Clinical Dunne delivers for Toomevara

ONE-WAY traffic in this, the last of the four Tipperary senior hurling quarter-finals played in Semple Stadium at the weekend, as champions Toomevara continued their well-timed run towards retaining their title.

It wasn’t a good weekend for divisional champions, Drom & Inch the only one of four to record a win as Toome did to the West champions here what Thurles Sarsfields and Upperchurch Drombane had done to Nenagh Éire Óg and Mullinahone (North and South champions respectively) on Saturday.

This one was a contest for just over 20 minutes, at which point the teams were level, 1-5 apiece – after that, and apart from a short burst early in the second half, it was virtually all Toomevara.

The goals came very early, full-forward John O’Brien blasting home from a narrow angle for Toomevara in the sixth minute to put the champions 1-1 to 0-2 ahead, then Timmy Hammersley doing the same at the other end within a minute, restoring Clonoulty’s lead. The last 10 minutes of the half, however, belonged to Toomevara.

Where free-taker Kenny Dunne (surely one of the best in the business) had been doing the bulk of the early scoring for the northmen, now he had assistance from wing-forward Paddy Grace (a late replacement for county captain Willie Ryan, not risked due to a leg injury but expected to be fit for next Sunday’s semi-final clash with Drom & Inch) and midfielders Francis Devaney and Joey McLoughney. Points from this trio, plus a brace from Kenny, had Toomevara five points ahead at the break, 1-10 to 1-5.

This was mainly due to the accuracy of Kenny Dunne, four of his five pointed frees coming from near enough the halfway mark, into the breeze, and the inaccuracy of a variety of Clonoulty Rossmore forwards, nine wides in this period (three from scoreable frees), as against just one for Toomevara.

Facing a stiffening breeze, what Clonoulty Rossmore now needed was a fast start to the second half.

What they got was a super-fast one-two from the champs, a point within 10 seconds of the throw-in by corner-forward and captain Michael Bevans, then a superb team point finished by John O’Brien after a length-of-field series of cool and accurate passes.

Now seven points behind, it should have signalled the death-knell for the West champions, but to their credit they came back; first, a goal from substitute Aiden Butler, one-handed to the net after a John O’Neill centre, then a pair of points, one each from corner-forwards Fiachra O’Keeffe and Paudie White, making it 1-12 to 2-7, just two points in it. Kenny Dunne – inevitably – stemmed that flow of Clonoulty Rossmore scores with a Toomevara point from a 65, after Clonoulty keeper and captain Declan O’Dwyer denied John O’Brien from close range, but back came Clonoulty again, and a goaled 20m free from a John O’Neill blast after Toomevara keeper Seán Delaney was adjudged (harshly) to have deliberately dropped his hurley, had the game tied in the 38th minute, 1-13 to 3-7.

Game on?

No, game over, in fact; that scoreline really flattered Clonoulty Rossmore, and over the next 12 minutes Toomevara shot 11 unanswered points to put this to bed. Clonoulty did finish off the scoring, but the 1-1 finish (the goal superbly taken by youngster John O’Neill) merely served to put a better gloss on the final scoreline. In truth, Clonoulty Rossmore were outhurled, outplayed, outclassed; Toomevara are looking ominous. How many times has that been said over the last 15 years or so?

Interesting little cameo near the end; in the 57th minute, teenager Damien Delaney came on as a direct replacement for his father Tony.

Not often you’ll see that at this level!

Scorers for Toomevara: K. Dunne 0-13 (0-10 frees, 0-1 65); J. O’Brien 1-3; F. Devaney 0-2; J. McLoughney, P. Grace, T. Dunne, M. Bevans, B. McCormack, J. Duignan, 0-1 each.

Clonoulty Rossmore: J. O’Neill 2-0 (1-0 free); T. Hammersley 1-3 (0-2 frees); A. Butler 1-0; P. White 0-2; F. O’Keeffe 0-2; Tom Butler 0-1.

TOOMEVARA: S. Delaney; P. Touhy, T. Delaney, P. McGrath; D. Young, B. Dunne, D. Kennedy; F. Devaney, J. McLoughney; P. Grace, T. Dunne, K. Dunne; M. Bevans (c), J. O’Brien, B. McCormack.

Subs: J. Duignan (Grace 46); K. Brislane (T. Dunne 54); D. Delaney (T. Delaney 57).

CLONOULTY ROSSMORE: D. O’Dwyer (c); Joey O’Keeffe, J. Heffernan, K. Horan; John O’Keeffe, J. Devane, L. Devane; C. Ryan, M. Coen; Tom Butler, J. O’Neill, Thomas Butler; F. O’Keeffe, T. Hammersley, P. White.

Subs: A. Butler (Coen 30); S. O’Connor (Ryan 30); J. Forrestal (Tom Butler 48); P. Heffernan (F. O’Keeffe 52). Blood sub: S. O’Connor (Coen 2/10).

Referee: N. Cosgrove (Marlfield).