Clonmel Commercials hopeful that Jason Lonergan will be available for Munster semi-final

Clonmel Commercials are hopeful that Jason Lonergan will be available for the AIB Munster Club Senior Football Championship semi-final against Newcastle West on Sunday week, November 27, despite his departure for San José in California on Monday to start a new job. 

The 28-year-old was man of the match in last Saturday’s stunning quarter-final defeat of Nemo Rangers at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, when he scored six points, including five from play. 

 “Jason has been our best player all year,” Commercials manager Tommy Morrissey said after the game. 

“Every game, he’s Mr Consistency. For the last seven years, Jason is Mr Consistency. In games where we don’t play well, Jason plays well. That’s always the scenario. You saw him in the second half, he carried unbelievable ball from the 65 forward, just putting Nemo under pressure. 

“And the scores he got, he’s a joy to watch with a football in his hand.”

The club have submitted a request to have the semi-final against Newcastle West, for which they have home advantage, played at FBD Semple Stadium.

Weeks of heavy rainfall have raised concern about the condition of the Clonmel Sportsfield pitch, which has hosted a busy schedule of matches recently, and it’s understood that the team management and players have requested the match (which will have a 1pm start) to be played at the Thurles venue.

The Commercials manager was keen to put the win over Nemo Rangers into perspective.

“The first thing we said when we gathered in the middle of the field (after the final whistle) was ‘it’s a great performance, you come to Cork, you beat Nemo Rangers, you absolutely have to soak it in and enjoy it, but there’s no trophy’.

“We have a tough task against Newcastle West but don’t worry, we’ll be focused on that.

“We won’t look beyond two weeks’ time, we didn’t look beyond today, but we’ll focus on Newcastle West now and we’ll see where that gets us.

“That’s the challenge, to get the players back down to earth before the semi-final.

“To be honest with you, that dressing room, with the individuals and the leaders that are in there, they manage themselves in terms of bringing this back down, so I feel my task to remind them of that will be easy.”

Regarding injuries sustained during the game, Morrissey reported that “Seamus Kennedy and Kevin Fahey are fine. Kevin had cramp in the calf that wouldn’t go away, Seamus had a little bit of a twitch in his ankle but he’ll be okay.”

Kerry champions Kerins O’Rahillys and Clare’s Eire Og Ennis will meet in the other semi-final at a Kerry venue, also on November 27 at 1pm.

The final is scheduled for Saturday December 10 at 7.30pm.