Cadbury Munster U21 Football S-Final – Tipperary 1-12 Clare 0-7

McGrath finds his range to setup Tipp showdown with Rebels

TIPPERARY 1-12 CLARE 0-7

By Jackie Cahill for the Irish Independent newspaper

CADBURY MUNSTER U-21 FC S/F – 28 MARCH 2013

DAVID Power’s Tipperary cruised into the final thanks to an eight-point victory over Clare at an icy Semple Stadium. Liam McGrath was the star of the show for the Premier County as the corner-forward, one of 10 members of Tipp’s 2011 All-Ireland minor-winning team in the starting line-up, notched eight points. McGrath’s haul helped Tipp to progress to a first provincial U-21 decider since winning their first football crown at the grade in 2010. To repeat the trick, Power’s outfit will have to defeat a fancied Cork team at Semple Stadium in a fortnight’s time. Tipperary led by 1-8 to 0-4 at half-time, with McGrath supplying 0-6 of the home side’s total before the break.

The Loughmore-Castleiney hitman was unerring from frees as he slotted four. The goal, scored by Michael Quinlivan in the 28th minute, gave Tipp real daylight. They led by 0-8 to 0-3 before the Commercials star chased down Niall O’Meara’s pass close to the goal line before cutting inside Clare corner-back Stan Lineen. Quinlivan managed to get his shot away and it squirted through the legs of Darren Sexton and into the net. Cathal Duggan was Clare’s outstanding player in the first half as the only Clare senior in the starting line-up hit 0-3, including two fine efforts from play.

Jamie Malone hit two points from play in the second half for the visitors but they never looked capable of mounting a revival. Tipp could have scored a second goal 12 minutes from time but Liam Treacy shot straight at Sexton when one-on-one with the Clare ‘keeper. Soon after, Billy Hewitt landed a lovely score with his first touch after coming on as a sub and added another moments later. Clare sub Eoin Cleary completed the scoring with five minutes left.

Scorers – Tipperary: L McGrath 0-8 (6fs), M Quinlivan 1-0, B Hewitt 0-2, S O’Brien, S Kennedy 0-1 each. Clare: C Duggan 0-3 (1f), J Malone 0-2, C Cleary (1f), E Cleary 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY – E Comerford; P Dalton, N O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; N O’Meara, S Kennedy, D Fitzell; S O’Brien, I Fahey; B Maher, L Treacy, D Leahy; L McGrath, M Quinlivan, S Leahy.

Subs: M O’Sullivan for O’Meara (42), J Longeran for Maher (50), B Hewitt for Treacy (50), J Ryan for Fahey (55), J O’Callaghan for Fitzell (55).

CLARE – D Sexton; A Downes, C Brennan, S Lineen; C O’Brien, S Malone, E Brew; G Looney, C Devitt; D Bolton, P Collins, C Cleary; C Duggan, J Malone, S Lynch.

Subs: W Flynn for Downes (47), E Cleary for Lynch (42), D Masterson for Devitt (49), M O’Neill for Collins (52), L Corry for Bolton (56).

Ref – R Moloney (Limerick)

Team News

The Tipperary under 21 football team to play Clare in the Munster semi-final at Semple Stadium on Wednesday evening has 4 changes from the team which defeated Waterford in the quarter-final. Paddy Dalton, Niall O’Meara, Ian Fahey and Philip Quirke come into the team in place of Darragh Kearney (ill), Padraig O’Meara, John O’Callaghan and Billy Hewitt. The team is:

1. Evan Comerford (Clonmel Commercials)

2. Paddy Dalton (Arravale Rovers)

3. Niall O’Sullivan (Moycarkey/Borris)

4. Conor O’Sullivan (Galtee Rovers)

5. Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

6. Seamus Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials) CAPTAIN

7. Dylan Fitzell (Cashel King Cormacs)

8. Steven O’Brien (Ballina)

9. Ian Fahey (Clonmel Commercials)

10. Bill Maher (Kilsheelan Kilcash)

11. Philip Quirke (Moyle Rovers)

12. Donagh Leahy (Arravale Rovers)

13. Liam McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney)

14. Michael Quinlivan (Clonmel Commercials)

15. Shane Leahy (Arravale Rovers)

For the Record

2012 Cadbury Munster Under 21 Football Championship Fixtures / Results

Quarter Finals

Wednesday March 13rd

@ Pairc Ui Rinn                                  Cork 0-14 Kerry 2-7

@ Semple Stadium Thurles               Tipperary 1-17 Waterford 0-9

Semi-Finals

Wednesday March 27^th

@ Gaelic Grounds Limerick               Cork v Limerick                                              @ 7:30pm

@ Semple Stadium Thurles               Tipperary v Clare                                            @ 7:30pm

Final

Venue Permutations

@ Semple Stadium Thurles               Cork v Tipperary                                             @ 7:30pm

@ Clare venue                                    Cork v Clare                                                   @ 7:30pm

@ Gaelic Grounds Limerick               Limerick v Tipperary                                       @ 7:30pm

