Two goals apiece from Jake Morris and Jason Forde proved key to the Premier County taking the points
The first half was breathless and mesmerising. Tipp were 1-3 to 0-0 in front after just four minutes, and Clare were level eight minutes later, rattling off six points without reply. But just when it looked like the ground was solid under their feet, another earthquake.
Jake Morris robbed Eamonn Foudy – the Clare goalie making his first championship start – and despatched the ball to an unguarded net. Morris struck again after 23 minutes, feasting on a turnover from a Clare puck-out, and his second goal put Tipperary nine points clear, 3-7 to 0-7.Even though Clare were playing against a strong breeze there was a real chance that the game would soon be gone beyond recall. To their credit, they steadied themselves again.
For the first he sent in a long ball that was fielded and finished by Mark Rodgers, two minutes before the break. For the next he picked up a ball near the sideline and played a terrific pass to Mark Rodgers who drove at the exposed Tipperary full back line. He made a quick exchange of passes with Aidan McCarthy and buried a shot from close range. By half-time Clare had reduced the deficit to four points, 3-12 to 2-11.
Clare were struggling to eat into Tipp’s lead before Forde scored Tipp’s fourth goal from a penalty seven minutes after the break. That gave them a six-point cushion again and despite spurts of pressure and dominance Clare never really looked like breaking Tipp down. Substitute Sean Ryan scored Tipp’s fifth courtesy of a sharp flick from Mark Kehoe. The excellent Aidan McCarthy came up with their third goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but by then it was far too late.
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