Dubious penalty paves the way for Tipperary victory over Clare

More luck came Tipp’s way in the 45th minute when Seamus Callanan’s mishit point attempt deceived Quilligan

David Reidy of Clare in action against Brendan Maher of Tipperary at LIT Gaelic Grounds. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

TIPPERARY 3-23 CLARE 2-22 

By the end of this week, it might be Liam Sheedy and not Brian Lohan who is more offended. Tipperary aren’t going to receive a whole lot of credit for this victory and it might be something the challengers to Limerick can harness on Sunday week but for now it is Lohan who is understandably aggrieved.

As the boos from the Clare following suitably stationed on the Ennis Road half of the Mackey Stand followed James Owens off the pitch, Lohan stood and stared at the referee but there was no eye contact.

Not on that count, not on any was he going to get any satisfaction.

What befell his team, his player Aidan McCarthy seemed totally unfair. The penalty/sin bin was not introduced for fouls such as the one he committed on Jake Morris two minutes into the second half.

Granted, there was careless use of the hurley and it occurred inside the 20-metre line but it was a stretch to consider that the Clare forward had denied his opponent a goalscoring opportunity when the incident occurred so close to the Mackey Stand sideline. At best, it accrued 25m away from the Clare goal.

Owens’s intention was clear to a disbelieving McCarthy before he raised the yellow card and pointed him to the line and mystified his manager who had moved up the whitewash to ascertain what was going on.

In the aftermath, Jason Forde dispatched the penalty goal past Eibhear Quilligan, initiating a 10-minute period where Tipperary went from two points down to six points up, scoring 2-4 to Clare’s 0-2.

Tipperary may highlight they were unfortunate at this same venue against Galway in last November’s All-Ireland quarter-final but they could have been forgiven for believing their luck was in when Seamus Callanan’s mishit point attempt in the 45th minute foiled Quilligan for the team’s third goal. The lack of celebration from the Tipperary captain suggested he was almost embarrassed by the score.

Leading 3-18 to 2-14 at the second water break, Tipperary went as far as eight points up in the 56th minute and Clare could not catch up. Saves were required to deny Aron Shanagher and Ryan Taylor goals in the same move in the 65th minute but Quilligan had been called on again to stop Jason Forde nine minutes previous.

The game petered out to its almost predictable end, Tipperary racking up several wides, but they might wonder where they stand given how McCarthy’s dismissal skewed what had been a tightly contested affair to that point.

Prior to the game, Sheedy acknowledged there were questions being asked of his team and few of them were answered here. Afterwards, he expressed his satisfaction with the work-rate of his forwards but John McGrath’s lack of form must be a worry and either Alan Flynn, who was notable coming off the bench, or Niall O’Meara, if he is fit, should start in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Marking Ian Galvin, Pádraic Maher appeared to be in for a torrid afternoon early on but was a commanding presence from the second quarter. More will be expected of Noel McGrath who was called ashore as one of only three Tipperary substitutions but in Dan McCormack and Michael Breen Tipperary were able to win the middle third.

Galvin threatened to run riot in the opening exchanges and had 1-2 to his name by the eighth minute, his goal coming in the sixth minute as a ball escaped Shanagher and Barry Heffernan and he tucked it to the net.

A David Reidy point sent an efficient Clare six points up in the 11th minute as their forwards feasted on one-on-one situations and regularly showing their Tipperary taggers clean pairs of heels.

Tipperary, though, corrected themselves, retained their shape and with 1-3 were back on level terms going into the first water break. Breen’s 15th minute goal was a credit to his ground skills as he manufactured a shot after Forde had broken down a long ball.

By half-time, Quilligan was called on to stop Morris and Callanan but the next goal came from Clare on the stroke of half-time. Like the first goal, John Conlon sent a diagonal ball to Shanagher who this time gathered only for his blocked point attempt to ricochet into the middle where David Reidy beat Cathal Barrett who had left Tony Kelly to win the ball. The flick through was manna for the 2013 hurler of the year and Clare went in 2-11 to 1-13 ahead.