@ Clare venue                                    Limerick v Clare                                             @ 7:30pm

Munster Under 21 Football Championship Roll of Honour

Kerry (25) – 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2008

Cork (23) – 1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012

Limerick (1) – 2000

Waterford (1) – 2003

Tipperary (1) – 2010

Munster Under 21 Football Championship – Useful Information

• Attendances for the Munster Under 21 Football Championship have grown by 150% in the period 2007 through to 2012.
• For the record Cork and Kerry have both appeared in 37 finals (Kerry’s total includes 2 replays); Tipperary and Clare in 10 finals; Waterford in 8 finals and Limerick in 4 finals

Last meeting – 2009 Munster Under 21 Football Championship Semi-Final at Cooraclare

Tipperary 2-5 Clare 0-9

Tipperary: M O’Donnell; D Buckley, C McDonald, S Mullins; C Aylward, J Coghlan, B Fox; B Jones, A Moloney (0-2, one free); S Carey (2-1), J Cagney, P Acheson; T Dalton (0-2, one free), D Burns, B Quinn. Subs: D Lynch for Mullins (28 mins), T Dunne for Coghlan (42), D Keogh for Acheson (51), D Foley for Burns (59).

Clare: P O’Dwyer; D Ryan, D Hickey, N White; K Hartnett, L Markham, K Whelan (0-1); G Brennan, C O’Connor; D Cusack (0-1), S Collins, D Gallery; E Lyons (0-2, one free), S Crotty, M McCarthy (0-5, three frees) . Subs: P McMahon for Hartnett (half-time), M Moloney for Cusack (43 mins), S Ryan for OConnor (53), C McInerney for Lyons (58).

Referee: P O’Suilleabháin (Kerry)

• Though Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary have won this competition in this millennium, the combined record of the so called four weaker counties since 2000 is played 80, won 29, lost 50 and drawn 3 – a winning percentage of 36%.
• Kerry and Cork have dominated this competition and only once in the history of the championship were one or both counties not involved in the final. That was in 2000 when Limerick played Waterford in the Final in Dungarvan with Limerick lifting the crown for the first and only time on a 0-7 to 0-4 scoreline.

Munster Under 21 Football Cup

Corn na Cásca presented by the Football Council in 1966 to commemorate the jubilee of the 1916 Rising.

All Ireland Under 21 Football Championship

In Under 21 Football All Ireland Roll of Honour Cork have won 11 Titles and Kerry have 10 Titles to their credit. Cork were All Ireland Under 21 Champions in 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007, 2009. Kerry titles were won in 1964, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2008

Cadbury Hero of the Future Awards

Former Cadbury Hero of the Future Award Winners:

• 2006: Keith Higgins from Mayo
• 2007: Fintan Goold from Cork
• 2008: Killian Young from Kerry
• 2009: Colm O’Neill from Cork
• 2010: Rory O’Carroll from Dublin
• 2011: Thomas Flynn from Galway
• 2012: Ciaran Kilkenny from Dublin

2013 Munster Under 21 Football Championship Matches played

Tipperary 1-17 Waterford 0-9 – March 13th @ Semple Stadium Thurles (Munster Quarter-Final)

Tipperary – E Comerford; D Kearney, N O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; P O’Meara, S Kennedy, J O’Callaghan; S O’Brien, D Fitzell; B Maher, D Leahy, S Leahy; L McGrath, M Quinlivan, B Hewitt
Subs: M O’Sullivan for O’Callaghan (37), P Quirke for Hewitt (46), N O’Meara for P O’Meara (51), J Lonergan for Maher (54), P Dalton for Fitzell (59).

Waterford – S Barron; L O’Corraoin, D Foley, C Sheridan; R Dunford, R Sheehan, D Hallahan; K Phelan, R O Ceallaigh; G Nugent, D Breathnach, K Sheehan; M Kiely, P Whyte, K Power
Subs: C Kindregan for Kiely (42), C Burke for O Corraoin (60), P Connors for Dunford (60), L O’Farrell for Sheehan (60).

Referee – James Bermingham (Cork)

Cork 0-14 Kerry 2-7 – March 13th @ Pairc Ui Rinn (Munster Quarter-Final)

Cork: D Hanrahan; B O’Driscoll, C Dorman, A Cronin; TJ Brosnan, D Cahalane, J Wall; T Clancy, I Maguire; A Cadogan, M Sugrue, J O’Rourke; D Mac Eoin, B Hurley, L Connolly
Subs: C Vaughan for Sugrue (39), S Kiely for Maguire (53), K Hallissey for Cadogan (55),

Kerry: S Murphy; F McNamara, P Kilkenny, D Culhane; P Ó Sé, T Morley, M Mangan; J Walsh, S Keane; J Hickson, M Reen, S O’Callaghan; G O’Grady, C Cox, C Brady
Subs: K Murphy for Brady (42), C Keane for Reen (52), J Sheehy for Hickson (57).

Referee: Derek O’Mahony (Tipperary)

2013 Top Scorers – Munster Under 21 Football Championship