Tipp exit with battling loss to Clare

GAA: Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 5

Tipperary0-24

Clare1-24

By Shane Brophy

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Jake Morris 0-11 (7 free); Sean Kenneally 0-3; Gearoid O’Connor (frees), Ronan Maher (f), Eoghan Connolly 0-2 each; Barry Heffernan, Alan Tynan, Bryan O’Mara, Niall McGrath 0-1 each.

Clare: Aidan McCarthy 0-8 (6 frees), Diarmuid Ryan 1-3; Mark Rodgers (2 frees), David Fitzgerald 0-3 each; Tony Kelly 0-2 (1 free); Peter Duggan, Darragh Lohan, Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy, Ian Galvin 0-1 each.

Clare got the win they needed to progress to a third Munster Senior Hurling final in a row at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday as Tipperary exited the championship with a performance much more in tune with what would be expected from the Premier County.

A strong third quarter in which Clare outscored Tipp 1-8 to 0-3 points laid the platform for the win after the sides went in level at half time at 0-11 apiece, Diarmuid Ryan’s goal in the 42nd minute opening the game up for Brian Lohan’s men, part of a 1-3 haul from the wing-back.

Jake Morris was Tipp’s talisman from centre-forward with eleven points, four from play while Sean Kenneally in his first start also impressed with three points.

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill admitted it was a disappointing campaign from his side and confirmed he will be seeing out his three year term in charge, and possibly longer as they look to the future.

“I’ve a three-year term with possibly a one-year extension. I have full support of the county board, 100 percent behind me, and what’s paramount to me and my management team is I have 100 percent support of them players next door,” he said.

Full report in this Wednesday’s Nenagh Guardian.

TEAMS - Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Johnny Ryan, Eoghan Connolly, Craig Morgan; Paddy Cadell, Ronan Maher, Brian McGrath; Barry Heffernan, Willie Connors; Alan Tynan, Jake Morris, Sean Kenneally; Andrew Ormond, Mark Kehoe, Gearoid O’Connor.

Subs: Darragh Stakelum for O’Connor (27); Bryan O’Mara for Heffernan (44 inj); Noel McGrath for Cadell (45); Conor Stakelum for Ormond (52); Patrick Maher for Kehoe (56).

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, Cian Galvin; David Fitzgerald, Darragh Lohan; Cathal Malone, David Reidy, Peter Duggan; Mark Rodgers, Shane O’Donnell, Aidan McCarthy (I Galvin 54).

Subs: Tony Kelly for Reidy (47); Ian Galvin for McCarthy (54); Paddy Donnellan for Lohan (64); Aron Shanagher for Duggan (68).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).