Scoring just three points in the third quarter, two from frees, in contrast to Tipperary’s 2-5, Clare were cheered on but the support from their fans in the 3,000 crowd rang more hopeful than expectant. After being bitten by the sending off and the nature of Callanan’s goal, their shyness could be rationalised.

Standing in the same position in the middle of the Mackey Stand nine months ago, Sheedy spoke of the harshness of Cathal Barrett’s first of two yellow cards. Here, the defender was close to suffering the same fate in the 58th minute when he infringed against Kelly but Owens chose to keep his book in his pocket. Then again, Conor Cleary’s questionable marking of Callanan at the other end was rarely punished and Tipperary won just two second-half frees. Still, at such an early juncture Tipperary will be hoping they haven’t used up all their luck.

The 60-second report

IT MATTERED

Aidan McCarthy’s sin bin in the 38th minute. From being behind, Tipperary scored the resultant penalty and Clare were in their rear-view mirror for the rest of the game.

CAN’T IGNORE

Read above (we’re going to sound like a broken record for a lot of this panel).

GOOD DAY

Tipperary won’t care how this was done, only that they are now in the last six and have a reasonable shot at winning a second Munster title under Liam Sheedy. They are gunning for their first provincial crown in five years.

BAD DAY

Clare have been dropped in the viper’s nest that is the qualifiers and it’s so difficult to believe the Aidan McCarthy sin bin had nothing to do with it.

PHYSIO ROOM

Both teams used only three substitutes, and all of the personnel changes appeared to be tactical. Niall O’Meara might be an option for Tipperary in the Munster final.

SIDELINE SMARTS

Moving Tony Kelly to the inside line again, Clare looked to repeat a trick, although Cathal Barrett was a more appropriate marker than Calum Lyons. After a shaky start, Tipperary’s defence kept its shape. Michael Breen’s swap with Dan McCormack, although both were involved in a lot of the heavy middle-third work, did allow Breen to push forward in the first half.

BEST ON SHOW

Some great leadership shown by Seamus Callanan and Pádraic Maher after difficult starts, but McCormack put in the biggest shift. Ian Galvin had a huge first half.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Careless use of the hurley, check, inside the 20m line, check, but goalscoring opportunity? Two out of three ain’t bad, but surely not enough to warrant sin-binning Aidan McCarthy, a decision that had an indelible impact on this game.

NEXT UP

Limerick and Tipperary will duel in a Munster final for the second time in three seasons on Sunday week, the game due to take place in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Clare could be out the same weekend in the first round of the qualifiers unless they receive a bye.

Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde (1-8, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees, 1 sideline, 1 65); J. O’Dwyer (0-4); M. Breen, S. Callanan (1-1 each); J. Morris (0-3); D. McCormack, A. Flynn (0-2 each); R. Maher, W. Connors (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: T. Kelly (1-9, 0-8 frees); I. Galvin (1-3); R. Taylor, C. Malone (0-2 each); A. Shanagher, C. Galvin, D. Reidy, A. McCarthy, J. Conlon, R. Hayes (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; C. Barrett, P. Maher, B. Heffernan; S. Kennedy, B. Maher, R. Maher; N. McGrath, D. McCormack; M. Breen, J. Forde, J. Morris; S. Callanan (c), J. McGrath, J. O’Dwyer.

Subs for Tipperary: W. Connors for J. McGrath (h-t); A. Flynn for N. McGrath (48); D. Quirke for J. O’Dwyer (67);

CLARE: E. Quilligan; R. Hayes, P. Flanagan, C. Cleary; D. Ryan, J. Conlon (c), P. Fitzpatrick; C. Galvin, C. Malone; R. Taylor, A. McCarthy, D. Reidy; A. Shanagher, I. Galvin, T. Kelly.

Subs for Clare: D. McInerney for P. Fitzpatrick (53); D. Fitzgerald for R. Taylor, M. Rodgers for I. Galvin (both 59);

Sin bin: A. McCarthy (38).

Referee: J. Owens (Wexford).