Champions Clonmel Commercials cruise past Aherlow to book semi-final spot

FBD Insurance Senior Football Championship - Group 1 - Round 3

Clonmel Commercials 2-14

Aherlow 0-8

Clonmel Commercials, the holders, are safely through to the semi-final of the FBD Insurance Senior Football Championship following their twelve-point victory over Aherlow at Hannon Park, Lattin, on Thursday evening.

Played before a very small crowd at Hannon Park, it was Aherlow who got the scoreboard moving when midfielder Mark Russell landed a two-pointer from out near the stand side after just ninety seconds.

This gave them a lead for the only time during the game, a lead that was short-lived as Sean O’Connor replied with a similar two-pointer from a placed ball some two minutes later.

Commercials took the lead on seven minutes, courtesy of O’Connor again from a free outside the arc, after the ball was moved forward for a technical infringement.

They set the pace from early on without ever getting out of third gear, as Aherlow were having great difficulty in penetrating the Clonmel defence, and when they did, their shooting and shot choices let them down. Also, they had too many players who were reluctant to have a pop when in a good attacking position.

The Clonmel side knew that they were safely through to the knockout stages even before a ball was kicked, likewise for the West men, who also knew their fate going into the game. Commercials pushed on over the second quarter and outscored their opponents by 0-4 to 0-1 during that period, going in at half-time leading by 0-9 to 0-3.

Following the restart, Aherlow found the target with two minors, either side of a Clonmel major from Cian Smith, and a second major at the start of the fourth quarter consolidated their superiority.

Aherlow introduced their veteran Cathal Dillon, with five minutes remaining, and one wonders if we have now seen the last of their great servant in the Tipperary senior championship.

Commercials finished the game with fourteen players when Tadhg Sheehan was black-carded late in the game, but this had no bearing on the final outcome.

Aherlow defended the village end for the opening thirty minutes and won possession from the throw-in. They played “keep ball” until Mark Russell kicked a two-pointer after ninety seconds from out on the stand side.

This opening score gave them the lead for the only time in the game as Sean O’Connor, the championship top scorer after two rounds, had the sides on level terms by the fourth minute from a two-point free.

O’Connor added a similar score three minutes later, after the ball was moved forward for a technical infringement, to give them the lead that would last to the end of the game.

From this early stage, the South men controlled most aspects of the game and Jack Whelton was called into action coming up towards the end of the opening quarter when he saved from O’Connor, who had won possession after intercepting an attempted short kick-out, following a Peter McGarry minor.

Cian Smith converted a placed ball from the right-hand side, but Liam Carew cancelled in the twentieth minute. During this period, Aherlow were building from the back, but were mostly unable to penetrate the Clonmel defence, and on occasions when they got through, most of their forwards were shot-shy and unwilling to have a go.

Commercials pulled away, at their ease, over the final minutes of the half, with Sean O’Connor involved in most of their moves. He offloaded to Joe Higgins, who popped over, and then set up younger brother Darragh for a similar score on twenty-five minutes. O’Connor himself closed out the half with a point on thirty minutes, Peter McGarry being the provider, with the half-time score, Clonmel Commercials 0-9, Aherlow 0-3.

After the restart, Mark Russell kicked the opening score of the second half, before a good ball over the top by James Morris picked out the in-running Cian Smith, whose shot to the bottom left-hand corner gave Jack Whelton no chance. Sean Bourke kicked a minor at the opposite end before James Morris fisted over after being supplied by Cathal Deely.

Commercials continued to dominate the exchanges, with Aherlow soaking up a lot of pressure. Peter McGarry picked out Tadhg Sheehan, who converted a booming effort, following his run from defence. Killian Smith got in for goal number two at the start of the final quarter and Cian Smith added a minor as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Diarmuid Looby’s powerful shot, following a penetrating run, was well saved by Ciaran Cannon at the expense of a 45, which Aaron Brazil converted. Cian Smith intercepted an attempted clearance and kicked his third minor, before Aherlow finished with a brace of points, the first from substitute Anthony Murphy, the second from a free by Liam Carew following the dismissal of Tadhg Sheehan on a black card.

Scorers: Clonmel Commercials: Sean O’Connor (0-6, 2x2ptf), Cian Smith (1-3, 0-1f), Killian Smith 1-0, Tadhg Sheehan, James Morris, Darragh O’Connor, Joe Higgins, Peter McGarry all 0-1 each.

Aherlow: Mark Russell (0-3, 1x2pt), Liam Carew 0-2f, Aaron Brazil 0-1 45, Sean Bourke, Anthony Murphy 0-1 each.

Clonmel Commercials: Ciaran Cannon; Tadhg Condon, Mark Corcoran, Padraic Looram; Tadhg Sheehan, Kevin Fahey, Conor Deely; James Morris, Joe Higgins; Cathal Deely, Darragh O’Connor, Ross Peters; Peter McGarry, Sean O’Connor, Cian Smith.

Subs used: Killian Smith for Padraic Looram (38); Jamie O’Keeffe for Conor Deely (49).

Aherlow: Jack Whelton; Padraic O’Brien, Ray Hennessy, Moss O’Brien; Laurence Coskeran, Tadhg Carew, Paddy Chapman; Diarmuid Looby, Mark Russell; Gary Quirke, Sean Bourke, Jack O’Halloran; Aaron Brazil, Liam Carew, Ben Carey.

Subs used: Anthony Murphy for Jack O’Halloran (46); Max Reardon for Ben Carey (46); Cathal Dillon for Aaron Brazil (55).

Referee: Derek O’Mahony (Ardfinnan)