KELLY ON SONG IN BANNER TRIUMPH
AS early season markers go, this was impressive from Clare, who roasted Tipperary with four goals on the way to their fourth Co-op Superstores Munster Hurling League title.
Tony Kelly hit two goals for last year’s Munster finalists, while one each from Cathal McInerney and Colin Guilfoyle saw them run out easy winners at the Gaelic Grounds.
This was a first defeat for Liam Sheedy in his second term as manager, but after wins over Limerick and Kerry, he says he is satisfied that his squad will be ready when the sides meet again in the opening round of the National League in two weeks’ time.
Tipperary had flown out of the blocks in this one, but when Clare hit a brace of goals in the space of four minutes the Tipp challenge faltered. Sheedy had no qualms about the result.
‘The best team won, we have no real complaints. In the first half I thought we were doing okay, five points to one,’ he said.
‘Look, you’re going to struggle to win any game when you concede four goals and any time they got the ball in, it looked like danger and we struggled to contain them in there.
‘From my perspective it’s a good workout to get in the middle of January, we could be training for three weeks without getting a match like that, and a sense of where we are. Clearly we’re that little bit behind.’
With Cathal Barrett cleaning up in the full-back line, Tipperary looked very solid in the opening action, but when Cathal McInerney crept in behind Pádraic Maher to score Clare’s first goal the game changed.
Clare lined up with Guilfoyle and Cathal McInerney in the full-forward line as Michael O’Neill drifted out to crowd midfield, but with Kelly and Niall Deasy finding space and running hard, Clare soon hit the front. Kelly batted his side’s second goal to the net after Tipp were caught outnumbered at the back, while a couple of points from Diarmuid Ryan ensured Clare would never trail again.
‘They had more hunger and more pace and when they came at us we struggled. Their running game really hit home, and when Tony (Kelly) plays the deep role and comes back out to find space for himself, we struggled to deal with that,’ added Sheedy. Thanks mainly to Jason Forde’s four points from play in the first half, Tipp were level 0-11 to 2-5 at half-time, but Shane Golden landed a great score for Clare before Guilfoyle scored their third goal following a goalmouth scramble. A Callanan free stalled Clare’s run, but that was kickstarted again by Kelly who planted two stunning points from the left before his long-range shot found the net with Guilfoyle close to getting a touch, which distracted Barry Hogan. There were fleeting moments from Tipp in that second period, but as they chased the game they ran down a lot of blind alleys, turned over possession and were punished by Clare’s forwards who hit a fine array of scores. Dan McCormack hit a consolation goal ten minutes from time but Clare were always in control. What this win means for the League clash between the sides at Semple Stadium is debatable, but Clare joint-manager Donal Moloney thinks it will be another step up for his side. ‘That will be another level up. It’s like the steps of the stairs, Munster league, to National League and then into Championship. It’ll be a different level of intensity that night,’ said Moloney. ‘We were very fortunate here today, the first goal was very fortunate and the third goal was very fortunate as well, that put a big difference between the teams. ‘Tipp then had to try and run at us and try and create goal chances, Tipp could have gotten four or five points in the second half it would have been a whole different ball game if it was a bit tighter.’
Moloney also confirmed that he does not expect to have any reinforcements to call on ahead of that League opener as injuries continue to take their toll.
Both John Conlon and Conor McGrath are sidelined through injury, while Shane O’Donnell remains unavailable due to his studies.
‘That’s our best fit team out there at the moment. It’s not as if we’re doing a huge amount of experimenting. Most of that’s enforced.
‘The reality is that most of the other guys are injured and won’t be back all through the spring. That’s the reality.
‘If other teams are resting guys then fair play to them but we’re not in that camp. We’re playing what is our best fit team right now.
‘The most important thing for us, is the young guys that have come into the team that have all been part of the squad for the last year.
‘They have come in and taken on the responsibility really, really well. We are pleased with that.’ CLARE: D Tuohy; J McCarthy, D McInerney, R Hayes (J Browne 66); C Malone, C Cleary, A McCarthy (M O’Malley 58); S Golden, R Taylor; N Deasy, T Kelly (c), D Ryan (D Conroy 55); C Guilfoyle, C McInerney (G Cooney 65), M O’Neill (P Collins 54). Yellow cards: C Cleary 18, C Malone 24, A McCarthy 45 Scorers: T Kelly 2-3 (1f), C Guilfoyle 1-3, C McInerney 1-2, D Ryan, N Deasy (2f) 0-3, S Golden, R Taylor 0-2, M O’Malley 0-1. TIPPERARY: B Hogan (c); C Barrett (K O’Dwyer 57), P Maher, D Maher; A Flynn, S Kennedy (R Byrne 58), J O’Dwyer; W Connors (R Maher h-t), M Breen; J Forde, P Maher, C English; J Morris (N McGrath 45), S Callanan, M Kehoe (D McCormack 48). Yellow cards: J O’Dwyer 45 Scorers: S Callanan 0-8 (6f, 1’65), J Forde 0-5 (1’sl), D McCormack 1-0, A Flynn, M Kehoe 0-2, N McGrath 0-1. Referee: T Walsh (Waterford).