Clonmel Commercials 1-10

Upperchurch-Drombane 1-2

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS REGAINED their Tipperary senior football title with a first-half blast of 1-8 in 12 minutes enough to see them to victory against first-time finalists Upperchurch-Drombane.

Michael O’Reilly’s 38th-minute penalty save effectively ended any hope of a Church comeback as Commercials eased to their 20th Tipperary crown, and third in four years, to move within one of record winners Fethard on the roll of honour.

The loudest cheer of the day was reserved for Conor Fahey’s 56th-minute consolation goal but Upperchurch’s pressure wasn’t backed up with the scores to threaten a Commercials side who ended with 13 men; Ross Peters sent off for a second yellow card in the 52nd minute and Peter McGarry black-carded in stoppage time

The winners of the Cork final between Nemo Rangers or St Finbarr’s are next up as Commercials, the 2015 Munster champions, head for a provincial quarter-final next month.

An unsettled start for both sides saw the game go 13 minutes without a score. Upperchurch missed their first four shots, including three placed balls, while Commercials missed their first three.

But once Commercials got going, there was no stopping them. Pádraic Looram’s goal, in the 14th minute, kick-started a scoring streak of 1-8 in 12 minutes, in which time Upperchurch couldn’t register so much as a shot, never mind a score.

Man-of-the-match Jack Kennedy kicked three points (two frees) and directed much of the play, Looram won three kick-outs and assisted two points from wing-back, and Seán O’Connor added another two points as they overwhelmed Upperchurch.

The underdogs finally raised a white flag in the 28th minute, Paul Shanahan converting a free to a loud cheer from the Church congregation. 1-8 to 0-1 at half-time.

Upperchurch, seven days on from their hurling semi-final defeat, resumed with a renewed intent to press Commercials high up the field. Luke Shanahan kicked an acute free and from the restart, he turned over a short kick-out and was fouled for a penalty. Paul Shanahan sent it down the middle but O’Reilly stretched out his trailing leg to kick it to safety.

Commercials only scored twice from frees in the second half, from Kennedy and Michael Quinlivan in the 44th and 61st minutes. That was more than enough, Quinlivan now one of eight Commercials players to win a club record sixth Tipperary SFC medal.

Scorers for Clonmel Commercials: Jack Kennedy 0-4 (3f), Pádraic Looram 1-0, Seán O’Connor 0-2 (1m), Michael Quinlivan 0-2 (1f), Jason Lonergan 0-1, Cathal Deely 0-1.

Scorers for Upperchurch-Drombane: Conor Fahey 1-0, Paul Shanahan 0-1 (f), Luke Shanahan 0-1 (f).

Clonmel Commercials

1. Michael O’Reilly

24. James Morris, 3. Séamus Kennedy, 4. Jamie Peters

5. Tadhg Condon, 6. Kevin Fahey, 7. Pádraic Looram

8. Aldo Matassa, 9. Michael Quinlivan

19. Jack Kennedy, 11. Jason Lonergan, 12. Cathal Deely

13. Colman Kennedy, 14. Seán O’Connor, 15. Ross Peters

Subs

10. Conall Kennedy for Deely (36)

23. Peter McGarry for Matassa (46)

17. Donal Lynch for J Kennedy (57)

21. Cian Smith for O’Connor (60)

2. Enda Dunphy for J Peters (60+2)

Upperchurch-Drombane

1. James Griffin

2. Ger Grant, 3. Matt Ryan, 4. Ailbe O’Donoghue

5. Dean Carew, 6. Gavin Ryan, 7. Mikey Lavery

8. Keith Ryan, 9. Jack Butler

25. Pat Ryan, 11. Paul Shanahan, 12. Diarmaid Grant

13. Luke Shanahan, 14. Niall Grant, 15. Loughlin Ryan

Subs

23. Seán Ryan for P Ryan (h-t)

19. Conor Fahey for L Ryan (h-t)

17. Colm Ryan for N Grant (51)

20. Pádraig Greene for D Grant (60)

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Moyle Rovers).