An evening stroll for Tipperary senior football champions Clonmel Commercials

Clonmel Commercials 3-18 Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 0-2

This must surely rank as one of the most one-sided matches in living memory in the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship. Holders Clonmel Commercials had a close call in their opening group game, when they pipped Kilsheelan/Kilcash by a point, but this game was the complete opposite to that, as they hammered Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill by 25 points at Leahy Park, Cashel on Saturday evening.

The west Tipperary team had the misfortune to meet Commercials on a day when the Clonmel team was eager for a strong response following their scare against Kilsheelan. And a response they certainly got, as they showed Eire Og no mercy from start to finish. 

Was this result a consequence of Commercials being that good or Eire Og playing so poorly? It was probably a combination of both.

Commercials had eleven scorers and all but six points of their 3-18 came from play. Neither of Eire Og’s paltry total of two points came from play.

The battle lines were clearly drawn from the start, with Commercials moving the ball with pace and purpose. Eire Og got most of their players behind the ball whenever Commercials were in possession. However, that tactic wasn’t enough to stem the relentless tide of Commercials attacks or rescue them from an unmerciful pounding.

Commercials served notice early on of what was to follow when Ciaran Cannon rolled a shot just wide of the post after a minute. They opened their account through Conal Kennedy in the third minute and their first goal followed within sixty seconds, as a great surge by man of the match Jack Kennedy, during which he played a one-two with Sean Kennedy, teed Michael Quinlivan up for an easy goal. 

They were content to pick off the points for the remainder of the first half, with Colman Kennedy, Michael Quinlivan (from a mark), Conal Kennedy, Sean Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, Tadhg Condon, Ciaran Cannon and Cathal Deely all on target.

Eire Og had to wait until a quarter of an hour for their opening score, which came from goalkeeper Darragh Mooney’s sweetly-struck free, which was earned by Eoin Bradshaw. But by half-time they were adrift by 1-9 to 0-1, with the outcome long since decided.

Paul Devlin and substitute Darragh Kelly led Eire Og’s brave resistance in the second half. But just like the first half, as a team they could seldom get their hands on the ball and when they did their possession was turned over all too often.

Commercials had their second goal four minutes into the second half when Colman Kennedy and Michael Quinlivan created the opening for Sean Kennedy to rattle the net. They had added seven more points by the time that Colman Kennedy raised their third green flag four minutes from the end, after a breakaway that had started deep in their own defence. 

Eire Og’s second point came from Dinny Crosse’s free when Paul Devlin was fouled eleven minutes from the end, at a time when the final whistle would have been a blessed relief. 

Commercials could have three more goals. Michael Quinlivan’s low effort struck the legs of Eire Og goalie Darragh Mooney in the 21st minute; Mooney made a good save from Sean O’Connor twelve minutes into the second half, and O’Connor hooked a later effort wide.  

However they’ll be happy with this result and the overall performance on a night when Jack Kennedy, Seamus Kennedy, Ross Peters, Michael Quinlivan, Padraic Looram, Colman Kennedy, Aldo Matassa and company were totally dominant. 

Clonmel Commercials: Shane Ryan, Rory O’Dowd, Aldo Matassa, Ciaran Cannon (0-1), Tadhg Condon (0-1), Seamus Kennedy (captain 0-1), Padraic Looram, Jack Kennedy (0-7, 5 frees), Conal Kennedy (0-2), Cathal Deely (0-1), Colman Kennedy (1-1), Sean Kennedy (1-1), Peter McGarry, Michael Quinlivan (1-1, 0-1 mark), Ross Peters.

Substitutes: Sean O’Connor for Peter McGarry. Kevin Fahey (0-1) for Tadhg Condon, Cian Smith (0-1) for Sean Kennedy, Cathal McGeever for Ross Peters (all second half).  

Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill: Darragh Mooney (0-1 free), Ciaran Loughman, David Fox, Darragh O’Brien, Paudie Bradshaw, Brian Fox, Michael Bradshaw (captain), Tom Fox, Donal O’Dwyer, Seanie Ryan (captain), Paul Downey, Paul Devlin, Eoin Bradshaw, Dinny Crosse (0-1 free), Connie Bradshaw.

Substitutes: Aidan Griffin for Eoin Bradshaw, Kev Fox for Donal O’Dwyer, Darragh Kelly for Ciaran Loughman, Eoin Bradshaw for Aidan Griffin (all second half).

Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne/Templetuohy).