Tipperary football champions know what they're up against in Munster quarter-final

Clonmel Commercials manager Tommy Morrissey was at the TUS Gaelic Grounds last Sunday to watch the Limerick county final, when Newcastle West beat Adare by 3-5 to 0-13 to set up a Munster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final against his team this weekend.

The match will be played at FBD Semple Stadium at 1.30 on Sunday. 

Morrissey said that a severe downpour 20 minutes before the start meant that there was a lot of water on the pitch and there was no real fluency to the game.

“It was just a battle,” he said.

“But we know what they’re about. They’re really difficult to break down defensively. They’re also a very good footballing team on the counter attack”.

Eoin Hurley scored 2-4 in the defeat of Adare and Morrissey added, “Players like Mike McMahon and Iain Corbett are also very good footballers, and we know what we’re up against”.

Tommy Morrissey says there are areas that his team will need to improve upon.

“We were disappointed that JK Brackens got through for goal chances and converted two of them in the county final.

“The standard will go up when you go outside the county. You cannot be as open (as Commercials were in the county final) and hope to get away with it.

“There were also periods of the county final when we didn’t have the scoreboard ticking over.

“It’s important when the opposition have their purple patch that we get a score or two on the board”.

The manager says that “it’s a big ask” for people to get into their cars and drive to Thurles on Sunday, but he’s still hopeful that the team will have plenty of support.

“Unfortunately, the surface at Clonmel Sportsfield isn’t suitable at this time of the year. We would love for the match to be played in our own town and on our home ground.

“We have a talented bunch of players who have given a huge amount to the club and they deserve a lot of support on Sunday”.

Clare’s Chris Maguire will be the referee.

The winners will have home advantage for a semi-final meeting with Dingle on November 26.

Castlehaven from Cork will play Cratloe from Clare in the other quarter-final in Castlehaven on Sunday, with Waterford champions Rathgormack awaiting the winners in the semi-final.