Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Tipperary 5-22 Clare 3-23

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

Tipperary’s remarkable Cusack Park record continued in spectacular fashion when lowering hosts Clare with an emphatic five goal salvo.

Having humbled their neighbours by 13 points in Clare’s only other home reverse in the provincial round-robin series in 2019, the Premier managed to upset the odds once more as a large dollop of fortune for three first half goals were bolstered by two further decisive second period blows for the efficient visitors.

Clare for their part will be infuriated solely by the manner of the defeat as they proved their own worst enemy in front of 17,971 in Ennis. Tipperary could only beat what was put in front of them though and repeatedly hammered home their advantage to cement what was amazingly their first championship victory in almost 20 months.

Liam Cahill’s side simply couldn’t believe their luck when Jason Forde’s lineball from 45 metres deceived everyone on its way to the net in only the third minute as Tipperary soared six clear at 1-3 to 0-0.

To their credit, Clare hit the next six points, four from the returning Aidan McCarthy, to regain full parity by the 12th minute, only for the home side to shoot themselves in the foot twice more over the next ten minutes for a brace of Jake Morris goals.

At exactly the midway mark of the opening half, Jake Morris dispossessing starting debutante goalkeeper Eamonn Foudy to fire to an empty net while a short puck-out was also intercepted and fully punished in the 22nd minute again through the Nenagh Éire Óg poacher at 3-7 to 0-7.

All seemed lost for a shellshocked home side but somehow they unearthed a late backlash as Tony Kelly twice teed up Mark Rodgers to billow the net and slash the interval arrears to just four at 3-12 to 2-11.

With the wind to come, Clare would have been relatively content with their position but to their credit, Tipperary kept their foot on the pedal and would raid for two clinching second half goals to finally sink a persistent Banner.

The first was a double whammy for the hosts in the 42nd minute as David McInerney’s foul on the raiding Jake Morris earned the defender a 10 minute sin bin along with a penalty that Jason Forde gladly rifled to the left corner of the net at 4-13 to 2-13.

Try as they might, Clare never recovered and were eventually shut out by substitute Sean Ryan who found the net with his first touch to effectively put the result beyond any doubt in the 63rd minute at 5-17 to 2-18.

Clare did finally pull back a goal inevitably through McCarthy in the 74th minute, but it was merely a damage limiting exercise as a rampant Tipperary got off to the perfect start in a cut-throat Munster Championship.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 2-6 (1-0 Pen, 5fs, 1-1 s/l), Jake Morris 2-4, Sean Ryan 1-1, Noel McGrath 0-3, Gearoid O’Connor 0-2, Brian McGrath, Alan Tynan, John McGrath, Mark Kehoe, Seamus Kennedy, Conor Bowe 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare: Aidan McCarthy 1-13 (7fs, 2’65), Mark Rodgers 2-0, Ryan Taylor, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan 0-2 each, Diarmuid Ryan, Tony Kelly, John Conlon, Robin Mounsey 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Michael Breen, Cathal Barrett, Johnny Ryan; Brian McGrath, Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara; Dan McCormack, Alan Tynan; Seamus Kennedy, Noel McGrath, Gearoid O’Connor; Jake Morris, John McGrath, Jason Forde

Subs: Conor Stakelum for Tynan (45), Mark Kehoe for J. McGrath (58), Sean Ryan for O’Connor (63), Conor Bowe for N. McGrath (71), Enda Heffernan for B. McGrath (73)

Clare: Eamonn Foudy; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Paul Flanagan; David McInerney, John Conlon, Diarmuid Ryan; Cathal Malone, Ryan Taylor; Shane O’Donnell, Aidan McCarthy, Peter Duggan; Ian Galvin, Tony Kelly, Mark Rodgers

Subs: Rory Hayes for Hogan (44), Shane Meehan for Galvin (51), Aron Shanagher for Rodgers (62), Robin Mounsey for Taylor (67, inj), Jack Kirwan for Duggan (71).

Referee: Thomas Walsh.