Clonmel Commercials 2-07 Newcastle West 0-06

A second-minute goal from Seánie O'Connor helped Clonmel Commercials to gain revenge on Newcastle West in their Munster quarter-final at Semple Stadium.

In a tight battle, Peter McGarry’s super goal after an 80-metre solo run ensured their progress to a home semi-final against Kerry representatives Dingle on Sunday week.

The Tipperary champions were heavily fancied to beat the same opposition last year but fell to an extra-time defeat. This time, they made no mistake.

The three-in-a-row Limerick champions were without their All-Star nominees of recent years in Cian Sheehan (travelling) and Iain Corbett (injured), with the captain ruled out due to a hamstring strain picked up in last week’s county final.

The Magpies, managed by incoming Treaty boss Jimmy Lee, hadn’t conceded a goal in their last five games but that record didn’t beyond the first attack of a Clonmel side netting their 20th this season.

O’Connor took his personal tally to five goals in five games when found by a lovely low kick pass from kit-again Jack Kennedy. The inside man looked penned in but he sidestepped his way through three defenders and applied a composed finish.

But after Colman Kennedy’s sixth-minute point, Commercials became so straitjacketed by the blanket defence and constant pressure on the ball, they didn’t have so much as a shot, never mind a score, for the next 23 minutes.

Newcastle West kicked three long-range points in that time via two Eoin Hurley frees and a super Bryan Nix point while falling.

Their opponents’ frustrations were compounded when McGarry was black-carded for his reaction after conceding another Commercials free for overcarrying while encircled by preying Magpies.

But Newcastle West couldn’t offer enough in attack to press home that advantage in the 10 minutes to half-time and Kevin Fahey kicked the final point to make it 1-02 to 0-03.

Commercials had been restricted to five shots in the first half but they peppered the target on the restart.

They began to crack the opposition kick-out, led by the aerial ability of Jack Kennedy. From that platform, Pádraic Looram assisted his third point, finished by Michael Quinlivan, before his fellow wing-back Kevin Fahey arrowed over his second.

Three further wides were something of a let-off for that period of dominance and Newcastle West were back within three when Emmet Rigter booted their first point in 21 minutes from close range.

But Commercials finished it off in the 55th minute with a super move. Seamus Kennedy summoned a full-stretch block on Michael O’Leary and McGarry soloed all the way from midfield to finish via the far post.

Tipp hurler Seamus Kennedy added the icing on the cake when coming up from full-back to land a point from 45 metres out.

Clonmel Commercials: M O’Reilly; T Condon, Seamus Kennedy (0-01), R O’Dowd; K Fahey (0-02), J Morris, P Looram (0-01); C Deely, J Kennedy (0-01f); P McGarry (1-00), R Peters, Conal Kennedy; Colman Kennedy (0-01), M Quinlivan (0-01), S O’Connor (1-00).

Subs: Seán Kennedy for Conal Kennedy (h-t), D Nee for Peters (46, inj), A Matassa for O’Connor (57), J Higgins for Colman Kennedy (60), T Sheehan for J Kennedy (60+2).

Newcastle West: M Quilligan; M O’Keeffe, D O’Doherty, B O’Sullivan; R O’Connor, J Kelly, M O’Leary; E Rigter (0-01), S Murphy; L Woulfe, B Nix (0-01), A Neville; S Brosnan, M McMahon, Eoin Hurley (0-02, 2f).

Subs: B Foley for Brosnan (h-t), Ethan Hurley (0-01) for McMahon (41), T Quilligan (0-01m) for Woulfe (45), S Hurley for Kelly (49), B Hurley for Neville (60).

Referee: C Maguire (Clare).