Munster Club SFC: Great win for St Finbarr's as they finish well to defeat Clonmel Commercials

St Finbarr’s: 1-17 (1-3-11) 

Clonmel Commercials: 2-11 (2-1-9) 

St Finbarr’s came good right at the end to prevail in a gripping AIB Munster Club SFC quarter-final against Clonmel Commercials at a wet Clonmel Sportsfield on Saturday afternoon.

Brian Roche’s side will now face Éire Óg Ennis of Clare in the last four next Sunday as a result of this three-point victory.

The city club had to dig very deep here in this comeback win. They trailed by a point at the break and would have been content enough given they were playing second fiddle.

They did improve in the second half combined with Clonmel Commercials fading given they won their county championship seven days earlier.

The home side were one point ahead going into the closing stages, but four points on the trot did the trick for St Finbarr’s.

In front of a crowd of 1,805, the teams traded frees early on with Steven Sherlock converting an easy point for St Finbarr’s before Seán O’Connor did the same for Clonmel Commercials.

The home side did kick two of the next three points until Brian Hayes and Ethan Twomey efforts gave St Finbarr’s the advantage again after 11 minutes, 0-4 to 0-3.

A trademark two-pointer from Sherlock looked to have settled the Barrs after a sluggish start, but their opposition goaled after 14 minutes.

Former Tipperary star Michael Quinlivan did great work to assist Cian Smith who finished low into the corner of the net, 1-3 to 0-6.

Jack Kennedy and Séamus Kennedy were doing brilliantly around the middle for Clonmel Commercials giving their side the platform for their positive spell. A pair of Seán O’Connor frees gave the Tipperary outfit a two-point buffer with 10 minutes to the break.

A Sherlock free was timely for St Finbarr’s, a first score in nine minutes. They were second best though at this juncture, being outfought in the key battles.

The home outfit tacked on two unanswered points before the Barrs were given a shot in the arm with a goal after 25 minutes. Hayes’ effort was saved by Clonmel Commercials goalkeeper Shane Ryan, but the ball fell nicely for Conor Dennehy who taped the ball into the net, 1-7 apiece.

The Clonmel Commercials response to the goal was a Darragh O’Connor two-pointer. A great effort too from long range.

The Barrs were just a point behind at the interval after Sherlock pointed, 1-9 to 1-8 at half-time.

An improved collective effort helped St Finbarr’s wrestle back control. A Sherlock orange flag from a free a minute into the new half was just the start required from the Togher outfit.

Twomey extended his side’s lead out to two points before a Seán O’Connor free was Clonmel Commercial’s first score of the half nine minutes in, 1-11 to 1-10.

In a low-scoring second 30 minutes as weather conditions deteriorated, a slip from Jamie Burns proved costly as the home side got a second goal when that man Seán O’Connor billowed the back of the net with 14 minutes left.

A Sherlock two-point free drew the teams level before they exchanged points with two minutes left before county final hero Cillian Myers-Murray, not long off the bench, bisected the posts, 1-15 to 2-11.

The game went into three minutes of added time. The hard-working William Buckley and Ian Maguire pointed. The Cork team were finishing with a flourish. 

Incredible defending right at the death from the Barrs ensured there would be no extra-time.

They march on to the last four.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: S Sherlock 0-9 (2 2pt f, 1 2pt, 0-2 f), C Dennehy 1-0, W Buckley 0-3, E Twomey 0-2, C Myers-Murray, I Maguire, B Hayes 0-1 each.

Clonmel Commercials: S O’Connor 1-5 (0-4 f), C Smith 1-1, D O’Connor 0-2 (1 2pt), R Peters, J Kennedy, M Quinlivan 0-1 each.

ST FINBARR’S: D Newman; D Quinn, A O’Connor, S Ryan; B Hennessy, J Burns, C Dennehy; I Maguire, B Hayes; C Doolan, W Buckley, E Twomey; E Dennehy, R Barrett, S Sherlock (c).

Subs: C Myers-Murray for R Barrett, L Hannigan for E Dennehy (both 42), E McGreevy for J Burns (48).

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS: S Ryan; T Condon, J Morris, R Slattery; R O’Dowd, S Kennedy (c), C Deely; J Higgins, J Kennedy; R Peters, M Quinlivan, D O’Connor; C Smith, S O’Connor, P McGarry.

Subs: C Kennedy for R Peters (38), T Sheehan for C Deely (50), S Kennedy for J Higgins (58).

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare).