Tipperary Senior Football Championship Final – Clonmel Commercials 1-9 Thomas MacDonaghs 0-5

Clonmel: We’ll rattle Kerry kingpins

By Michael Dundon for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clonmel Commercials 1-09 Thomas MacDonaghs 0-05

Clonmel Commercials bridged a 10-year gap when claiming the Tipperary football title at Semple Stadium, Thurles yesterday. Played in miserable conditions, and before a disappointing 780 attendance, Commercials fully deserved their victory, which comes on the back of three consecutive county minor titles. In the process, Commercials reversed a defeat in last year’s semi-final at the hands of Thomas MacDonaghs, a combination drawn from six clubs in the North division. The win sets up a date with Dr Crokes in the Munster Club championship quarter-final in a fortnight.

At the end of an uninspiring first half, the sides were level on two points apiece. Commercials opened well with points from Ian Barnes and Colman Kennedy inside 12 minutes but MacDonaghs finished the half strongly with Joe Carroll and Padraic O’Meara dragging their side level. Commercials manager, former Tipperary goalkeeper, Philly Ryan, admitted he was unhappy with this team’s first-half performance but “a few choice words at the break seemed to have the desired effect”.

Points from Aldo Matassa, and Ian Barnes (2) inside seven minutes of the restart had Commercials in the driving seat. Seamus Hennessy replied for MacDonaghs in the 39th minute but the decisive score came two minutes later as minor star, Colman Kennedy, had the game’s only goal when he finished an excellent move involving Ian Fahy, John Harney and Jason Lonergan. Philip Austin, MacDonaghs’ most influential player, tried to rally them with a point but Kennedy kept Commercials six clear with 12 minutes remaining.

The holders piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but found the Commercials defence in mean mood and their ability to score on the counter attack saw them finish a comfortable seven points clear. A delighted Ryan admitted: “We knew we had lots of good young players but they had to prove themselves on the big stage. They did that today and they are the future of the club. We face Dr Crokes next and we will give them a rattle.” Former county minor stars Michael Quinlivan, Ian Fahy, goalscorer Kennedy and goalkeeper Evan Comerford were to the fore in this victory, along with Seamus Kennedy, Danny Madigan and the accurate Ian Barnes. Former Tipperary player, Kevin Mulryan, coach to MacDonaghs, said: “We won the title last year and we’ll be back next year to give it another lash.”

Scorers for Commercials: C Kennedy 1-2; I Barnes (0-4,3fs), A Matassa, J Lonergan, A Lonergan(0-1) each.

Scorers for MacDonaghs: P Austin (0-2), S Hennessy, P O Meara, J Carroll (0-1 each);

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS: E Comerford; F Condon, D Lynch, C O Connell; D Madigan, S Kennedy, J Peters; K Harney, A Matassa; L Moore, C Kennedy, I Fahy; I Barnes, M Quinlivan, J Harney.

Subs: J Lonergan for Moore; R Carroll for Fahy; A Lonergan for J Harney; S Taylor for Matassa; E Hanrahan for C Kennedy;

THOMAS MACDONAGHS: J McDonnell; M Minehan, D Buckley, R Gleeson; F Hayes, N O Meara, J Carroll; L England, G Hannigan; J Gallagher, P Austin, P O Meara; D Young, S Hennessy, T Connors.

Subs: A Austin for England; A Hannigan for P O Meara; A Ryan for Young;

Referee T McGrath, Loughmore-Castleiney

Kennedy goal breaks MacDonaghs resistance

From the Irish Independent newspaper

COLMAN Kennedy’s superb second-half goal and Man of the Match performance clinched victory for Clonmel Commercials at Semple Stadium. Commercials avenged last year’s semi-final defeat at the hands of 2011 winners Thomas MacDonaghs to win the Premier County senior football crown for the first time since 2002. A disappointing attendance of just 780 turned up and the weather was not conducive to good football. By half-time the sides had shared just four points between them, but a strong third quarter from Commercials sealed the win, as the winners claimed a 15th Tipperary SFC title. Commercials will now play Kerry kingpins Dr Crokes in the Munster semi-final and they will travel to Killarney with plenty of confidence.

Kennedy was the late goal hero when Tipperary stunned Dublin in the 2011 All-Ireland minor football final. And he was at it again in the 41st minute yesterday, slotting home a fine goal to finish a flowing move involving Ian Fahy, John Harney and Jason Lonergan. Kennedy, son of former Tipperary senior hurler John, was a late inclusion in the starting line-up but he was the undoubted star turn for Commercials, collecting 1-2. Ian Barnes at corner-forward bagged four points, including two from play, while manager Philly Ryan’s subs also worked a treat as two of them, Alan and Jason Lonergan, scored a point each.

There was very little to be enthused about in a dour first half and almost nine minutes had elapsed before Barnes slotted over the opening score of the game from a free. Kennedy kicked Commercials two points clear but MacDonaghs, an amalgamation of clubs from the north division, were level by half-time thanks to points from wing-back Joe Carroll and wing-forward Padraic O’Meara. But early in the second half, the MacDonaghs goose was cooked as Commercials, stung by manager Ryan’s half-time chat, roared into life.

Commercials were 0-5 to 0-3 clear before Kennedy struck for the only goal of the game and that strike knocked the stuffing out of dogged MacDonaghs. Commercials led by six points on three occasions as MacDonaghs, who scored just three second-half points, struggled in vain to launch a fightback. David Young, an All-Ireland SHC medallist in 2010, kept on going while Tipp’s 2011 football captain Philip Austin scored a brace of second-half points. But Commercials, with a host of 2011 All-Ireland minor football medallists in their ranks, had little difficulty in closing the game out. The floodlights came on as darkness descended and late points from the Lonergans sealed a comfortable and long overdue win for Commercials.

Scorers — Clonmel Commercials: C Kennedy 1-2, I Barnes 0-4 (2f), A Matassa, A Lonergan, J Lonergan 0-1 each.

Thomas MacDonaghs: P Austin 0-2, J Carroll, P O’Meara, S Hennessy 0-1 each.

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS — E Comerford; F Condon, D Lynch, C O’Connell; D Madigan, S Kennedy, J Peters; K Harney, A Matassa; L Moore, C Kennedy, I Fahy; I Barnes, M Quinlivan, J Harney. Subs: J Longeran for Moore (h-t), R Carroll for Fahy (48), A Lonergan for J Harney (56), S Taylor for Matassa (60+1), E Hanrahan for C Kennedy (60+2).

THOMAS MacDONAGHS: J McDonnell; M Minehan, D Buckley, R Gleeson; F Hayes, N O’Meara, J Carroll; L England, G Hannigan; J Gallagher, P Austin, P O’Meara; D Young, S Hennessy, T Connors. Subs: A Austin for England (35), A Hannigan for O’Meara (49), A Ryan for Young (60+1).

Ref — T McGrath