Extra time defeat means that Tipperary champions bow out of Munster Club senior football championship

Newcastle West 1-16  Clonmel Commercials 1-11 (after extra time)

Misfiring Clonmel Commercials spurned the chance to reach the Munster Club Senior Football Championship final for the seventh time in the club's history, when the 2015 winners were knocked out of the competition by Newcastle West after extra-time in this afternoon's dramatic semi-final at FBD Semple Stadium.

Championship favourites Commercials had sprung a surprise on Nemo Rangers in the quarter-final a fortnight ago but this time it was they who were on the receiving end of a shock result, as a more clinical and economical Newcastle West upset the odds to reach their first provincial final in 35 years.

The Clonmel team never came close to achieving the level of consistency required to put them through to their first final in four years, nor could they replicate the fluency of the performance that had seen them devastate Nemo Rangers at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

However, despite only playing in fits and starts, they still came within a whisker of snatching victory in normal time, only for Newcastle West to fashion an equaliser and send the game to extra time, when they proved themselves the better team.

The teams were deadlocked at 1-10 to 0-13 at the end of normal time, and after Eoin Hurley’s point from a mark had edged Newcastle West ahead in the 65th minute, the crucial score of the game arrived towards the end of the first period of extra time when Aaron Neville sent Emmet Rigter clear to steer a low shot to the net and put the Limerick side ahead by 1-14 to 0-10 at half-time in extra time. After that, Newcastle West never looked like being beaten.

Eoin Hurley extended Newcastle West’s lead in the 71st minute before Commercials received their third black card of the afternoon when Tadhg Condon was sent to the line, after Kevin Fahey and Ciaran Cannon had been similarly sanctioned towards the conclusion of normal time, which had left the Clonmel team to battle with just 13 players for the majority of that first chunk of extra time.

Finding themselves five points in arrears, the prospect of a recovery was bleak but the Clonmel team pushed to the very end, and Peter McGarry had an effort deflected by Newcastle West goalie Michael Quilligan in the 78th minute. McGarry went close again shortly afterwards when he punched wide, but by then his team’s faltering hopes had all but disappeared, Commercials' only consolation coming when Jason Lonergan's rising shot flew over the crossbar, as their challenge fizzled out.

Commercials couldn't be faulted for effort but the midas touch deserted them against stubborn, difficult opponents. Their challenge benefited greatly from Jack Kennedy's performance around the middle of the field, and he was their orchestrator-in-chief. Seamus Kennedy anchored the defence with ruthless efficiency and he made several forward surges to rouse his side and offer them more options in attack.

At various stages, they had other men of substance in goalkeeper Michael O'Reilly, Sean O'Connor, Ross Peters, Conal Kennedy, James Morris, Cathal Deely, Michael Quinlivan and Jason Lonergan.

Normal time had ended in a thrilling finale, with each side looking to have done enough to secure the victory at different stages. 

Emmet Rigter put Newcastle West ahead by a point with five minutes remaining, after the Clonmel team had led for most of the second half, but Commercials’ response was impressive. Michael Quinlivan took a pass from Conal Kennedy and scored a great solo point with a minute left on the clock, and when Kevin Fahey found the target in the first of five minutes of additional time Commercials were back in front.

When goalie Michael O'Reilly rose like a salmon to prevent Emmet Rigter's effort from dropping over the bar, Commercials were within touching distance of a place in the final. But Newcastle West had one final kick left in them. As the heart-stopping drama continued, Ruadhan O’Connor supplied the equaliser - the sixth and final time that the sides were level - with the last kick of normal time deep into added time, after the Limerick team had worked a free back and forth across the pitch.   

With Commercials playing for most of the first period of extra time with just 13 players, after Kevin Fahey and Ciaran Cannon had departed, Newcastle West availed of the numerical advantage to regain the lead when Eoin Hurley scored from a mark. 

Fahey and Cannon returned for Commercials near the end of the first period but then a quick break led to Emmet Rigter's goal, which opened up a four-points lead, the largest margin that had separated the teams on the scoreboard.

