Clonmel Commercials too strong for Fethard in South Tipperary Under 19 A football final

Clonmel Commercials 4-9 Fethard 0-6

A much more clinical Clonmel Commercials proved too strong for Fethard in the South Tipperary Under 19 A Football Championship final under lights at Duneske, Cahir on Tuesday night of last week, winning comfortably by 15 points and reversing the result of last year’s decider, when Fethard edged it.

Commercials scored 4-4 from play, including four well-taken goals, while Fethard managed only one score from open play, a great point from team captain Matt Coen thirty seconds into the second half.

That efficiency in front of goal was the deciding factor. After an even opening twenty minutes, when the Clonmel side just edged it 0-4 to 0-2, they hit two goals in the space of two minutes, from Alex Creed and Darragh O’Connor, to open up a lead that the Blues could never claw back.

Coen’s impressive opener in the second half offered some hope to Fethard but it was quickly extinguished by Commercials’ third goal from Jack Lawlor two minutes later, for a 3-5 to 0-4 lead.

They continued to dominate the second half, with a second goal from Creed showcasing their supremacy.

However, Fethard played better than the final scoreline suggests, it was just that their build-up play wasn’t matched by proficiency in front of goal. Charlie Hackett and Liam Kiely drove forward from their half back berths with great intent, Gavin Neville was industrious at midfield while upfront Jack Quinlan, Matt Coen, Charlie Walsh and Mark Neville were always busy with probing runs.

But they found it hard to break through a Commercials defence in which Michael Connellan, Thomas Charles and team captain Tadhg Sheehan were outstanding.

Darragh O’Connor was a commanding presence at midfield, while upfront Joe Higgins tormented the Fethard defence with cutting bursts through the centre, while Alex Creed, Jack Lawlor and Jamie O’Keeffe were all heavily involved.

After Charlie Walsh kicked an early wide for Fethard, Darragh O’Connor opened the scoring in the second minute with a point for Commercials.

Fethard hit back when Mark Neville was fouled following an impressive build-up, and Matt Coen pointed the free.
Higgins, from a well-struck 45, restored the Commercials lead in the sixth minute and then Alex Creed extended it to two.

Fethard were well in the game at this stage but their accuracy was letting them down, with a number of missed chances proving costly.

The Clonmel side stretched the lead to 0-4 to 0-1 in the 17th minute when Tadhg Sheehan cut in from the right and fisted over. Fethard had their first point in fourteen minutes when Charlie Walsh had his jersey pulled and he pointed the free himself, but the game was about to take a significant turn in Commercials’ direction.

A great run through the heart of the Fethard defence by Michael Connellan set up Alex Creed, who shot to the net past Ben Allen. Fethard had barely recovered from the blow when sixty seconds later the defence was split open again, this time Jack Lawlor providing the assist to Darragh O’Connor for another great goal and a 2-4 to 0-2 lead.

Above: Cillian McNamara, Clonmel Commercials (left) and Fethard's Rory O'Mahoney contest a loose ball. Picture: Michael Boland

Fethard hit back with a pointed free from Charlie Walsh when Matt Coen was fouled but Commercials had the last score of the half, when they won a free following a great turnover from Jack Lawlor, and Higgins pointed. The Clonmel side might have been further ahead than 2-5 to 0-3 at the break but Higgins, twice, and O’Connor were wayward with late chances.

The hugely impressive Matt Coen pointed inside a minute of the second half but less than two minutes later the game was put beyond Fethard. A Commercials attack, that looked threatening whenever in full flight, struck again for their third goal, when Connellan was the provider for Lawlor to find the net. There was no way back for Fethard after that, with a 3-5 to 0-4 deficit too much to claw back against a Commercials side that protected what it had.

The second half descended into a mundane affair after a bright opening thirty minutes. The wides continued to mount on both sides and as some of the tackling became a little tougher, there were black cards on both sides.

Another Coen free was the first score for either side in twelve minutes, but Commercials replied immediately with an Alex Creed free. Coen replied from another free to leave it 3-6 to 0-6 eighteen minutes into the half but Commercials dominated the closing stages, hitting 1-3 without reply, the influential Alex Creed responsible for 1-2.

He was quickest to react and kick a point after a Jamie O’Keeffe shot rebounded off the upright, he followed up with a pointed free, and then struck for Commercials’ fourth goal when the Fethard defence was again breached through the centre. Michael Connellan was another to impress on the night and he finished the scoring with a fine point.

Clonmel Commercials: Harry Ryan, Matthew Ó Ceallaigh, Michael Connellan 0-1; Alex McSharry, Thomas Charles, Tadhg Sheehan 0-1; Billy Tierney, Mark Corcoran, Darragh O’Connor 1-1; Niall Deely, Joe Higgins 0-2 frees; Jamie O’Keeffe, Alex Creed 2-4, 0-2 frees; Jack Lawlor 1-0; Cillian McNamara.

Subs: Darragh Landers for Niall Deely, James Power for Jack Lawlor, Max O’Dwyer for Alex McSharry.

Fethard: Ben Allen, Jack Stokes, Michael James Phelan, Rory O’Mahoney, Charlie Hackett, Noah O’Flynn, Liam Kiely, Andrew Connerton, Gavin Neville, John Lacey, Jack Quinlan, Jack Davey, Matt Coen 0-4, 3 frees; Charlie Walsh 0-2 frees; Mark Neville.

Subs: Oisin Ryan for John Lacey, Danny Barry for Jack Davey, Alec Knightly for Jack Stokes, James Barry for Charlie Walsh, Sam Coen for Noah O’Flynn.

Referee: Paul Guinan (Killenaule).