*Liam Murphy’s shot is blocked. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLARE’S minor hurlers have lost to out to Tippeary in the Munster final and were in the process dethroned as provincial champions.
Tipperary 2-17
Clare 0-16
Venue: TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Led by Stefan Tobin and Euan Murray in the spine of their attack, Tipperary ended Clare’s reign as Munster minor hurling champions with a deserved win at a sun-stroked Gaelic Grounds on Monday evening.
They become the first team to win the John Doyle Cup but it is their forty second time winning the Munster minor championship.
A busy four day spell of games for die-hard Clare supporters concluded on a disappointing note as Brian O’Connell’s side missed out on the chance to complete a two in a row of Munster minor hurling titles for the first time since 2010 and 2011.
In the four day bonanza there were losses for the U20 hurlers and senior footballers while the county’s senior hurlers took one step in the right direction towards getting back to the senior final.
Indeed there was plenty of links with the county senior set-up and the minors. Tadhg Lohan, Matthew Corbett and Conor Ralph are all the sons of senior mentors, Brian, Tommy and Ken while Paul Rodgers is the younger brother of Mark.
Level eight times in the game, Cillian Minogue’s forty fourth minute goal created a gap entering the final quarter. It was a green flag that was going to determine if the tie went to extra time and it duly arrived for Tipperary who for the second time in three seasons defeated Clare in a Munster final held at the Gaelic Grounds.
Penalties were not needed to ascertain who claimed the silverware on this occasion unlike in 2022 but had Minogue not struck for that major, the prospect of extra time was very real.
They had 1-2 without reply to really flesh out an advantage and hit Clare at a time when it hurt.
Stefan Tobin had the assist for Minogue’s major and he was a pivotal figure for the winners along with centre forward Euan Murray.
Tobin struck for their second goal and effectively sealed the win on fifty one minutes, excellently snapping a breaking ball as he went one on one with Matthew Crotty.
When they met in the fourth round at the beginning of May, Clare hit Tipperary for four goals, this time round the goal chances weren’t as cut but they didn’t hit the back of the net as Daire English kept a clean sheet, producing an excellent save late on to deny Paul Rodgers.
By the third minute, Tipperary led 0-3 0-0 before centre back James Cullinan opened Clare’s account on the fourth minute. A rally of three scores in succession for Clare including two from Harry Doherty and one from Dara Kennedy reduced the deficit to a single point with twelve minutes gone.
A further three scores on the trot, this time from Matthew Corbett, Graham Ball and Paul Rodgers gave Brian O’Connell’s charges the lead for the first time with eighteen minutes played.
At the sounding of the half-time whistle, the sides were level and they remained this way until Minogue’s goal and from here, Tipperary were on their way to provincial glory.
Tobin and Murray were best in class for the winners with Cathal O’Reilly and Tiarnan Ryan also impressing for the Premier County.
Having kept a clean sheet in all five encounters to date, Clare conceded goals for the first time in the final. They had a fine spread of scorers but didn’t have a conductor to match Tobin or Murray at the other end. Dara Kennedy and Paul Rodgers impressed for Clare while the industrious Tadhg Lohan made an impact when introduced.
Scorers for Tipperary: S Tobin (1-3); E Doughan (0-6, 3 frees); C Minogue (1-1); E Murray (0-3); J Donelan-Houlihan (free), D O’Hora, A Cagney, K Cantwell (0-1 each).
Scorers for Clare: M Corbett (2 frees), H Doherty (2 frees) (0-3 each); J Cullinan, G Ball (0-2 each); D Kennedy, R Mulcahy (65), C Ralph, P Rodgers, L Murphy, R Hayes (0-1 each).
Tipperary:
1: Daire English (Fr Sheehys)
2: Shane Ryan (Killanaule)
3: Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill)
4: Patrick Ryan (Borris-Ileigh)
5: David Ryan (Arravale Rovers)
6: Owen O’Dwyer (Killanaule)
7: Jake Donelan Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg)
8: Tiarnan Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill)
9: Darragh O’Hora (Solohead)
10: Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers)
11: Euan Murray (Durlas Óg)
12: Billy O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg)
13: Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall)
15: Cillian Minogue (Durlas Óg)
14: Stefan Tobin (Carrick Swan)
Subs:
Clare:
1: Matthew Crotty (Scariff)
2: Darren Moroney (Éire Óg)
3: Seán McNamara (Clooney/Quin)
4: Seán Óg Kilkenny (Bodyke)
5: Dara Kennedy (Ballyea)
6: James Cullinan (Ruan)
7: Rian Mulcahy (Éire Óg)
8: Graham Ball (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
9: Matthew Corbett (Clooney/Quin)
24: Conor Ralph (Clarecastle)
11: Patrick Finnernan (Clooney/Quin)
12: Harry Doherty (Clarecastle)
13: Jerry O’Connor (Clooney/Quin)
14: Paul Rodgers (Scariff)
15: Liam Murphy (O’Callaghans Mills)
Subs:
17: Ryan Hayes (Tulla) for Ralph (37)
10: Michael Vaughan (Broadford) for O’Connor (43)
22: Tadhg Lohan (Cratloe) for Finnernan (47)
21: Darragh Ball (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Corbett (54)
Referee: Ciaran O’Regan (Cork)