From the early moments this game had developed into an arm wrestle, with each team getting plenty of bodies behind the ball whenever the other was in possession, and it was some time before it developed into a free-flowing spectacle.

The sides traded early points through Newcastle West captain Iain Corbett and Eoin Hurley (free) and Commercials’ Jason Lonergan and Sean O’Connor to leave the scores tied at 0-2 each after 14 minutes, although Commercials had a glimpse of a goal when Colman Kennedy shot straight at Newcastle West goalie Michael Quilligan in the eleventh minute.

The next phase of the game was dominated by the Limerick champions, whose dogged defensive work stifled Commercials and prevented them from slipping into their elegant stride.

A series of unforced errors and poor wides didn’t do the home side any favours either, and poor shooting was to hamper their prospects throughout. They finished with 14 wides, compared to just three for Newcastle West.

By contrast, Newcastle West’s more direct style paid handsome dividends, with scores from Diarmaid Kelly (free), Cian Sheehan and Diarmaid Kelly again, this time from play, opening up a three-point gap, 0-5 to 0-2, by the 29th minute.

However, the course of the game was completely altered just before the half-time whistle, with the Clonmel team striking 1-2 in the space of two minutes to regain the lead for the first time since the sixth minute.

Sean O’Connor scored the goal, the chance created by their best move of the game which was assembled by Kevin Fahey, Padraic Looram, Michael Quinlivan and Colman Kennedy. The points came from Jack Kennedy's free after a great burst by Seamus Kennedy (their first score in 24 minutes) and Sean O’Connor, as the Clonmel team led by 1-4 to 0-6 at the break having turned the game on its head.

However, Commercials found it impossible to shake off Newcastle West in the second half of normal time. As the game progressed the Limerick side became stronger, thanks to high quality performances from Cian Sheehan, Emmet Rigter, Diarmaid Kelly Eoin Hurley and captain Iain Corbett.

They will now meet Kerins O'Rahillys in the final on December 10, after the Kerry team beat Eire Og Ennis by 1-9 to 1-8 in Sunday's other semi-final.   

Scorers for Clonmel Commercials: Sean O’Connor (1-2), Jason Lonergan (0-3, 1 free), Jack Kennedy (0-2 frees), Michael Quinlivan (0-2), Cathal Deely (0-1), Kevin Fahey (0-1).

Scorers for Newcastle West: Eoin Hurley (0-6, 3 frees, 1 mark), Emmet Rigter (1-1), Cian Sheehan (0-3), Diarmaid Kelly (0-3, 1 free), Ruadhan O’Connor (0-1), Iain Corbett (0-1), Brian O’Sullivan (0-1). 

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS: Michael O’Reilly; James Morris, Seamus Kennedy, Jamie Peters (captain); Tadhg Condon, Kevin Fahey, Padraic Looram; Jack Kennedy, Michael Quinlivan; Conal Kennedy, Jason Lonergan, Cathal Deely; Colman Kennedy, Sean O’Connor, Ross Peters.

Subs: Peter McGarry for Colman Kennedy (43 minutes), Aldo Matassa for Ross Peters (52 minutes), Ciaran Cannon for Jamie Peters (60 minutes), Cian Smith for Cathal Deely (60 minutes), Colman Kennedy for Cian Smith (70 minutes).

NEWCASTLE WEST: Michael Quilligan; Michael O’Keeffe, Darren O’Doherty, Brian O’Sullivan; Ruadhan O’Connor, James Kelly, Iain Corbett (captain); Emmet Rigter, Sean Murphy; Cian Sheehan, Shane Stack, Diarmaid Kelly; Todd O’Donovan, Mike McMahon, Eoin Hurley.

Subs: Seamus Hurley for Todd O’Donovan (38 minutes), Aaron Neville for James Kelly (48 minutes),  Thomas Quilligan for Shane Stack (56 minutes), Brian Hurley for Sean Murphy (60 +3 minutes), Steven Brosnan for Emmet Rigter (80 minutes), Brian Foley for Cian Sheehan (80+1 minutes).

REFEREE: David Murnane (Cork).