Tipperary defeated Clare by 3-9 to 0-14 in round 4 of the Allianz Football League Division 4 on Sunday March 9th at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
An early goal by Conor Sweeney and a Barry Grogan goal helped Tipperary to a 2-5 to 0-9 lead at half-time. Tipperary’s Barry Grogan also had a first half penalty saved by Clare goalie Pierce DeLoughrey. Clare levelled the scores midway through the second half but a 54th minute penalty goal by Barry Grogan put Tipperary back in control and the home side ran out winners by four points in the end to go top of Division 4 after 4 rounds of play.
Tipp go top as Grogan grabs golden goal
Tipperary 3-09 Clare 0-14
By Jackie Cahill for the Irish Examiner newspaper
Barry Grogan missed a penalty but then netted another as Tipperary moved to the top of Division 4 with a four-point victory over Clare in Thurles yesterday. Tipp maintained their unbeaten start as Clare suffered their first defeat of the campaign to slip to third in the standings.
At half-time yesterday, the hosts led by 2-5 to 0-9 after Conor Sweeney and Grogan netted. Sweeney goaled after 18 seconds, and four minutes after missing a penalty, Grogan drilled home a brilliant goal on the half-hour.
Clare were reliant on David Tubridy, Martin O’Leary and Shane McGrath as they tried to stay in touch and with 18 minutes remaining the visitors were level (0-12 to 2-6). But after Michael Quinlivan was fouled for a penalty in the 54th minute, Grogan stepped forward to make no mistake at the second attempt, after Pierce de Loughrey had saved his first half effort.
Scorers for Tipperary: B Grogan 2-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), C Sweeney 1-1 (0-1f), M Quinlivan, P Austin & B Fox 0-2 each.
Scorers for Clare: D Tubridy 0-5 (0-2f, 0-1 45), M O’Leary 0-4 (3f), S McGrath 0-3, J Malone & R Donnelly 0-1 each.
TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; G Mulhair, J Coghlan, P Codd; R Kiely, P Acheson, D Leahy; S O’Brien, G Hannigan; P Austin, B Grogan, I Fahey; B Fox, M Quinlivan, C Sweeney.
Subs: A Maloney for Fahey (15), C McCullagh for Maloney (44), L Egan for Hannigan (59), C Dillon for Austin (63), A Campbell for Codd (66), A Matassa for O’Brien (70+2).
CLARE: P de Loughrey; D Ryan, G Kelly, M McMahon; S Hickey, E Coughlan, M Óg Murphy; G Brennan, C O’Connor; S Collins, S McGrath, S Brennan; M O’Leary, D Tubridy, J Malone.
Subs: K Hartnett for Murphy (h.t.), P McMahon for O’Connor (45), R Donnelly for McGrath (66).
Referee: N Ward (Westmeath).
By Jonathan Cullen Mon 10th Mar
