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Tipperary outfought by 'ravenous' Clare, admits Colm Bonnar

Updated / Sunday, 24 Apr 2022 20:18
Tipperary manager Colm Bonnar (L) and Clare boss Brian Lohan shake hands after the game
Tipperary manager Colm Bonnar (L) and Clare boss Brian Lohan shake hands after the game

Colm Bonnar admitted his Tipperary team had been overwhelmed by a "ravenous" Clare team who scored three goals in the first half of their Munster SHC win at Semple Stadium today.

Tipperary did hit back with two second-half green flags but never got closer than seven points in a disappointing defeat.

"To play your home game and go in at half-time 13 points down, 3-11 to 0-07… We were unlucky with a couple of scores, could have had a goal or two at the start of the first half to keep us with Clare, but once they got the momentum, they were ravenous," Bonnar told RTÉ Sport.

"They attacked everything and were so hungry for the breaking ball. They brought a big game with them and we found it very hard to contain it.

"We regrouped in the second half and came at them, scored 2-09 to 0-10 but 13 points was a big deficit.

"When we got the goal it was a tonic for us. The crowd were getting behind us and we needed to put two or three points on the board quickly after that. We had those opportunities but they wen either side of the posts. That deflates you a small bit again."

Bonnar was surprised by his side's poor start following their competitive display in defeat to Waterford last weekend.

"It wasn't the seven-day turnaround," he said. "We were in a good place I thought. Mentally, we were strong inside the dressing-room, we were going to come out and make Clare fight for everything but they came out with a bigger fight and they got the scores then with the breeze.

"Sometimes you can dominate like that but you might not put it on the scoreboard. But they got the goals at the right time. That gave them huge energy and deflated us a small bit.

"We did have a goal chance or two that would have given us a bit of momentum but overall we can have no complaints. Clare were the better team."

Clare boss Brian Lohan said they had targeted coming out of the blocks quickly, starting their first championship game a week later than their rivals.

"Our lads came to the game with a good bit of desire and a good bit of fight in them and played really well in the first half," he told RTÉ Sport.

"It was a big worry, how we were going to react to not having a game and how were Tipp going to come into it, so we put a lot of focus on them not getting a jump on us.

"We thought we were in a very good position after the first half last year [against Tipperary] as well but then, before we knew it, the game was gone from us. So that was the big message, that we didn't want to make the same mistake again.

"We didn’t play great in the first 10-15 minutes of the second half so that’s obviously an area that we’ll have to work on."

The returning Shane O'Donnell and Peter Duggan were among the six Banner starting forwards who all scored from play and they will be confident of putting it up to Cork in what is already shaping up as a third-place decider back in Thurles next weekend.

"It’s always good for the group when there are a number of people scoring," said Lohan.

"A great display from our lads but we'll put that to one side now and try to front up to the challenge that Cork are going to bring here next Sunday."

As for Tipperary, they face the tall order of beating the All-Ireland champions Limerick on their own patch in a fortnight’s time to keep their season alive.

"We’re not buried yet," insisted Bonnar. "We have to bring a bigger fight than we brought today.

"This is a big learning thing for us. We just weren’t at their level initially but we have to learn from it and regroup because we’re going down to the Gaelic Grounds in our next game.

"We don’t have time to sit and feel sorry for ourselves."

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