Clash of the titans in Senior Football decider

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Football Championship Final Preview

By Michael Dundon

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS v LOUGHMORE/CASTLEINEY

FBD Semple Stadium

Sunday, 20th October

Throw-in @ 4.00pm

Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne-Templetuohy)

The County Senior Football final at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday brings together two clubs who have dominated the football scene in the county for over a decade and both holders Clonmel Commercials, and their challengers Loughmore-Castleiney have added incentives to bring home the O’Dwyer Cup this year.

Commercials are seeking to make it a hat-trick of titles to match that last achieved by them in the mid-sixties. They are also seeking a win to top the honours list in football in the county, and though they have not been at their best so far this year, there is a quiet optimism in the club that they are winding up for a big finish to the campaign.

Loughmore-Castleiney have their own agenda. Their last success in the football championship was in 2021 when they completed a unique double by claiming hurling honours also. A repeat of that remarkable double is on the cards again following last Sunday’s success against Toomevara in the hurling final.

Loughmore have never needed incentive to make the supreme effort, but the prospect of a double excites them and adds to the motivation to turn over their long-standing rivals.

Shane Hennessy, a dual player, and administrator with the club is wearing several hats this year. He is a selector on the hurling team, manager of the football team and also its goalkeeper, although he missed the semi-final win over Moyle Rovers through injury.

“Everybody is going to be in great form after this,” he said following last Sunday’s hurling final victory.

“It’s a great position to be in – to be chasing a double. We are unbeaten all year in hurling and football, and everybody just wants to keep the run going.”

He added: “It is great for football in Tipperary to have two great rivals going all out for the win. We drew already this year, and we are looking forward to meeting Commercials again.

His own fitness as goalkeeper he will assess when the players come together for football training this Wednesday night, but hurling fullback Joey Hennessy deputised in the semi-final and kept a clean sheet, so the manager/players has a decision to make.

While Commercials have not set the scene on fire this year, losing the South final to Moyle Rovers, who also beat them in the County League decider, they have a wealth of talent at their disposal. What club could field without three inter-county players, Seamus Kennedy, goalkeeper Michael O’Reilly and James Morris, and still be in a county final? Commercials have done that and have still looked considerably ahead of most of their opponents as they demonstrated in the semi-final when overwhelming Kilsheelan-Kilcash.

With new county senior manager and former county goalkeeper Philly Ryan in the backroom team, under manager Tommy Morrissey, they have rejigged their team as the championship progressed. Most significant has been the switch of former All-Star Michael Quinlivan from attack to number six to counter the absence of injured Kennedy. The jury is still out on that initiative, but Quinlivan looked far more comfortable in the role against Kilsheelan/Kilcash in the semi-final than he did previously against Ballina in the quarter-final. Sunday will be the big test, however.

Commercials will also be keeping their fingers crossed this week that two other inter-county men, Jason Lonergan and Kevin Fahey, will be fit to play. Lonergan withdrew injured in the first half of the semi-final and Fahey did not come out for the second half of that game. Were they not fit to play, the scales would tilt heavily in Loughmore’s favour, given the other Commercials absentees also.

Outside of Shane Hennessy, Loughmore/Castleiney have no apparent injury worries though an assessment of players involved in the hurling final will be made at training this Wednesday night.

Their win over a fancied Moyle Rovers in the semi-final was their best display of the season and more of that will be required to unseat the reigning champions. Particularly pleasing about the win was the contribution off the bench with both Conor Ryan and Philip O’Connell putting down markers for inclusion in the starting line-up for the final.

So, the scene is set for what promises to be a mighty contest between two great rivals. Momentum may be with Loughmore-Castleiney at present, but the champions record speaks for itself with several of their players chasing an eighth county medal. They will not be beaten easily.