Hickey comes up trumps for Tipp as Banner flag after fine first-half effort

Tipperary 1-16 Clare 0-8

But they were made to sweat for 45 minutes, at the end of which they were ahead by just two points, 0-10 to 0-8.

When the counties last met, Tipperary came out runaway winners. In the opening minutes of last evening’s encounter, most in the 1,000 crowd must have felt the game was to follow a similar pattern as the Premier county raced ahead by five points.