Tipperary champions Fethard, with a two-point victory, qualified for their first Munster final when they ousted Clare title holders Cooraclare in a hectic semi-final played in atrocious conditions at wet and windy Clonmel yesterday.
The Clare side led 0-4 to 0-3 at half-time, but had to bow to the superior home side when they took control with wind advantage after the break. Fethard doubled their score and held the visitors scoreless. Played in a continuous downpour, Fethard had the opening point after six minutes when corner forward Jimmy O'Meara punished the defence for a foul on full-forward Tommy Sheehan. The sides were level inside two minutes when David Hedigan pointed from play for the visitors.
The exchanges were tough and bruising, but the home side were in control and top scorer, right half forward Martin Coen, kicked two great points in the 14th and 17th minutes to give them a two-point advantage.
As Cooraclare responded, the Fethard defence, marshalled by team captain Willie Morrissey, soaked up tremendous pressure before the Cooraclare attack eventually found a way through in the last 10 minutes of the first half.
Right-half forward Declan Lynch got possession at midfield and split the Fethard defence wide open with a superb run before pointing after 21 minutes. The towering Tom Morrissey was in rampant mood at midfield and when he sent David Hedigan away on a run in the 27th minute, he pointed to bring the sides level for the second time.
The Clare side continued to dominate at midfield and in a rousing finish to the first half, Martin Morrissey got through in the 29th minute to give the Clare team the lead, 0-4 to 0-3, for the first and last time in the game.
Fethard, with the wind advantage, set about their task in a determined mood after the restart and Tommy Sheehan had their supporters in full voice when he had the equaliser in the 33rd minute.
Fethard's outstanding centre forward, Brian Burke broke the stalemate in the 42nd minute when he kicked a 45-metre free from his hand to put the home side ahead again 0-5 to 0-4.
In the 45th minute, Fethard had a major letoff when goalkeeper, Paul Fitzgerald, who had a brilliant day, dropped a ball at the feet of Declan Lynch. But he fluffed his chance.
Fethard continued their onward march and in the 50th minute Martin Coen produced the score of the day when he pointed a 50-metre free from almost on the sideline to make it 0-6 to 0-4.
Fethard: P Fitzgerald; S O'Donnell, M Ryan, P Blake; M Quinlan, W O'Meara, W Morrissey; C Coen, M Spillane; D Byrne, B Burke 0-1, M Coen 0-3; J O'Meara 0-1, T Sheehan 0-1, M Fitzgerald. Subs: JP Looby for M Fitzgerald, T Keane for J O'Meara.
Cooraclare: P Harvey; T Queally, T Downes, J O'Dea; E McGuane, M Queally, D Hedigan 0-2; M Morrissey 0-1, J Considine; D Garry, T Morrissey, D Lynch 0-1; C O'Donoghue, M Corry, P Kelly. Sub: J O'Connell for D Garry.
Referee: W O'Mahoney (Limerick).
