Clare and Tipperary progress to semi-finals of Munster minor football championship with impressive victories

Clare 3-6 Limerick 0-9 Clare claimed a second win in as many outings, this time away to Limerick, and in doing so the Banner sealed a phase 1 final meeting with Tipperary, and a Munster semi-final with Cork or Kerry in early May.

Last week, Conor Burke was their last-gasp hero against Waterford, while this time, a virtuoso second-half display from Seán Fennell saw them come from five down to win by six points at a dry Ballyagran.

The home side were able to build up an interval lead – 0-6 to 0-1 – with the aid of a gentle breeze in south Limerick.

Three of their scores came from Cian Costelloe, while Shane Dolan and Donal Dawson were also accurate. However, six first-half wides would come back to haunt the Treaty.

The winners only kicked their opening point on 28 minutes, when Burke came good. He would light up the second half with Fennell.

Their first goal from David Cahill tied the game on 39 minutes, though Limerick re-opened a two-point lead through Leon Curtin and Charlie Casey.

But the powerful Fennell bagged a quickfire 1-1. The decision to move the Kilrush man to full-forward reaped rewards. Shooting inches over for that point before making no mistake when collecting a long delivery.

The same yielded a third goal, this time via a penalty. Fennell was fouled before he blasted home to dump their neighbours out of the championship.

Limerick’s decent first-half showing was merely a footnote after Dermot Coughlan’s youngsters proved a much better side during a dominant second half.

SCORERS – Clare: S Fennell 2-3 (1-0 pen; 0-1 ‘45’, 0-1 free); C Burke 0-3; D Cahill 1-0. Limerick: S Dolan 0-3 (2f); C Costelloe 0-3; D Dawson, L Curtin (f), C Casey 0-1 each.

CLARE: E Byrne; A Killeen, C Hill, J Blunnie; C Downes, D Boyle, S Murphy; L Clune, D Townsend; D Cahill, S Fennell, D Brody; S O’Connell, D McMahon, C Burke. Subs: A Weaver for Clune (26); G Fennell for Townsend; C Walsh for Downes (54); B O’Halloran for Brody (56); L Switzer for Cahill (59).

LIMERICK: S Kearney; D McCarthy, H McDermott, S Hanley; M Mulcahy, D Dawson, C Ó Longaigh; C Costelloe, D O’Connell; S Dolan, R Mullins, B Ryan; C Casey, J Slattery, L Curtin. Subs : R McNamara for Slattery (h-t); M Naughton for Dawson (36); D Murphy for Ryan (48); E O’Connor for Curtin (56).

REF: C Murphy (Cork)

*****

Tipperary 1-14 Waterford 0-9

Tipperary secured progression to the Munster MFC semi-finals alongside Clare with a game to spare after a pride-restoring eight-point victory over Waterford in .

Their seniors had been stunned by the Déise at the weekend, and they briefly threatened to double up with a first victory over the Premier at this grade since 2001.

A flying start to the second half cut the deficit to one but Tipp responded in style by kicking the next 1-6 without reply. Substitute Alex Coppinger finished the 51st-minute goal and wing-back Jack Garrett ended with an eye-catching five-point haul.

They will now play Clare in the final group game before meeting the Banner again in the phase 1 final for the Darrel Darcy Cup. Both will then progress to semi-finals against Cork or Kerry.

Waterford had an early sight of goal but Paddy McCarthy’s effort was saved by the foot of Mark Conroy.

McCarthy slotted the 45 and Paddy Spellman produced a wonderful outside-of-the-boot point but the momentum swung against the hosts when joint-captain Liam Kavanagh was sin-binned for a trip.

Tipp took them for three points in the next three minutes, from Seán Griffin, Garrett, and Dylan Cotter, and outscored them 0-6 to 0-1 in total across the remainder of the half.

They turned 0-8 to 0-3 ahead but the hosts clipped the next four points, including a pair from midfielder Luke Hennessy.

Tipp needed a response and they found it, led by two points each from Ciarán Kelly and Garrett.

Coppinger sealed it when reacting quickest after a Charlie Walsh free hit the post.

SCORERS – Tipperary: J Garrett 0-5 (2f); A Coppinger 1-0; D Cotter, C Kelly, C Walsh (1f) 0-2 each; J Yousif, S Griffin, C Collins 0-1 each. Waterford: P McCarthy (2f, 1 45), J Brennan (3f) 0-3 each; L Hennessy 0-2; P Spellman 0-1.

TIPPERARY: M Conroy; J McGonigle, R Myles, G Neville; D Morris, T Corcoran, J Garrett; D Cotter, O Gahan; H Tobin Ryan, J Yousif, S Griffin; C Kelly, C Walsh, C Collins. Subs: C Healy for Tobin Ryan (39), A Coppinger for Collins (44), N O’Flynn for Morris (44), R O’Sullivan for Gahan (52), D Pollard for Garrett (57).

WATERFORD: C Drohan; S Roche, D O’Callaghan, A Ryan; D Broxson, J Power, P Spellman; C Cotter, L Hennessy; C Power, L Kavanagh, B Drohan; D Nyhan, P McCarthy, J Brennan. Subs: T Lynch for Kavanagh (38), J Jacob for C Power (49), A Gillane for Broxson (49), D Farrell for Hennessy (57), C Feeney for B Drohan (57).

REF: D O’Callaghan (Limerick).

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