Clonmel Commercials (Tipperary) 0-12
Newcastle West (Limerick) 1-7
CLONMEL COMMERCIALS STAGED a sensational late fightback against Newcastle West this afternoon to book their place in the semi-finals of the AIB Munster senior club football championship.
Commercials will have home advantage once again at the Sportsfield in a fortnight’s time against Clare champions St Joseph’s, Milltown, after reeling off six unanswered points to turn a four-point deficit into a two-point win.
Commercials fell four points down, 0-6 to 1-7, when former Limerick senior Stephen Kelly banged over the second of two cracking long-range frees.
But Commercials, who had scored 0-6 to date, bagged six more in a sensational seven-minute spell down the home straight.
Aldo Matassa kickstarted the fightback before points from Ian Barnes (free), sub Pádraig Looram and the superb Seamus Kennedy levelled matters.
Commercials’ hearts were in their mouths in the final minute of normal time when Newcastle West defender Paul Hannan roared through one on one with goalkeeper Jake McDonald, who had earlier performed heroics to keep out Jamie Lee.
Hannan could have taken the point but he elected to go for broke and saw his shot smash back into play via the upright.
Commercials had another stroke of luck at the other end when Barnes shot for goal and as Newcastle West goalkeeper Jonjo Sheehy attempted to get out of the way as the ball drifted wide, he conceded a 45.
Tipperary senior star Michael Quinlivan stepped forward and after missing a couple of earlier long range frees, he made no mistake this time with an ice-cool 45.
Kennedy kicked his third point in the third minute of stoppage time to seal an incredible win for the hosts and ensure that a Tipperary team had won a game in the Munster senior club championship for the first time since 2006.
At the end of a low-scoring first half, Newcastle West led by 1-1 to 0-3 in mild conditions.
A Steven Brosnan point and Lee’s goal, an avoidable concession from a Commercials viewpoint, had the Limerick men 1-1 to 0-0 clear within three minutes but they didn’t score again until five minutes into the second half.
Scorers for Commercials: Ian Barnes 0-4 (2f), Seamus Kennedy 0-3, Michael Quinlivan 0-2 (1 45), Aldo Matassa, Jason Lonergan & Pádraig Looram 0-1 each.
Scorers for Newcastle West: Jamie Lee 1-2 (0-2f), Stephen Kelly 0-3 (2f), Iain Corbett & Steven Brosnan 0-1 each.
Commercials:
1. Jake McDonald
2. Fergal Condon
3. Donal Lynch
4. Jamie Peters
5. Danny Madigan
7. Kevin Fahey
10. Luke Moore
6. Seamus Kennedy
9. Aldo Matassa
15. Pádraig White
11. Ian Fahey
12. Jason Lonergan
13. Kevin Harney (C)
14. Michael Quinlivan
17. Ian Barnes
Subs:
8. Jack Kennedy for White (35)
18. Pádraig Looram for Ian Fahey (52)
11. Ian Fahey for Matassa (60+2)
Newcastle West:
1. Jonjo Sheehy
2. Michael O’Keeffe
3. Brian O’Sullivan
4. Shaun Browne
5. Michael O’Leary
6. Stephen Nix (C)
7. Paul Hannan
10. Cian Sheehan
9. Iain Corbett
12. Steven Brosnan
11. Stephen Kelly
13. Thomas Quilligan
14. James Kelly
8. Mike McMahon
15. Jamie Lee
Subs:
22. Sean McAuliffe for Brosnan (27)
19. Brian O’Doherty for Sheehan (34)
18. Gavin Reidy for Lee (58)
Referee: Kevin Murphy (Cork)
