MUNSTER CUP FINAL/Clare 1-12 Tipperary 1-7:A TURNOUT of 1,237 braved the icy conditions at Ogonnelloe yesterday and were rewarded with an entertaining game of hurling as Clare captured the Waterford Crystal tournament title at the expense of visitors Tipperary, who were chasing a third title in a row.
Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy would have been unhapppy with the accuracy of his attackers in the opening half as they shot seven wides.
As a result, they led by only two points at the break, 1-4 to 0-5, and but for their inaccuracies they should have and would have been much further ahead.
The home side were slow to settle and by the time Barry Nugent fired over their opening score in the 10th minute, their opponents had three on the board thanks to Hugh Moloney and a couple of points from midfielder Séamus Hennessey.
Clare managed to haul themselves back into the game and the accuracy of Colin Ryan from frees and play gave then a slender lead, 0-5 to 0-4, by the 27th minute. But a goal by Tipperary full forward Patrick Maher after he collected a long delivery from Benny Dunne a minute later cemented the visitors’ advantage at the interval.
Clare goalkeeper Philip Brennan had earlier come to his side’s rescue when he deflected a first-time pull by Hugh Moloney out for a 65.
After half-time, however, Clare came storming back and two points from Tony Carmody and Brendan Bugler inside a minute levelled matters.
Carmody, who had an inauspicious first half, improved considerably in the second period and was hugely instrumental in the win.
Hennessy converted a free for Liam Sheedy’s men to restore the advantage on 35 minutes but three Clare points in a 90-second period from Ryan, Niall Gilligan and Tony Griffin upped the ante.
Brennan again pulled off a fine save in the 44th minute, when this time he denied Pat Kerwick with a good shot from the right-hand side of the park.
The score of the game arrived five minutes later when Clare’s Alan Markham had the ball in the Tipperary net. A wonderful movement, which was initiated in defence by Gerry Quinn, was worked up field, at first by Griffin, who in turn fed Carmody. The wing forward gained ground before passing to Gilligan. The Sixmilebridge man delivered to Markham and, despite the attention of five defenders, he dispatched coolly past Brendan Cummins in the Tipperary goal.
It was enough to irrevocably turn the game in Clare’s favour, giving them a 1-10 to 1-6 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Tipperary didn’t yield and while chasing the game were awarded a 20-metre free in the 58th minute as they trailed by 1-11 to 1-7. Substitute Wille Ryan drilled low but once again Brennan was on hand to deny the Toomevara man.
Diarmuid McMahon closed the contest out in injury-time with a well taken score to leave Clare undefeated after four games as they prepare for the upcoming National League campaign.
CLARE: P Brennan; G O’Grady (capt), C Dillon, C McMahon; P Donnellan, G Quinn, C Plunkett; J Clancy, B Bugler (0-1); T Carmody (0-1), T Griffin (0-1), C Ryan (0-6, four frees); N Gilligan (0-1), A Markham (1-0), B Nugent (0-1). Subs: D McMahon (0-1) for Nugent (34 mins), P Vaughan for Bugler (39 mins), M Hawes for O’Grady (inj, 60 mins), J Conlon for Markham (60 mins).
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; C O’Brien, D Fanning, P Curran; B Dunne, C O’Mahoney, D Fitzgerald; J Woodlock, S Hennessy (0-3, one free); P Kerwick, H Moloney (0-2), L Corbett; N McGrath (0-1), P Maher (1-0), P Kelly. Subs: J O’Brien (0-1) for Corbett (36 mins), W Ryan for Kerwick (49 mins), S Maher for Hennessy (49 mins), P Burke for Moloney (55 mins).
Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).
