Clonmel Commercials 1-10 Upperchurch-Drombane 1-02
A 1-08 to no-score head-start fired Clonmel Commercials to their 20th Tipperary senior football title, and third in four years, in an eight-point victory over first-time finalists Upperchurch-Drombane.
Michael O'Reilly’s 38th-minute penalty save from Paul Shanahan gave them sufficient comfort in regaining the title they lost to an injury-time goal in last year’s final against Loughmore-Castleiney. Clonmel are now within one title of record winners Fethard on the roll of honour.
Conor Fahey’s 56th-minute consolation goal drew the loudest cheer of the day but the Church's pressure wasn’t backed up with the scores to threaten a Commercials side who ended with 13 men; Ross Peters sent off for a second yellow card in the 52nd minute and Peter McGarry black-carded in stoppage time.
Either Nemo Rangers or St Finbarr’s, who will contest the Cork final in a fortnight’s time, are next up as Commercials, the 2015 Munster champions, head for a provincial quarter-final next month.
An unsettled start for both sides saw the game go 13 minutes without a score. Upperchurch missed their first four shots, including three placed balls, while Commercials missed their first three.
But once Commercials got going, there was no stopping them. Pádraic Looram’s goal, in the 14th minute, kick-started a scoring streak of 1-08 in 12 minutes, in which time Upperchurch couldn’t register so much as a shot, never mind a score.
Man-of-the-match Jack Kennedy kicked three points (two frees) and directed much of the play, Looram won three kick-outs and assisted two points from wing-back, and Seán O’Connor added another two points as they overwhelmed Upperchurch.
The underdogs finally raised a white flag in the 28th
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Jack Kennedy
Tipperary Gaa