Commercials overcome dogged Moyle Rovers challenge to book final return

Clonmel Commercials Seanie O Connor breaks past Moyle Rovers Conor McGrath during the FBD Tipperary Co senior football semi final in Ardfinnan. Photo John D kelly

Tipperary SFC semi-final: Clonmel Commercials 0-14 Moyle Rovers 0-10 

Tipperary football champions Clonmel Commercials will defend their title against JK Bracken’s in the county decider having held off the brave challenge of Moyle Rovers in Sunday's county semi-final played at Ardfinnan.

The reigning champions were pushed a lot harder than many expected by their local arch-rivals, but the town side, champions in four of the last six years, used all their experience to hold off their neighbours and will be hoping to make history in a fortnight’s time by matching Fethard at the top of the roll of honour with 21 titles.

Unbackable favourites before the throw-in, Commercials got the upper hand in the early exchanges to lead 0-3 to 0-0 after just eight minutes with points from Peter McGarry and two from Jack Kennedy (one free).

They then had a glorious chance to stamp their authority on the game in the 11th minute when awarded a penalty but Shane Ryan dived low to his right to deny Jack Kennedy, a magnificent save that seemed to give Rovers a much-needed lift.

Rovers finally got off the mark on the quarter-hour mark with Liam Boland’s first free, and were happy to be just two points down after Commercials had had most of the possession.

Seanie O’Connor and Diarmuid Foley shared fine points from play, followed by frees from Kennedy and Boland to leave Commercials 0-5 to 0-3 up after 23 minutes.

The champions then kicked four from play without reply from O’Connor (2) and Conal Kennedy (2), before a Liam Boland free brought the half to a conclusion with Commercials 0-9 to 0-4 up.

Commercials’ Sean Kennedy opened the second half scoring answered by a fine individual point from long-serving Diarmuid Foley for the Monroe outfit.

Rovers were temporarily reduced to 14 men with Conor McGrath’s black card in the 39th minute allowing Commercials to stretch their lead to a comfortable seven by the 40th minute following another Kennedy (free) and one from play from O’Connor.

The hard-working Jack Harney kicked a fine point from Rovers, but, after county senior hurler Seamus Kennedy was fouled, goalkeeper Michael O’Reilly restored the champions lead to seven in the 43rd minute. Incredibly they would score just one further point over the remaining 17 minutes of normal time and four of additional time.

Rovers introduced fresh legs and threw caution to the wind, and had a great chance of a goal midway through the half when substitute Dara Ryan drove narrowly wide.

Two frees from Liam Boland narrowed the gap to five before former All-Star Michael Quinlivan steadied the Commercials ship with a point from play nine minutes from time.

But down the stretch it was definitely Rovers in the ascendency. The excellent Luke Boland forced a free that resulted in Kevin Fahey’s black carding and Liam Boland made it 0-14 to 0-9 with eight minutes still to play.

Two minutes later Danny Owens fisted over another, and with two minutes of normal time remaining Liam Boland kicked a massive effort to narrow the gap to just a kick of a ball.

With memories of the last-minute goal in 2018 that saw Rovers dethrone them, this Clonmel side were happy enough to see it out without any further dramatics and keep their hopes of retaining the O’Dwyer Cup alive.

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS: M. O’Reilly (0-1F), T. Condon, Seamus Kennedy, J. Peters, K. Fahey, J. Morris, P. Looram, C. Deely, J. Kennedy (0-4, 0-3F), P. McGarry (0-1), Colman Kennedy, Conal Kennedy (0-2), R. Peters, M. Quinlivan (0-1), S. O’Connor (0-4).

Subs: Sean Kennedy (0-1) for R. Peters (inj., 7 mins); C. Smith for McGarry (45 mins); A. Matassa for Conal Kennedy (inj., 60+).

MOYLE ROVERS: S. Ryan, J. Harney (0-1), C. McGrath, Cillian Crowe, C. McKeown, Luke Boland, Cian Crowe, B. Owens, L. Fogarty (0-1), D. Foley (0-1), S. Foley, R. Collins, R. Quigley, Liam Boland (0-7, 0-6F), S. Quirke.

Subs: D. Ryan for Cian Crowe (42 mins); D. Owens (0-1) for Fogarty (42 mins); D. English for S. Foley (inj., 51 mins); K. Butler for McKeown (56 mins); Sean Cotter for Quirke (56 mins).

Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne/Templetuohy).