CLARE RACE OUT OF BLOCKS
Banner’s early dash burns off Tipp and books a final date
IF you blocked out the noise and just focused on the hurling, then you could be forgiven for thinking the Allianz Hurling League has plenty going for it.
Never mind the constant chatter of changing structures ahead of next year’s rejig or teams pulling their punches with the Championship on the horizon.
Sometimes, it’s just about sitting back and enjoying the games on their merits.
On Saturday, Kilkenny inflicted a first knock-out defeat on allconquering Limerick since they shocked the same opposition in the All-Ireland semi-final of 2019. It provided a plot twist to suggest everybody else might not be playing for second in 2025, at least not this spring.
Then Clare and Tipperary came along in the second semifinal at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise yesterday and produced another game that had a bit of everything: goal-of-the-year contenders from Jake Morris and
Lohan saw yellow for being too vocal
David Fitzgerald, a bit of spice to the extent that Clare manager Brian Lohan was yellow carded for getting a bit too vocal, and enough to suggest this pair will bounce off each other in the Munster SHC down the line.
In the end, an electric start from Clare where they raced 0-8 to no score ahead gave them a big enough cushion to hold on to — it was the same margin at the final whistle. Tipp did produce a third-quarter surge with substitute Seán Hayes racing through after the interval to net, but a total of 19 wides was calamitous really on a day borrowed from mid-winter when Liam Cahill’s side went through three different free-takers, to no discernible improvement.
One passage of play late on summed up Tipp’s day. When they turned over Clare goalkeeper Éibhear Quilligan, Alan Tynan pinged a ball across the empty goal and substitute Seán Kenneally put his hurley up to deflect it to the net only to see it bounce the wrong side of the post.
There was no getting away though from the fact that Clare were the far superior team.
Adam Hogan had a fascinating battle with Jake Morris who has been Tipperary’s most potent goal getter and he threw his team some sort of a lifeline by finding the net.
It came from a fizzed delivery from inside his own half by Dan McCormack to Morris who had slipped free of Hogan. His touch to kill the ball was pure class. When the Clare defender sprinted to cover across, Morris dummied the shot to send him flying past his shoulder. He then coolly turned inside and picked his pot in the corner. This was a goal from one of the best goal scorers in the business, his fifth in this year’s campaign. Midway through the half then and Tipperary were back to within three, 0-9 to 1-3.
Almost immediately, Clare replied in kind. David Fitzgerald broke the ball down from the puck-out and raced on to bury the sliotar to the roof of the net, another quality strike from one of the players of the competition.
It was another signal for Clare to flex their muscles with classy points from Cathal Malone and Cian Galvin.
Tipperary still had their moments. Seven minutes before the break, Jason Forde won possession in behind John Conlon. Right then, he had only one thing on his mind with no one home – and that was goal. Conlon cynically fouled him, pulling him back. It was a clear goalscoring opportunity — a black card and penalty could have been the verdict, or at least a yellow card. And that would have meant Conlon was gone after being rightly cautioned minutes earlier for a late challenge.
Instead, Liam Gordon blew for a free from the 20-metre line.
Given the furore over Eoin Cody’s soft second yellow on
Saturday against Limerick — a wrongful one that could have cost Kilkenny a place in the League final — it was that maddening inconsistency on view again.
Clare’s spread of scorers in the first half alone compared to Tipp was significant — nine in total compared to three for Tipperary where only Forde and Morris were offering any threat up front.
Inspired by that goal straight after the restart from Hayes, Tipperary did get back to within two only for Clare again to find their rhythm, substitute Aidan McCarthy showing how to put over a placed ball after coming on for the injured Mark Rodgers. He hit five frees and a 65 in that second half to help give Clare some breathing space and set up a League final against Kilkenny in a fortnight’s time. CLARE: E Quilligan; A Hogan (R Hayes 66), C Cleary, C Leen; D Ryan, J Conlon (S Morey 56), C Galvin; C Malone, D Lohan (S Morey 48-54); D Fitzgerald, D Reidy (P Crotty 72), P Duggan; K Smyth (S Meehan 52), I Galvin (S Rynne 63), M Rodgers (A McCarthy 21). Yellow cards: J Conlon 26, D Lohan 31, A Hogan 40. Scorers: A McCarthy 0-8 (6fs, 1 65), D Fitzgerald 1-3, M Rodgers 0-3 (3fs), D Reidy 0-3, K Smyth 0-2, C Malone 0-1, D Ryan 0-1, C Galvin 0-1, A Hogan 0-1, D Lohan 0-1 each. TIPPERARY: B Hogan; C Morgan, R Maher, M Breen; B O’Mara, R Byrne, D McCormack; C Bowe (J Ryan 55), W Connors; C Stakelum (S Kenneally 43), G O’Connor (S Ryan 61), D Stakelum (A Tynan h-t); J Morris, P Maher (S Hayes h-t), J Forde. Yellow cards: A Tynan 40, R Byrne 42, J Morris 62, 72 Red cards: J Morris 72 Scorers: J Forde 0-6 (5fs), J Morris 1-2, S Hayes 1-0, D McCormack, S Kenneally, A Tynan, W Connors, S Ryan 0-1 (f) each Referee: L Gordon (Galway)
Clare were the far superior team here