Early Clonmel flourish demolishes Church dreams

A first-half burst job saw Commercials go in 1-8 to 0-1 ahead

Aldo Matassa of Clonmel Commercials in action against Ger Grant of Upperchurch-Drombane during the Tipperary County Senior Football Championship Final match between Clonmel Commercials and Upperchurch-Drombane at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Tipperary SFC final: Clonmel Commercials 1-10 Upperchurch-Drombane 1-2 

Clonmel Commercials only needed to produce anything near their best for 12 minutes of this final to win their 20th Tipperary senior football title, and third in four years, against first-time finalists Upperchurch-Drombane.

A first-half demolition job saw them go in 1-8 to 0-1 ahead and Michael O’Reilly’s 38th-minute penalty save from Paul Shanahan gave them sufficient insulation to comfortably survive a lethargic second-half showing.

Conor Fahey’s 56th-minute consolation goal drew the loudest cheer of the day but Upperchurch’s pressure wasn’t backed up with a sufficient scoring threat.

Commercials ended with 13 men, Ross Peters sent off for a second yellow card in the 52nd minute and Peter McGarry black-carded in stoppage time, but it mattered little as they move within one title of record winners Fethard on the Tipperary roll of honour.

The 2015 Munster champions will now turn their attention toward a meeting with either Nemo Rangers or St Finbarr’s in a provincial quarter-final next month.

An unsettled start for both sides saw the game go 13 minutes without a score. Upperchurch missed their first four shots, including three placed balls, while Commercials missed their first three.

But once Commercials got going, there was no stopping them. Pádraic Looram’s goal, in the 14th minute, kick-started a scoring streak of 1-8 in 12 minutes, in which time Upperchurch couldn’t register so much as a shot, never mind a score.

Man-of-the-match Jack Kennedy kicked three points (two frees) and directed much of the play, Looram won three kick-outs and assisted two points from wing-back, and Seán O’Connor added another two points as they overwhelmed Upperchurch.

The underdogs finally raised a white flag in the 28th minute, Paul Shanahan converting a free to a loud cheer from the Church contingent. 1-8 to 0-1 at half-time.

Upperchurch, seven days on from their hurling semi-final defeat, came out with a renewed intent to press Commercials high up the field. Luke Shanahan kicked an acute free and from the restart, he turned over a short kick-out and was fouled for a penalty. Paul Shanahan sent it down the middle but O’Reilly stretched out his trailing leg to kick it to safety.

Commercials only scored twice from frees in the second half, from Kennedy and Michael Quinlivan frees in the 44th and 61st minutes. The latter is now one of eight Commercials players to win a club record sixth Tipperary SFC title.

Scorers for Clonmel Commercials: J Kennedy (0-4, 3 frees); P Looram (1-0); S O’Connor (1 mark), M Duinlivan (1 free) (0-2 each); J Lonergan, C Deely (0-1 each).

Scorers for Upperchurch-Drombane: C Fahey (1-0); P Shanahan, L Shanahan (0-1 free each).

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS: M O’Reilly; J Morris, S Kennedy, J Peters (capt); T Condon, K Fahey, P Looram; A Matassa, M Quinlivan; J Kennedy, J Lonergan, Cathal Deely; Colman Kennedy, S O’Connor, R Peters.

Subs: Conall Kennedy for Deely (36), P McGarry for Matassa (46), D Lynch for J Kennedy (57), C Smith for O’Connor (60), E Dunphy for J Peters (60+2).

Red card: R Peters (52).

Black card: P McGarry (60+3).

UPPERCHURCH-DROMBANE: J Griffin; G Grant, M Ryan, A O’Donoghue (capt); D Carew, G Ryan, M Lavery; K Ryan, J Butler; Pat Ryan, P Shanahan, D Grant; L Shanahan, N Grant, L Ryan.

Subs: S Ryan for P Ryan (h-t), C Fahey for L Ryan (h-t), C Ryan for N Grant (51), P Greene for D Grant (60).

Referee: S Lonergan (Moyle Rovers).