Clare go through as Tipperary rue missed chances
Clare 2-13 Tipperary 0-18
By John Fogarty
Tipperary were made to regret an awful display of free-taking as a 67th minute goal by substitute Aaron Shanagher sealed a Division 1 semi-final date with Kilkenny for Clare.
With Seamus Callanan and John O’Dwyer substituted, Jason Forde had a late chance from a dead ball to force extra-time but struck it wide and then added another, bringing Tipperary’s total to 17 wides.
Tipperary had managed to build a three-point lead by the 62nd minute but found themselves behind five minutes later when Shanagher raced away from Tipperary defenders to bat the ball past Darragh Mooney.
Clare merited their half-time lead, 1-7 to 0-8, although Tipperary had hit seven wides to the hosts’ four, three of them coming from Seamus Callanan’s frees. Worryingly for Tipperary, the two Callanan managed to put over were not struck with any certainty.
Clare could also have lost Ciarán O’Doherty to a second yellow card for a wild strike on Niall O’Meara’s helmet but Diarmuid Kirwan chose to give him a warning.
Otherwise, Clare were more clinical and their goal was similar to the one that stung Limerick in the opening minute. Again, Conlon collected a long delivery, this time from Aaron Cunningham, and finished with aplomb.
Ronan Maher and John McGrath were the best of the bunch for Tipperary but the game at that stage was being dictated by the shape and style of Clare.
B Duggan (2 frees), D Honan (0-3 each); J Conlon (1-1); A Shanagher (1-0); C Galvin, C McGrath, C O’Connell (frees) (0-2 each).
J McGrath (0-6); J O’Dwyer (0-3, frees); S Callanan (frees), M Breen, P Maher (0-2 each); R Maher, N McGrath, J Forde (0-1 each).
CLARE: P Kelly; P Flanagan, P O’Connor, C O’Doherty; C Cleary, C Dillon, B Bugler; D Reidy, C Ryan; C Galvin, B Duggan, C McGrath; A Cunningham, D Honan, J Conlon.
Subs for Clare: G O’Connell for C O’Doherty (31); C O’Connell for B Duggan (43); Colin Ryan for C Galvin (inj 53); A Shanagher for A Cunningham (55); D Fitzgerald for D Reidy (62);
TIPPERARY: D Mooney; C Barrett, J Barry, C O’Brien; B Heffernan, R Maher, P Maher; B Maher, M Breen; N McGrath, D McCormack, N O’Meara; J O’Dwyer, S Callanan J McGrath.
Subs for Tipperary: K Bergin for N O’Meara (h-t); J Forde for S Callanan (52); T Hamill for C O’Brien (59); G Ryan for D McCormack (66).
D Kirwan (Cork)
