Show almost over for Tipp after O'Donnell and Duggan's variety act

At the final whistle, there was no sense of anger in the Tipperary crowd, just resignation.

Mon, 25 Apr, 2022 - 07:06

John Fogarty

Munster SHC: Tipperary 2-16 Clare 3-21

An early April shower for Tipperary who look all but doomed after this dismal display against a Clare team who remain a work in progress.

Light years off the aggression and quality on display in the Gaelic Grounds 20 hours earlier, this pitted predicted Munster whipping boys together only it was Clare with the rope in their hand. More of the same from them here against Cork next week and with two home games to look forward to they will be well on their way to undermining the predictions that they will finish in the bottom two in Munster.

At the final whistle, there was no sense of anger in the Tipperary numbers in the 17,260 crowd, just resignation. Low expectations before the championship had prepared them for this but in the wake of a moral victory in Waterford there had been some belief that they could back it up with two points. When their starting attack could muster just three points from play, that wasn’t going to be the case.

Tipperary are a project, that much everyone knew, but they were so poor here at times that it went beyond mitigation. Colm Bonnar put the wide count – 16 – and the late misses against Waterford down to the vagaries of youth but two-thirds of the team that started the 2019 All-Ireland final began here. Clare had just three All-Ireland winners in their 15. There is most certainly a question about depth for Tipperary but the dearth of leadership indicted men with Celtic Crosses in their pockets.

Bonnar shrugged off the theory his side had put too much into the Waterford game and it didn’t seem like they were suffering when they carved out early goal opportunities. Yet Eibhear Quilligan was equal to Jason Forde’s ground stroke in the third minute after he had initially been hooked and Diarmuid Ryan was in the way of Michael Breen’s attempt in the 12th minute.

Ian Galvin, as he did here in the 2018 Round 4 clash between the teams, showed the way with a goal. Having time to collect a rebound that Brian Hogan had pushed onto the crossbar from Peter Duggan, he bulged the net in the eighth minute.

With a breeze at their backs, Clare led by three points when they combined for 1-2 in less than 120 seconds, a point from Tony Kelly and Rory Hayes either side of a Duggan goal in the 21st minute. John Conlon had the freedom to push forward before tucking inside and striking. Again, Hogan denied Conlon but the ball ballooned nicely for Duggan to tap in.

The margin grew to 11 when Brian McGrath, fresh from replacing injured James Quigley, conceded a penalty for holding Duggan’s jersey and Tony Kelly’s finish from the placed ball was emphatic.

Tipperary looked a sorry bunch, sorrier than their 2018 version, and continued to struggle to clear their lines. A Barry Heffernan mistake resulted in a 33rd-minute point by Ian Galvin. From the puckout, Cathal Barrett was blown for overcarrying and Kelly duly sent over the free.

Down 13 points, 0-7 to 3-11, there was no way back for Tipperary. “Clare were full value for what they did today,” Bonnar noted. “Just like Waterford, we had a target on our back for maybe six or seven weeks. We were able to tune in on them. And I suppose we were Clare’s target for six or seven weeks, they were able to zone in on us.

“They came at us a hundred miles an hour. It’s just disappointing that we left ourselves so much to do at half-time, even though we came out and fought hard and scored 2-9 with the breeze. We got a goal early in the second half and for a young team we needed to build momentum. We had three or four point chances and before you know it it’s back to eight points or whatever and you’re in with a fighting chance. But when they go wide, it does deflate you more.”

Tipperary raided for goals, the first coming from a lengthy solo run from substitute Ger Browne two minutes into the new half. A second to make it a nine-point game came in the 49th minute as Quilligan misjudged Barry Heffernan’s dropping shot but other openings were shut. Mark Kehoe had two chances and looked to have been pulled back for a penalty but nothing came of them besides a 65.

The closest Tipperary came to Clare was seven points but Shane O’Donnell was a guiding hand as Clare steadied themselves and their advantage was back to double digits by the 65th minute. Alone, Kelly can do a lot but when he is flanked by Duggan, playing his first championship game in nearly three years, and O’Donnell, hopefully with his concussion difficulties behind him, the variation to Clare’s attack is obvious.

“Yeah, they've been excellent since they came back,” agreed Brian Lohan. “Have worked really hard both of them and I suppose great for themselves personally to get the rewards for the work that they're putting in.”

Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde (0-7, 4 frees, 2 65s, 1 sideline); G. Browne (1-3); B. Heffernan (1-0); R. Maher (0-2, 1 free); C. Barrett, N. McGrath, M. Breen, M. Kehoe (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: T. Kelly (1-7, 1-0 pen, 0-5 frees); I. Galvin, P. Duggan (1-2 each); R. Mounsey, R. Taylor, S. O’Donnell (0-2 each); D. Fitzgerald, R. Hayes, D. Ryan, D. McInerney (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: Brian Hogan; C. Barrett, J. Quigley, C. Morgan; D. Quirke, R. Maher (c), S. Kennedy; D. McCormack, B. Heffernan; J. Morris, N. McGrath, M. Breen; J. Forde, M. Kehoe, J. McGrath.

Subs for Tipperary: G. Browne for J. McGrath (inj 23); B. McGrath for J. Quigley (inj 27); C. Stakelum for D. McCormack (h-t); G. O’Connor for J. Morris (50); A. Flynn for B. Heffernan (65).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; R. Hayes, C. Cleary, P. Flanagan; D. Ryan, J. Conlon, D. McInerney; R. Taylor, C. Malone; D. Fitzgerald, T. Kelly (c), S. O’Donnell; I. Galvin, P. Duggan, R. Mounsey.

Subs for Clare: P. Crotty for I. Galvin (49); D. McMahon for D. Fitzgerald (62); S. Golden for R. Mounsey (70); J. McCarthy for S. O’Donnell (70+1); J. Browne for R. Taylor (70+5).

Referee: J. Owens (Wexford).