TIPP ON TOP

Callanan leads by example as second Liam stint is off to flyer

HURLING LEAGUE

Callanan blasted 2-7 and only scored a point from two penalties as they pulled away after Clare’s Tony Kelly was issued with a harsh red card.

Sheedy (below) said it was vital to start with a win, especially at home.

“It is a great start, especially to win in Thurles,” he smiled. “The sending off had a big bearing on it but I was pleased the way we pushed on to win it.

“We worked hard all through and I think we deserved the win.”

Tipperary had wind advantage in the opening half and had a glorious chance to strike an early blow when Callanan was fouled by Jason Mccarthy as he bore down on goal.

But Clare goalkeeper Donal Tuohy pulled off a great save, breaking his hurley in the process as he blocked Callanan’s penalty.

Callanan refused to be rattled by the miss and by half-time landed five frees from five as his side deservedly led 0-13 to 1-3 at the break.

Noel Mcgrath scored three points in the opening half, two of from play and the first from a superb sideline on the left after 10 minutes.

Clare did not get off the mark until the 14th minute when Niall Deasy pointed a free from close range.

Tipperary led by 0-6 to 0-1 after 19 minutes when John Conlon got Clare’s first point from play but two more frees from Callanan and one from Morris made it 0-9 to 0-2.

Clare got a lifeline seven minutes from the break when the impressive Colin Guilfoyle was fouled by Cathal Barrett and Deasy stepped forward and blasted into the bottom left corner.

Willie Connors and Mcgrath responded for Tipperary and when Tony Kelly hit back for Clare, efforts from Michael Breen and Callanan left Sheedy’s men seven points in front at the interval. Podge Collins, one of three interval subs, pointed inside two minutes of the restart and Kelly landed a sideline to cut the gap to five after 42 minutes. But then Kelly was red-carded and while Peter Duggan reduced the margin with a free, Tipp took over. Callanan pointed a free and then Morris and Robert Byrne combined to set him up and Callanan blasted to the net from close range after 50 minutes.

He repeated the dose inside a minute, this time Morris supplied the final pass to Callanan and the Tipp skipper again beat Tuohy from close range.

That left Tipp ahead by 2-14 to 1-6 going into the final quarter, before Duggan pulled back three points from placed balls for Clare to cut the gap.

But they never looked like getting any of the goals they required for a serious comeback with keeper Brian Hogan saving superbly from Collins.

Dublin 3-15