'If I envisaged a lot of things going wrong, I didn’t expect us to be eight points down and waiting for 11 or 11 and a half or 12 minutes to get our first score.'
It was a tale of six free-takers as Clare swept Tipperary aside to cruise into an Allianz Hurling League final.
Contrast that with Clare. Mark Rodgers converted three from three before being forced off with a head injury after 20 minutes though his replacement, Aidan McCarthy, popped over seven out of eight and added another from play. Jake Morris collected a brilliant pass from Dan McCormack and rounded Adam Hogan to slot the game’s first goal in the 17th minute and reduce the arrears to three points, but David Fitzgerald collected the subsequent puckout and charged at the Tipperary defence before applying a lethal finish past Barry Hogan.
They pared it back to two with sub Sean Kenneally’s 45th minute point and looked poised to kick on with the wind behind them but a mixture of their wastefulness and Clare’s superiority emerging again killed off the comeback. An eight-point win over arguably their greatest rivals did little to lift Lohan’s dour disposition on the surface at least, however.
But Clare full-back Conor Cleary played down any suggestion that Limerick’s removal impacted their dressing room.“We’ve had some great battles with them the last couple of years. They are the standard bearers. They are the team everyone is trying to get to. I know they were beaten but you can bet your house on it, the 21st of April, they are going to come out like the great team that they are.”
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'To the Tipp supporters I would say stick with them' - Tipperary boss Liam CahillFive weeks to go before Tipperary travel to Limerick to face All-Ireland champions in Munster championship.
Read more »
Clare rout Tipperary to make hurling final as football league suffers Sleepy SundayAfter an underwhelming afternoon with no major surprises, Dublin will play Derry in the Division One final and Roscommon join Monaghan in falling to relegation
Read more »
Rampant Clare much too good for lacklustre Tipperary as they cruise to hurling league finalDavid Fitzgerald continued his lorldy league form but Brian Lohan’s side were helped by a Tipp team that hit 18 wides
Read more »
Clare vs Tipperary score recap and result from the Allianz Hurling LeagueGAA action from Division 1 semi-final
Read more »
Clare join Kilkenny in league decider after getting past mis-firing TipperaryTipp burn through four freetakers as Clare look ahead to a meeting with Derek Lyng’s Cats.
Read more »
Liam Cahill sweating on Séamus Kennedy injury as Tipp swamped by Limerick again“I’m just so disappointed for Séamus, he was playing so well, and he’s a big player for us. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
Read more »