when he saved Paul Shanahan's spot kick with his legs, and the rebound was cleared.
A goal at that juncture would have done wonders for the mid team's confidence. When they did eventually find the net, it came too late to have a bearing on the outcome.
A converted Jack Kennedy free for Commercials lifted the mini siege in the 44th minute and restored their 10-points advantage.
Undaunted by those setbacks, Upperchurch kept plugging away, boosted by the sterling efforts of Paul Shanahan, Diarmaid Grant, Keith Ryan, Jack Butler, Luke Shanahan, half-time substitute Sean Ryan and captain Ailbe O'Donoghue.
And they had a deserved reward for their endeavours when a loose ball was lashed to the net by Jack Butler in the 56th minute.
However Commercials had enough about them to see the game out to the finish, with Michael Quinlivan's free, kicked from the ground from distance in the 61st minute, putting the seal on the victory.
Commercials had to play the last 11 minutes (including additional time) without Ross Peters, who departed on a second yellow card, while substitute Peter McGarry received a black card in additional time.
However, they worked sufficiently hard all over the pitch to compensate for those losses, Peters' especially.  
This game was effectively decided between the 13th and 16th minutes, when Commercials struck for an unanswered 1-3.
The uneventful and drab early stages had been encouraging for Upperchurch, whose dogged approach and closing down of their opponents suggested that the Clonmel team wouldn't get anything too soft from their opponents.
There was no score of any description in the first 12 minutes, although Commercials had already accumulated four wides against two for Upperchurch, who started with the advantage of the slight breeze.
However, all that changed in the 13th minute, which proved to be an unlucky 13 for Upperchurch. Their defence, which had been watertight up to then, was carved open by the first moment of real quality in the game, as Jack Kennedy, James Morris and Michael Quinlivan strung together a series of passes that ended with Padraic Looram shooting high into the net for the opening score.
Commercials wasted no time in following up with points from Sean O'Connor (mark), Jack Kennedy and Cathal Deely, and as early as the 16th minute the O'Dwyer Cup looked destined for a return to the south of the county.
Once they got into their stride, the odds-on favourites Commercials moved onto a different level with their slick passing and movement on and off the ball. These were aspects of the performance that were eloquently expressed by several players including Jason Lonergan, Michael Quinlivan, Sean O'Connor, Jack Kennedy, Kevin Fahey, Padraic Looram, Colman Kennedy and Ross Peters, and which had Upperchurch in all sorts of bother.  
As the first half progressed the Clonmel side added further points from a Jack Kennedy free, kicked from the ground from about 45 metres in the 18th minute; Jason Lonergan, Sean O'Connor, another Jack Kennedy free and a fine point from Michael Quinlivan, as they eased into a 1-8 to no score lead after 25 minutes.
A second Commercials goal looked on the cards after 26 minutes, only for Upperchurch goalie James Griffin to deny Sean O'Connor with a point-blank save.
Upperchurch/Drombane avoided the embarrassment of ending the first half without a score when Paul Shanahan steered a free, awarded after the hardworking Jack Butler had been fouled, between the posts after 27 minutes.
However, trailing by 1-8 to 0-1 at the break, they were already in deep trouble.
By that stage, Commercials were well on their way to atoning for their defeat by Loughmore/Castleiney in last year's final, when John McGrath's late goal snatched the three in a row from their grasp.
They may have finished the season empty-handed but it has still been a very memorable year for Upperchurch/Drombane in senior hurling and senior football, as they reached the county semi-finals in the former and the final in the latter.
Claiming silverware will be the next goal for the mid club, who had a great following in Thurles on Sunday.
Clonmel Commercials: Michael O'Reilly, James Morris, Seamus Kennedy, Jamie Peters (captain), Tadhg Condon, Kevin Fahey, Padraic Looram (1-0), Aldo Matassa, Michael Quinlivan (0-2, 1 free) Jack Kennedy (0-4, 3 frees) Jason Lonergan (0-1), Cathal Deely (0-1), Colman Kennedy, Sean O'Connor (0-2, 1 mark) Ross Peters.
Substitutes: Conal Kennedy for Cathal Deely (36 minutes), Peter McGarry for Aldo Matassa (46 minutes), Donal Lynch for Jack Kennedy (57 minutes), Cian Smith for Sean O'Connor (60 minutes), Enda Dunphy for Jamie Peters (62 minutes).
Upperchurch/Drombane: James Griffin, Ger Grant, Matt Ryan, Ailbe O'Donoghue (captain), Dean Carew, Gavin Ryan, Michael Lavery, Keith Ryan, Jack Butler (1-0), Pat Ryan, Paul Shanahan (0-1 free), Diarmaid Grant, Luke Shanahan (0-1 free), Niall Grant, Loughlin Ryan.
Substitutes: Sean Ryan for Pat Ryan, Conor Fahey for Loughlin Ryan (both half-time), Colm Ryan for Niall Grant (51 minutes), Padraig Greene for Diarmaid Grant (60 minutes).
Referee: Sean Lonergan (Moyle Rovers).