Clare turn tables on Tipp minors to win Daryl Darcy Cup
Tipperary’s minor footballers were beaten playing their own game as Clare claimed the Daryl Darcy Cup with an eight-point reversal in Rathkeale on Tuesday evening.
GAA: Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Phase 1 Daryl Darcy Cup Final
Clare 2-12
Tipperary 0-10
Report: Stephen Barry at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Conor Burke (Clare)
SCORERS – Clare: Conor Burke 1-8 (0-4 frees); Seán Fennell 0-3 (1 pen); Shane O’Connell 1-0; David Cahill 0-1.
Tipperary: Charlie Walsh 0-3 frees; Jack Garrett (frees), Dylan Cotter, Patrick McDonagh 0-2 each; Tom Corcoran 0-1 free.
Even against a much-changed side, the Banner learned more from their round-robin defeat to master their opponents’ strengths. They won the kick-out battle and countered with greater pace, while slowing down the Tipp attack.
They had so much success clogging up the central areas that only two Premier players scored from play: Dylan Cotter and Patrick McDonagh with a brace apiece. The others struggled to summon a shot at the posts amid the suffocating defence. Clare, meanwhile, had Conor Burke in exceptional finishing form, collecting 1-8 from his nine shots.
“Clare caught us at our game,” admitted Tipperary joint-manager Michael Donnellan.
“We know we can play a lot better. That’s the most disheartening thing but the lads know that themselves.
“I was just walking in with Ronan (Myles), and he said we didn’t do things the way we should, the way we always have been doing them.
“We have a tough task now to pick them up for Kerry next Tuesday in Semple Stadium.”
Worryingly, joint-captain Myles limped off in stoppage time while top-scorer Cotter also picked up a knock.
“Ronan’s injury seems a bit more serious. He may have to get a scan. The back of the knee,” added Donnellan.
“Dylan rolled his ankle so hopefully he’s not too bad.”
Not only does this defeat leave Tipp facing a tougher Munster semi-final against the Kingdom but it could have ramifications for their ranking in the new tiered structure of the All-Ireland series, which is designed to guarantee extra matches for all teams.
Tipp will be ranked fourth in Munster unless they produce an almighty shock against Kerry. While the third-ranked team enters a tier 2 knockout competition, those below that mark fall into the tier 3 equivalent.
It also marked the second year in a row that Tipp saw a round-robin victory reversed when it came to the Daryl Darcy Cup final. Last year, Limerick produced a 10-point turnaround from their group game. This time, Clare went from five points worse off to eight points better.
Nine changes were made from the experimental side that downed the Banner in Quilty, but it was one of the westerners’ two switches that made the biggest difference; Seán Fennell coming into the attack, and he laid on both goals, scored three points, and won two converted frees. Tipp didn’t score from play until the 25th minute but still led at half-time.
Target-man Fennell was immediately causing trouble. He polished off two points, including one goal opening which was tipped over the bar by Mark Conroy, and drew a free for Burke to convert. In a game that featured ten yellow cards and a late red, Tom Corcoran landed a long-range free off the ground, having been fouled himself, and Jack Garrett tapped over the next.
Burke raised a white flag with a super jinking move, but Tipp responded with four in a row. Charlie Walsh slotted two frees before McDonagh got them up and running in open play, from a Corcoran free that was taken short. Cotter, operating at right-half forward, added a huge score moments later. After good last-ditch defending from Noah O’Flynn denied a potential goal, a fisted Burke point cut the gap to the minimum, 0-6 to 0-5, by the break.
Clare would outscore them 2-7 to 0-4 thereafter. The opening goal in the 33rd minute came from a direct delivery to Fennell, whose reverse pass found the onrushing Shane O’Connell to finish with aplomb. It was a lead they would never relinquish.
Tipp were carved open again as David Cahill had an opportunity to double the damage waved wide. After consultation with his umpires, referee Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh awarded the point.
Cotter and Myles won frees for Walsh and Garrett to find the target and when the Thurles Gaels trailblazer added another from play, the gap was one; 1-7 to 0-9 on 40 minutes. But Cotter’s next shot was blocked, and Clare had the next four points, including one from a penalty. The ref penalised O’Flynn for a foot-block on Leo Switzer but Fennell’s spot-kick just cleared the crossbar.
Conor Burke kicked the other three, off his right and left, while superb defending by Aaron Killeen and James Blunnie held Tipp at bay during seventeen scoreless minutes.
Patrick McDonagh eked out an individual point to end that drought, but Burke finished with a 1-1 flourish. The man of the match appeared to be cramping but he knocked over a free before palming home a breakaway move in the 62nd minute with his final act.
McDonagh had a late punched effort in a crowded goalmouth swept away by Eoin Byrne as Clare held onto their clean sheet despite losing captain Diarmuid Boyle to a second booking in the fourth added minute.
“They were fast on the counter, and we were a bit slow around the middle third,” concluded Donnellan.
“It could be an element of nervousness. We went in at half-time a point up and we weren’t playing great. The second half, we just switched off a bit.
“It’s a learning curve. I hope Padhraic Greene has Semple Stadium ready for us because these boys have to be up and ready for Kerry.
“Kerry are phenomenal. We’ve seen some video footage of them. They’re a good side. But we’ll do everything to get ready for them.
“It’s unfortunate that there’s two Tipperary teams that have to pick themselves up in a couple of days for a short turnaround but it’s great to have a short turnaround because the longer it goes on, the more it’s in their heads.”
TEAMS – Clare: Eoin Byrne; Aaron Killeen, Conor Hill, James Blunnie; Leo Switzer, Aidan Weaver, Stephen Murphy; Diarmuid Boyle, Colm Downes; David Cahill, Shane O’Connell, Daniel Brody; Diarmuid McMahon, Conor Burke, Seán Fennell.
Subs: Caleb Walsh for Cahill (43); Liam Clune for Brody (43); Darragh Townsend for O’Connell (55); Kevin Hanley for Burke (60+2).
Tipperary: Mark Conroy (Drom & Inch); Noah O’Flynn (Fethard), Ronan Myles (Ardfinnan), Gavin Neville (Fethard); Danny Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Tom Corcoran (JK Brackens), Jack Garrett (Arravale Rovers); Dayle Hogan (JK Brackens), Órán Gahan (St Patrick’s); Dylan Cotter (Thurles Gaels), Jamal Yousif (Clonmel Óg), Seán Griffin (Upperchurch/Drombane); Ciarán Kelly (Arravale Rovers), Patrick McDonagh (Cahir), Charlie Walsh (Fethard).
Subs: Cillian Healy (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Gahan (36); Cian Collins (Galtee Rovers) for Yousif (43); Jack McGonigle (Rockwell Rovers) for Kelly (48); Alex Coppinger (Dúrlas Óg) for Hogan (51); Thomas Shanahan (Ballina) for O’Flynn (58).
Referee: Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh (Kerry).