The prolific Darragh McCarthy continues to impress for Tipperary. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship Round 3
Tipperary 3-21 Clare 0-21
By Eoin Brennan at O'Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
It was a statement victory from holders Tipperary as three second half goals brushed aside their biggest rivals in recent years on their own home patch in O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge.
Stunned by an opening defeat to Limerick, Brendan Cummins’ side admirably made a full recovery as following a first win over Cork, they duly produced their best hour against Clare to lead for the last three-quarters of the tie.
Holding a 0-12 to 0-9 half-time advantage, the Premier raided for three timely goals on the resumption to put the result beyond any shred of doubt.
Conor Martin couldn’t believe his luck as he raced through the heart of the Clare defence for the first in the 35th minute at 1-13 to 0-10. Martin turned provider for the second at the turn of the final quarter as his delivery from the right wing saw Paddy McCormack rise highest at the edge of the square to superbly catch and finish to power Tipperary ten clear.
To their credit, the home side didn’t lower their heads but even their four point unanswered finale to lower the arrears to just six was scuppered by opportunist Martin who took off on a run with the last puck of the game to fire a third goal past the despairing Mark Sheedy.
While this was easily Tipp’s best display, on the flip side, it was also Clare’s poorest offering as they set-up with a sweeper for the first time in the campaign and even more bizarrely never deviated from that tactic despite going as much as eleven behind.
Indeed, the Banner’s best chance of taking the game to the visitors came in the eleventh minute when Fred Hegarty broke through and dummied the last defender before seeing his powerful attempt excellently repelled by goalkeeper Eoin Horgan as was Sean Boyce’s rebound.
Clare had opened with points through Michael Collins and Ronan Kilroy but once they were reeled in by the sixth minute, they would end up chasing the tie for the remainder.
Five Darragh McCarthy frees kept Tipperary’s noses in front before Paddy McCormack and Conor Martin scored injury-time points to take a three point advantage into the dressing rooms.
However, once Martin spotted a gap in the Clare rearguard only five minutes into the new half to find the net, there would be only one winner as led by McCarthy, Sam O’Farrell and excellent midfielder duo Joe Egan and Adam Daly, they picked off their opponents with ruthless efficiency.
With a final home tie to come against Waterford in Thurles next Wednesday, Brendan Cummins’ side can clinch a place in the business end of the Munster Under 20 Championship with a third successive victory while Clare have two weeks to pick up the pieces ahead of what is shaping up to be a winner-takes-all Shannonside derby showdown with Limerick for the last knock-out berth.
Scorers for Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy 0-9 (7fs, 1’65), Conor Martin 2-1, Paddy McCormack 1-2, Sam O’Farrell 0-3, Adam Daly, Oisin O’Donoghue 0-2 each, David Costigan, Jack Hayes 0-1 each
Scorers for Clare: Fred Hegarty 0-7 (6fs), Jack O’Neill 0-3, Diarmuid Stritch, Jamie Moylan, Ronan Kilroy 0-2 each, Michael Collins, Sean Boyce, Jack Mescall, Robert Loftus, James Hegarty (f) 0-1 each
Tipperary: Eoin Horgan; Cathal O’Reilly, Aaron O’Halloran, Podge O’Dwyer; Adam Ryan, Jim Ryan, Sam O’Farrell; Joe Egan, Adam Daly; Cathal English, Conor Martin, David Costigan; Darragh McCarthy, Paddy McCormack, Oisin O’Donoghue
Subs: Jamie Ormond for J. Ryan (47), Jack Hayes for Costigan (56-57, BS), Senan Butler) for Daly (56), Hayes for Costigan (58).
Clare: Mark Sheedy; Eoghan Gunning, Fionan Treacy, John Cahill; Jamie Moylan, James Hegarty, Eoin McMahon; Joe Casey, Matthew O’Halloran; Ronan Kilroy, Diarmuid Stritch, Jack O’Neill; Sean Boyce, Fred Hegarty, Michael Collins
Subs: James Organ for Casey (38), Robert Loftus for O’Halloran (40), Jack Mescall for Boyce (44), Tadhg Lohan for Collins (52), Piaras Ó Sé for F. Hegarty (56).
Referee: Eamonn Stapleton (Limerick)
