Electric Ireland Munster MFC: Clare and Tipperary kick off with wins:
Electric Ireland Munster MFC Phase 1 Round 1 Results
TIPPERARY 1-11 LIMERICK 0-7
CLARE 3-12 WATERFORD 0-8
Tipperary and Clare are the early pace setters in the Electric Ireland Munster minor football championship after they both travelled away from home and picked up wins in the first round of games tonight, giving them an early boost in their bid to fill the two semi-final slots alongside Cork and Kerry.
Lemybrien was the venue for the meeting of Waterford and Clare, and the Déise were a good match for the Banner county in most aspects of play, but they struggled to compete with Clare’s ability to create and convert goal chances.
Daire Culligan’s first effort flashed narrowly wide of the posts but Clare didn’t have to wait long to make their breakthrough, with Gearóid Barry on the mark after just two minutes. Diarmuid McMahon followed up with another green flag at the end a slick passing move on the ten minute mark but Waterford settled into the game from here, and kicked some nice points through Luke English, Scott Keappock, and Liam Kiersey to get back within three points early in the first half.
The first of three points from play from Darragh Townsend helped Clare to lead by five points at half-time, 2-5 to 0-6, but no less significant was a strong save from Clare goalkeeper Eoin Byrne to deny Seán Prunty a badly-needed Waterford goal.
Waterford had been very accurate in the first half but that accuracy deserted them after half-time, as an array of misses from frees and from open play meant that Clare pushed out their lead to eight points without ever dominating the game, and in the end substitute Paddy McCarthy turned out to be their only second half scorer. Meanwhile Gearóid Barry scored his second goal with five minutes remaining to ensure a double-figure margin of victory for the away side.
Meanwhile in Rathkeale, Tipperary’s very strong start ensured they dominated Limerick from pillar to post.
Captain Billy Tierney was a dominant force for the Premier County from centre back and he also kicked a wonderful 45 to help them lead by 0-6 to 0-1, with Tommy Glynn Limerick’s first scorer with all of 20 minutes gone.
Tierney’s Limerick counterpart, Treaty captain Evan Curry, kicked two nice scores before half-time but an 0-8 to 0-3 interval lead still felt commanding on a night when scores were hard to come by, and the boys in blue and gold were able to easily keep Limerick at arm’s length in the second half before full forward Ronan O’Brien of Durlas Óg added a goal to his earlier three points.
Tipperary host Waterford next week at FBD Semple Stadium, while the contest in Miltown Malbay between Clare and Limerick looks like it could be a crucial one in the race to determine who will contest the round robin final and thus secure a guaranteed spot in the last four.