Clare 3-21
Tipperary 2-16
THE LAST TEAM to step into the 2022 hurling championship arena made their mark in Thurles today, Clare having no issue with being forced to wait for action.
The game was defined by Clare’s first-half scoring spree that yielded three goals. The return of Peter Duggan to championship hurling and the pre-match addition of Shane O’Donnell bolstered the Clare challenge up front.
They constructed a 13-point interval lead and while Tipperary chipped away at that deficit during the second half, Ger Browne and Barry Heffernan both bagging goals, they never made sufficient headway to engineer an unlikely comeback.
It leaves them facing an uphill struggle after two early defeats in the Munster round-robin race. Clare will move forward to next Sunday’s assignment with Cork infused with confidence.
Clare settled best and made it count when the chances fell their way. Ian Galvin rattled the net first, just like he did to telling effect back in 2018 in Thurles against Tipperary. This time the strike arrived nine minutes in, a simple finish to rifle home after Duggan’s snapshot was impressively touched onto the bar by Brian Hogan.
In the 21st minute Hogan again denied a Clare player, this time centre-back John Conlon who strode into an acre of space, and again found himself beaten by a rebound, Duggan flicking in a shot.
And Tipperary’s plight deepened when Kelly smashed a 28th minute penalty to the roof of the net, the opportunity arising after Brian McGrath was judged to have pulled Duggan’s jersey under a high delivery.
The woes for the home team were compounded by the sight of injury-enforced departures from either end of the field, James Quigley and John McGrath both limping off before the game was even a half hour old.
Colm Bonnar took his team into the dressing-room with the scoreboard reading 3-11 to 0-7, a startling reflection of their first half inadequacies. They mustered some spirit in the opening period but their defensive shortcomings were glaring early on and they chalked up plenty wides as well.
Clare were able to keep Tipperary at arm’s length for the second half. Duggan and Galvin finished with 1-2 apiece, Tony Kelly struck 1-7 but it wasn’t a day that he needed to be in his usual prolific form. Clare got support from several other sectors.
Substitute Ger Browne made a big impression for Tipperary with a superb goal just after the break and they got a major break when Barry Heffernan’s high hanging shot for a point dropped into the net over the head of Eibhear Quilligan.
Yet seven points was as close as the home team got to Clare. This was an oddly lifeless Munster championship tie in the second half, the spoils were secured at Semple Stadium long before the finish.
Scorers for Clare: Tony Kelly 1-7 (0-5f, 1-0 pen), Peter Duggan 1-2, Ian Galvin 1-2, Ryan Taylor 0-2, Robin Mounsey 0-2, Shane O’Donnell 0-2, Diarmuid Ryan 0-1, Peter Duggan 0-1, David Fitzgerald 0-1, Rory Hayes 0-1.
Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-7 (0-4f, 0-2 ’65), Ger Browne 1-3, Barry Heffernan 1-0, Ronan Maher 0-2 (0-1f), Cathal Barrett 0-1, Michael Breen 0-1, Noel McGrath 0-1, Mark Kehoe 0-1.
Clare
1. Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
2. Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones), 3. Conor Cleary (St Josephs Miltown), 4. Paul Flanagan (Ballyea)
7. David McInerney (Tulla), 6. John Conlon (Clonlara), 5. Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
9. Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), 10. Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin)
11. Tony Kelly (Ballyea), 12. David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona), 26. Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg Ennis)
15. Ian Galvin (Clonlara), 13. Peter Duggan (Clooney/Quinn), 19. Robyn Mounsey (Ruan)
Subs
20. Patrick Crotty (Scarriff) for Galvin (49)
18. Domhnall McMahon (Tubber) for Fitzgerald (62)
8. Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge) for Mounsey (70)
22. Jason McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona) for O’Donnell (70)
23. Jack Browne (Ballyea) for Taylor (74)
Tipperary
1. Brian Hogan (Lorrha-Dorrha)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill), 3. James Quigley (Kiladangan), 4. Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonagh’s).
5. Dillon Quirke (Clonoulty Rossmore), 6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields), 7. Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s).
8. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), 9. Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg).
13. Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Óg), 11. Noel McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney), 12. Michael Breen (Ballina).
10. Jason Forde (Silvermines), 14. Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan Kilcash), 15. John McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney)
Subs
17. Ger Browne (Cashel King Cormacs) for John McGrath (inj) (23)
24. Brian McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney) for Quigley (inj) (27)
25. Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy) for Morris (49)
20. Alan Flynn (Kiladangan) for Heffernan (64)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
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