Kelly’s classy goal sinks Clare

Tipperary 1-11 Clare 0-11

Amazingly, since its inception over 30 years ago Clare have never won the Munster U-21 hurling championship title. Now, following this latest setback to Tipp at Cusack Park, Ennis last night, it is going to take another 12 months at least for Clare to buck this distressing trend.

Only for a very brief period last night did Clare look capable of exorcising the ghost that has haunted them over the past three decades in this grade. But in the end they were unable to match Tipperary’s craft and finesse in a closely fought semi-final watched by an attendance of 5,00-6,000.

Ultimately, a scintillating goal from Tipperary captain Eoin Kelly separated the teams at the final whistle but Clare just simply did not have the ammunition to put one over on their great rivals. Clare led 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time following a quite astonishing opening half.

The home side failed to score in the opening quarter, while Tipperary, who went just one better with an Eoin Kelly point from a free in the fifth minute, failed dismally to capitalise on their early outfield supremacy, hitting some very bad wides.

When Clare eventually succeeded in breaking their duck they did so with vengeance, with three splendid points from skipper Brian Culbert, Fergal Lynch and their chief marksman, Andrew Quinn, in the space of 60 devastating second.

Now it was Tipperary’s turn to soak up the pressure, and they can thank their lucky stars that they only trailed by three points at the break after Quinn had a 20 minute free stopped on the goal-line and Daithi O’Connell shot over with the goal at his mercy.

But Clare never scaled the same exciting heights again and Tipperary, once Kelly came out of his shell, always looked the likelier of the two to claim a place in the final.

Kelly pointed a free three minutes after the restart and then powered Tipperary to the front with a terrific goal.

After receiving from Tony Scroope, the Mullinahone wizard, operating at full-forward, left the Clare defence for dead as he sprinted clear before flashing the ball past goalkeeper Philip Brennan.

Despite the magnificence of the Tipperary full-back line, in which John Devane and Michael Phelan played out of their skins, Clare doggedly held on.

They were level on two further occasions before Kelly, with two lightning fast points, edged the Tipperary men back in front during the third quarter.

Clare pegged one back when substitute Cyril Crowe pointed but the home side’s forwards never looked like breaking down Tipperary’s heroic defence in which left half-back

Hugh Moloney also played a starring role.

And with Kelly and left corner-forward John O’Brien now in unbeatable form up front, Tipperary always had the measure of their opponents near the end.

However, there was still only two points separating them with ten minutes remaining. But Clare failed to score again and points from Pat Buckley and Kelly, who converted his third free of the game, ensured Tipperary’s progression to the final

Scorers: Tipperary: E. Kelly 1-6 (0-3 frees), A. O’Neill, T. Scroope, C. O’Mahony, J. O’Brien, P. Buckley 0-1 each.

Clare: A. Quinn 0-4 (0-3 frees), B. Culbert 0-2, F. Lynch, D. O’Connell, G. Ryan, C. Crowe, P. Collins 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: V. Doheny, E. Buckley, J. Devane, M. Phelan, M. Maher, D. Fitzgerald, H. Moloney, C. O’Mahony, D. Bourke, J. O’Brien, E. Ryan, P. Buckley, T. Scroope, E. Kelly, A. O’Neill. Subs: F. Devaney for Burke, R. O’Brien for O’Neill, J. Caesar for O’Mahony.

CLARE: P. Brennan, T. Holland, R. O’Looney, G. O’Grady, P. Vaughan, B. O’Connell, D. Clancy, B. MacPhillips, M. Culbert, D. Kennedy, B. Culbert, B. Loughnane, A. Quinn, F. Lynch, D. O’Connell. Subs: G. Ryan for Kennedy, P. Collins for Kennedy, C. Crowe for Loughnane, E. Burke for MacPhillips, P. Kilmartin for Vaughan.

Referee: G. Harrington (Cork).