Clonmel are setting a serious standard

By Michael Dundon

If last Sunday’s Tipperary senior football final is a true reflection of the state of the game in the county, then Clonmel Commercials, who were winning their fourth title in five years, and equalling Fethard’s record of 21 successes, are going to dominate for a good while longer.

But for a late John McGrath goal for Loughmore-Castleiney two years ago, Commercials would be celebrating five championships in a row, and if this year’s campaign is anything to go by, they could add a few more.

Clonmel have swept through the championship like wildfire. Even in their opening game when they conceded three goals to Kilsheelan-Kilcash in the first half, they still had enough fire power to take the honours, albeit by the slimmest of margins. After that they routed Eire Og Annacarty, Drom & Inch and Ballina by margins in excess of twenty points before seeing off the challenge of neighbours and arch rivals Moyle Rovers in the semi-final by three points.

But it was a rampant Clonmel Commercials again on Sunday as they hammered JK Brackens 6-7 to 2-6 just as they had done in the final four years previously (3-19 to 0-7).

Brackens had reached the final with an unblemished record but on Sunday they were not in the same league as their rivals who played the game on their terms from the word go.

Commercials were unbackable favourites going into the game but nobody in their wildest imagination predicted they would do such a number on a Brackens team which had won county under 21 ‘A’ titles in 2017 & 2018 and a county minor title in 2018 also. Those successes suggested that the Templemore/Clonmore lads were a coming force in the game and to their credit they have made great strides but as Sunday’s rout indicates, they still have a considerable way to go to unseat the Clonmel kingpins.

Commercials are a good team but more than that they have big players who, when on song can win games, and more of them than any other club. Players with inter-county experience abound. Michael Quinlivan looked to be getting back to his imperious best on Sunday while Sean O’Connor bagged 2-3. Seamus Kennedy fronted a solid defence with the link play of Ross Peters and Rory O’Dowd keeping the Commercials clock ticking over. And bear in mind that they were without the injured Jack Kennedy, another quality player for both club and county whose free-taking is a huge asset to both.

An indication of Commercials’ ambition this year is the addition of Armagh star Oisin McConville to their backroom team. A six-time All-Ireland club winner with Crossmaglen Rangers and current Wicklow manager, there is not much he doesn’t know about what is required to achieve success at provincial and national level also. Commercials appear to be reaping the benefits of his influence and it is from here on that that influence will be really pout to the test.

Against JK Brackens on Sunday, Commercials dictated from start to finish and like all good teams they showed the killer instinct going for goals whenever possible to kill off the opposition. This they did in a six minute blitz from the 9th to the 15th minutes of the first half when they riddled Templemore with three lethal strikes.

The first might have had a touch of good fortune as Michael Quinlivan’s penalty in the ninth minute was saved by Kuba Beben in the Brackens goal but rebounded favourably to Quinlivan who tucked it away neatly at the second attempt.

It was a body-blow to a struggling Brackens but worse was to come as Peter McGarry (14 minutes) and Sean O’Connor (15 minutes) added further goals that effectively ended the game as a contest with Commercials leading 3-5 to 0-2.

Those scores underlined the quality of this Commercials side, and they went on to added three further goals in the second half stifling every attempt by the Brackens to gain some kind of foothold in the game. In all of this Commercials showed a ruthlessness that hasn’t always been in their game, but which may have an Ulster touch to it.

It was a devastating blow for JK Brackens who were without injured defender Tommy Murphy and then lost Dean McEnroe to an early injury. They are making progress as they seek a first title since the formation of club in 1992, hoping to add to the previous successes for Templemore teams in 1925 and 32 and the Tenth Battalion teams of 1943 and 45.

To say that a win is overdue to this parish with such a great footballing tradition, is an understatement. It is fair to suggest that the team did not do itself justice on Sunday but if they learned nothing else from this loss, it should be that there is still some way to go to match a side of Commercials’ class.

This year Commercials have stood head and shoulders above all others – it is up to the challengers to raise their game next year to the level required to topple the champions.