Gun ne fires Commercials to 17 th county title

LATE goals from sub Richie Gunne and Jamie Peters snuffed out the chances of a Killenaule upset in yesterday’s Tipperary Water county senior football championship final at Semple Stadium.

Clonmel Commercials claimed a

17th title, and their first since 2015, even if the final scoreline did flatter them slightly.

Ten minutes from the end, county senior hurling star John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer hauled Killenaule level at

0-8 apiece, and the momentum was with the Robins in front of a 2,451 attendance.

But after Jason Lonergan edged Commercials ahead with a 53rd-minute free, Gunne struck when he capitalised on a poor Killenaule restart, showing impressive soccer skills to skip past a defender before rifling home from close range.

In stoppage time, Peters struck a collector’s item as the defender, who was shooting for a point, watched his looping effort end up in the back of Matthew O’Donnell’s net.

The reward for Commercials is a crack at AIB Munster and All-Ireland kingpins Dr Crokes on October 29 – and Charlie McGeever’s charges will have home advantage.

But a start similar to yesterday won’t suffice, as Killenaule were 0-4 to 0-0 clear before Commercials finally got motoring.

They recovered to lead by 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time in greasy conditions, but were reeled in by Killenaule in the second half.

Fortune favoured Commercials for their opening goal but they were worthy winners nonetheless against a Killenaule side that registered 11 wides.

McGeever admitted: “When we went to eight points all, the game was in the melting pot.

“On the plus side, our defence stood up well and I do think that today will bring us on.”

SCORERS – Commercials: M Quinlivan 0-4, R Gunne and J Peters 1-0 each, J Lonergan 0-3 (2f), J Kennedy (f)& E Fitzgerald 0-1 each. Killenaule: K Bergin 0-3 (2f), John O’Dwyer 0-2, M O’Donnell (45), P Codd & T Doyle (f) 0-1 each. COMMERCIALS – M O’Reilly; J Peters, L Ryan, D Lynch; K Fahey, D Madigan, K Harney; S Kennedy, J Kennedy; P Looram, R Peters, J Lonergan; E Fitzgerald, M Quinlivan, R Carroll. Subs: I Fahey for Carroll (h-t), R Gunne for Fitzgerald (45), R Lambe for Looram (59).

KILLENAULE – M O’Donnell; S Browne, J Feehan, G O’Rourke; K O’Dwyer, Joe O’Dwyer, L Meagher; K Bergin, P Codd; John O’Dwyer, T Doyle, P Feehan; M Doyle, D Fanning, E O’Connell. Subs: E Barry for O’Connell (38), E O’Brien for T Doyle (45), D Guinan for Fanning (58), D O’Connor for K O’Dwyer (58).

REF – D O’Mahoney (Ardfinnan).