Last-gasp goal secures Clare progression in Munster MFC

Clare will play in phase 2 of the Munster MFC for the third year in a row

Clare led by 10 points at one stage against Tipperary but ended up needing a late goal to secure victory. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Munster MFC Phase 1 Round 3: Clare 2-8 Tipperary 2-6 

Drama at the death in Clarecastle as it took an injury-time rebound goal through Thomas Dillon to finally confirm Clare’s passage to the last four of the Munster Minor Football Championship for the third successive season.

Soaring ten points clear nearing the two-thirds mark, nothing but a comfortable home victory seemed on the cards for the Banner. However, there would be a sharp twist in the tale in the 37th minute when a wind-assisted Tipp ran at their hosts for the first time and earned a penalty plus a black card for corner-back Tristan O’Loughlin in the process.

Up stepped Conor O’Meara to blast the resulting spot kick to the right corner and finally spark Tipperary into life. The visitors would incrementally chip away at the deficit as points through Cillian Morrissey, O’Meara and Jack Donnelly lowered the arrears to just four by the time Clare restored their full complement by the turn of the final quarter at 1-8 to 1-4.

Clare meanwhile were overly eager to stop the rot and began to misfire which only spurred on a resurgent Premier side even further entering the final ten minutes. A rousing two-pointer from Hugh Carolan halved the arrears in the 54th minute but from the resulting kick-out, Cillian Morrissey played a slick one-two with Carolan to flick past goalkeeper Conor Griffin to actually catapult Tipperary into the ascendency for the very first time at 2-6 to 1-8.

Without a score in over 30 minutes, Clare would frustratingly kick three more wides before their persistence was finally rewarded in the 63rd minute. Steven O’Neill was put through in the left corner to cut inside and unleash a powerful effort that was acrobatically saved by goalkeeper Danny Cashin before Thomas Dillon finished the rebound over the line for a last gasp reprieve.

Such a dramatic finish could not have been foreseen when Clare dominated the opening period, thanks in the main to 1-4 from home talisman Liam Keane, to ease to a 1-6 to 0-1 interval cushion.

Keane and Thomas Dillon would maintain that superiority on the resumption and with news of Waterford’s turnaround in Lemybrien, it initially seemed as if the Deise and Clare would canter into the final four alongside Kerry and Cork.

It was far from that straight-forward though as while the same pair would eventually prevail, only a kick of the ball separated the sides in both ties ahead of a two week recess for Phase 2.

Scorers for Clare: L Keane 1-5 (4f); T Dillon 1-2 (1f); R Kelly 0-1 

Scorers for Tipperary: C O’Meara (1-0 Pen, 1f), C Morrissey 1-1 each; H Carolan 0-2 (tp); D Chasin (’45), J Donnelly 0-1 each 

CLARE: C Griffin (Ennistymon); C Killeen (Lissycasey), T Bane (Banner), T O’Loughlin (St. Breckan’s); D Fitzpatrick (St. Breckan’s), S Neenan (Kildysart), S O’Neill (Éire Óg); S Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane), J Lavin (Ennistymon); R Cotter (Kilrush Shamrocks), R Kelly (Kildysart), Z O’Shea (Doonbeg); T Dillon (Doonbeg) L Keane (Lissycasey), S O’Callaghan (St. Joseph's Doora/Barefield) 

Subs: J Greene (Corofin) for Lavin (39), E Soffe (Kilrush Shamrocks) for Fitzpatrick (50), G Browne (Cooraclare) for Bane (53, inj), N Burke (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Neenan (56, inj), I Byrne (St. Breckan’s) for O’Shea (57) 

TIPPERARY: D Cashin (Killenaule); N Walsh (Cashel King Cormacs), C Hurley (Moyle Rovers), Oisin O’Reilly (Clonmel Óg); R Grace (Galtee Rovers St Pecaun’s), E Lonergan (Emly), O McCarthy (Moyle Rovers); C Cahill (JK Bracken’s), A O’Callaghan (Portroe); C Brazil (Aherlow), H Carolan (Moyle Rovers), J Donnelly (Golden-Kilfeacle); C Morrissey (Moyle Rovers), C O’Meara (Grangemockler Ballyneale), T Dunlea (Ballylooby Castlegrace) 

Subs: C Hennessy (Aherlow) for O’Reilly (22), D O’Callaghan (Clonmel Commercials) for Walsh (ht), R Dunphy (Clonmel Commercials) for Cahill (50), E O’Connell (Aherlow) for Dunlea (56) 

Referee: C Murphy (Cork)