Following in the footsteps of their senior counterparts on Sunday, the Clare Under-20 footballers booked their place in the last four of Munster with a well-deserved three-point win over Tipperary at Semple Stadium on Monday evening.
The Banner – who will meet Kerry in the semi-finals in Tralee next week – will be joined by Limerick who face Cork in the other last four tie after overcoming Waterford by 2-6 to 0-6 earlier on Easter Monday.
Clare started in a flurry and took an early two-point lead with Mikey Kelleher finding the net, but Tipp soon drew level before Clare, who held their two-point winning margin at half time, extended their lead to three by full time.
At the start, it almost looked like it would be Tipperary’s day on home soil as they went into an early lead with Joseph Lawrence opening the scoring inside the opening minute, albeit was Tipp who were backed by a strong breeze in the opening half.
After Clare found the net through Kelleher in the third minute, the Banner had to bide their time, especially during the middle section of the opening half-hour, going 16 minutes without a score after Kelleher pointed in the 12th minute.
Tipperary centre back Charlie King deserved a goal just shy of the midway point of the half, but the Ballina man could only watch on as his placed effort brushed just wide of the far post.
Cian Smith made it a one-point game two minutes later before the Clonmel Commercials forward slotted over a close-range free with 20 minutes on the clock to draw Tipp level.
Smith and Daithi Hogan continued to get ball into hand, forcing Clare to foul, and Smith took full advantage with his third score in-a-row to put the hosts a point ahead with a lovely free with 10 minutes to go before half time.
When Clare goalkeeper Thomas Collins slotted over a free three minutes later it was the Banner’s first score since the 12th minute – a much-needed point after Tipp dominated the previous 16 minutes of play.
Clare pushed on from here on in and late first half points from Brendy Rouine and the lively Sean McMahon made sure Michael Neylon’s young guns took a well-deserved two-point lead into the break – 1-4 to 0-5 in favour of the visitors.
After the restart, Clare extended their lead to four points midway through the second half with Rory Collins the only Tipp player to find the target in the third quarter as Clare’s tally was boosted by points from Collins, Rouine, and Kelleher.
Two superb long-range points from substitute Tom Curran – in the space of a minute – put daylight between the two sides as Clare took a five point advantage heading into the final 10 minutes.
Tipp narrowed the deficit to two points late on, but it was too little too late before a stoppage time free from Curran secured the win for Clare.
Meanwhile in Ballyagran, two late Limerick goals against Waterford helped them advance to the other semi-final. The crucial green flags from David O’Shaughnessy, who starred with 1-3, and Aaron Neville ensured the Treaty men ran out six-point winners in a windy South Limerick.
After both sides were level at three points apiece at the end of a lacklustre opening half, Shane Kelly’s young side booked a last four clash with Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn next Monday after Limerick made better use a strong wind to outscore Waterford by 2-3 to 0-3 in the final 30 minutes.
TIPPERARY: Shane Ryan; Jack O’Neill, Jack Nevin, Eoin O’Connell; Rory O’Dowd, Charlie King, Sean O’Meara; Joseph Lawrence (0-1), Eoin Craddock; Micheál Lowry, Declan Nee, Rory Collins (0-1); Cian Smith (0-5, five frees), Evan Hawkins, Daithi Hogan (0-1, one free)
Subs: Niall O’Connor (0-2) for Nee (42 minutes), Liam McCormack for Hawkins (53 minutes), Eoin Doocey for O’Connell (54 minutes), Darragh McVicker (0-1) for Lowry (56 minutes)
CLARE: Thomas Collins (0-3, two frees, one ‘45); Eoghan Casey, Fergal Guinnane, Joshua Moloney; Liam Cotter, Liam Culligan, Joshua Guyler; Brian McNamara, James Curran; Mikey Kelleher (1-2), Cillian McGroary, Brendy Rouine (0-2); Odhran Cunningham, Joe Rafferty, Sean McMahon (0-1)
Subs: Tom Curran (0-03, one free) for McGroary (42 minutes), Paul Frawley for Cunningham (50 minutes), James Cullinane for Culligan (60 minutes), Conor Meaney for Kelleher (63 minutes)
Referee: John Ryan (Cork) Limerick vs Waterford teams:
LIMERICK: Craig MacInnes; Tadhg Hourigan, Frank Corcoran, Diarmuid Buckley; Aaron Neville. (1-0), Eoin McGrath, Sean Ryan; Jack McCarthy, Emmett Rigter (0-1); Mike Molloy, Darragh Murray (0-1, one free), Tommy Ryan; Bobby Smith, Ronan Quirke (0-1), David O’Shaughnessy (1-3, one free, one mark, one ‘45)
Subs: Diarmuid Ryan for T Ryan (37 minutes), Zach McCarthy for Molloy (39), David Boyce for Smith (48), Marc Nolan for S Ryan (55), Shane Cross for Quirke (60).
WATERFORD: Conor Moore; Shane Oates, James Moloney, Sean Byrne; Glenn Power, Oisin Downey, Ronsn O’Connell; Aaron Jacob, Michael O’Sullivan; Rory Fennell (0-2), Eoin McSweeney, Sean O’Rourke; Ger Hahessy, Alan Dunwoody (0-4, three frees), Michael O’Brien (Stradbally).
Subs: Cian Carey for O’Rourke (12 minutes, injured), Daniel McLoughlin for O’Brien (halftime), Cillian Ryan for Carey (51), Tommy Fennell for R Fennell (60), Kyle Moloney for Downey (60).
Referee: Brian Fleming (Kerry).
