Moyle Rovers crowned Tipperary football league champions with win over Commercials

Moyle Rovers 2-7 Clonmel Commercials 1-6

The first big clash of the year in the most keenly contested of local derbies in Tipperary football saw Moyle Rovers prove too good for their town rivals Clonmel Commercials in the FBD Insurance County Football League Division 1 final at Fethard on Saturday evening.

A four points winning margin, 2-7 to 1-6, doesn’t suggest a one-sided game but Moyle Rovers were the dominant team. A competitive first half saw them lead 1-5 to 1-4 at the break but they were much the better team in the second half. However, that wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard as they failed to punch too many holes in the Commercials defence, despite dominating possession.

A superb Riain Quigley goal less than two minutes into the second period should have been the spur for them to drive on for a more comfortable victory, but too much lateral passing diluted their attacking threat. That left them open to a late Commercials surge and it took some desperate defending to deny the Clonmel side a late goal. In addition, they only managed one point during a ten-minute spell in the second half when Commercials were down to fourteen players, with a black card for team captain Colman Kennedy.

There will likely be more important clashes between the sides later in the year, but for now the Monroe club have a third cup in their trophy cabinet in the space of a month, following on from wins in the County Under 15 A football final and the County Hurling League Division 4 final.

For their part, Commercials will know that they will be more fully-loaded for bigger games to come in the championship as they bid to retain their title. Without players of the calibre of Michael Quinlivan, Jack Kennedy, James Morris, Peter McGarry and Cathal Deely, they were never going to be at their peak on Saturday.

They also lost another county man, Kevin Fahey, eight minutes before the break. A doubtful starter before the game, Fahey passed a late fitness test, and contributed two trademark points off the outside of his right foot. But even though he was replaced by his former Tipp team mate Padraic Looram, Fahey’s departure saw a lot of the spark go out of the Commercials performance.

It was Rovers who started on the front foot, and after Ger O’Sullivan shot wide in the opening thirty seconds, team captain Liam Boland pointed two frees in the space of two minutes. However, Commercials went on to hit four without reply in the space of eight minutes.

Colman Kennedy kicked their opener in the fourth minute, with Kevin Fahey scoring his first thirty seconds later. Then, when Shane Power was fouled, Sean Kennedy pointed the free to put the town side ahead for the first time. Rovers had to make an early change when the injured Conor McGrath was replaced by Michael O’Reilly, before Kevin Fahey split the posts again with a superb point.

Momentum then switched in Rovers’ direction, and influential midfielder Riain Quigley burst through the heart of the Clonmel defence to kick a great point. And it got better for them when Dean English shot to the net, latching on to a badly misplaced fisted clearance from a Commercials defender, to make it 1-3 to 0-4.

However, Commercials regained the lead again, following one of their best moves of the half, started by a superb crossfield pass from Colman Kennedy and after some slick passing, it was finished clinically to the net by Tadhg Condon. But two injury time points restored Rovers’ lead by the break, referee Joe Leahy spotting an off-the-ball infringement right in front of the goal for Ger O’Sullivan to slot over, and Liam Boland completed the first half scoring with an excellent point.

And it got better within two minutes of the restart, Riain Quigley finding space again through the centre to shoot a superb goal past Shane Ryan. When Liam Boland pointed a 45 in the fifth minute, it gave the Monroe side a five-points lead, 2-6 to 1-4.

But remarkably, Moyle Rovers scored just once more over the next 25 minutes, despite virtually owning the ball at times. Credit is due to Commercials for resolute defending, but too often the Rovers play went from sideline to sideline rather than goalwards.

Even when Commercials captain Colman Kennedy was black-carded for a shirt pull, Rovers failed to take advantage. Indeed, it was Commercials who scored next with a great point from the captain’s brother, Conal Kennedy.

Ger O’Sullivan stretched it out to five points again, 2-7 to 1-5, after eleven minutes when he capitalised on a poor Commercials kickout, but that was Rovers’ last score of the game.

Failure to score again, despite their dominance in possession, will cause concern for manager John McGrath and his backroom team.

Commercials fared little better, with Michael Murphy kicking the last score of the game seven minutes from the end.

But their persistence continued to unsettle Moyle Rovers and made for nervy closing stages for their supporters. Sean Kennedy should have reduced the margin from a free but he totally miscued his kick. And it was all-hands-on deck for the Rovers defence for the last few minutes, with one vital block keeping Commercials out for a second goal.

A forgettable second half didn’t dull the celebrations for the Moyle Rovers players and supporters, as a derby win over Commercials is always one to be savoured.

Team captain Liam Boland led from the front in attack with Ger O’Sullivan, Dara Ryan and Dean English also impressing. English took his goal well, as did the impressive Riain Quigley, while at the back Cillian Crowe and Brian McKeown looked sharp.

Brothers Colman and Conal Kennedy worked tirelessly for Commercials, with each contributing a point; Kevin Fahey was hugely impressive before his early withdrawal, while Cillian Fahy and Declan Nee were always busy in attack. Tadhg Condon added a well-taken goal to his defensive duties while Donal Lynch, Enda Dunphy and Jamie Ahearn were also to the fore.

Moyle Rovers: Shane Ryan, Conor McGrath, Graham Vaughan, Cathal McKeown, Cillian Crowe, Luke Boland, Brian McKeown, Ben Owens, Riain Quigley 1-1; Cian O’Sullivan, Liam Boland 0-4, 0-2 frees; 0-1 ‘45; Dara Ryan, Ger O’Sullivan 0-2, 0-1 free; Stephen Quirke, Dean English 1-0.

Subs: Michael O’Reilly for Conor McGrath, Shane Foley for Dara Ryan, Diarmuid Foley for Ger O’Sullivan, Killian Butler for Luke Boland, Luke Fogarty for Ben Owens.

Clonmel Commercials: Shane Ryan, Mark Corcoran, Donal Lynch, Enda Dunphy, Tadhg Condon 1-0; Colman Kennedy 0-1; Jamie Ahearn, Michael Murphy 0-1; Conal Kennedy 0-1; Kevin Fahey 0-2; Shane Power, Sean Kennedy 0-1 free; Declan Nee, Cillian Fahey, Rory O’Dowd.

Subs: Padraic Looram for Kevin Fahey, Darragh Landers for Cillian Fahey, James Power for Shane Power, Ryan Lambe for Declan Nee, Ross Slattery for Donal Lynch.

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne/Templetuohy).