Cratloe (Clare) 1-18 Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 0-14
Denis Maher’s red card proved costly as pre-match favourites Thurles Sarsfields were dumped out of the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship by Cratloe, 1-18 to 0-14.
The Tipperary champions had Maher sent off following an incident at the throw-in and were forced to play the remainder of the game with 14 men.
And Clare kingpins Cratloe, who are through to a first ever provincial decider, took full advantage to win by seven points in front of 4,708 spectators at Cusack Park in Ennis.
County star Conor McGrath scored 0-11 and Pádraic Collins, who has committed exclusively to inter-county football in 2015, scored the crucial goal in first-half injury time.
Cratloe, who have a provincial senior football semi-final against Waterford outfit The Nire next Sunday, were 1-08 to 0-04 clear at the break.
The Collins goal was a real hammer blow for Sars, who were clinging on to the Cratloe coat-tails.
The second half saw the sides split 20 points between them but Sars were always up against it, a man down and playing against the breeze blowing towards the scoreboard end of the ground.
Despite losing Maher within seconds of the throw-in, Sars were 0-03 to 0-02 ahead in the early exchanges.
But Cratloe opened up with a run of five unanswered points to turn the game on its head.
Captain Pa Bourke, scorer of eight points for Sars, stopped the rot but after his opposite number Liam Markham banged over a point, Collins struck the crucial goal from close range after McGrath’s attempted point dropped short.
Cratloe were content to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the second half as Sars battled in vain to cut the gap.
They did get to within five points but the man advantage was too big a handicap for them to cope with.
McGrath and Collins will grab the headlines for their scoring exploits but skipper Markham, who was involved in the early episode with Maher, was also exceptional in the middle of the park.
And Conor Ryan, man of the match in the drawn 2013 All-Ireland senior hurling final between Clare and Cork, played his part in a solid defence.
Cratloe’s attentions now turn to the big ball next Sunday and that clash with The Nire.
Cratloe: G Ryan; S O’Leary, M Hawes, D Ryan; S Chaplin, C Ryan, E Boyce; D Collins, L Markham (0-03, 1f); S Gleeson, P Collins (1-02), S Collins (0-01); C McInerney (0-01), G Considine, C McGrath (0-11, 5f, 1 65).
Subs: D Browne for Considine (35), B Duggan for D Collins (55).
Thurles Sarsfields: P McCormack; S Maher, M Cahill, David Maher; R Maher, P Maher, M Gleeson; S Cahill, B McCarthy (0-01); Denis Maher, A McCormack, C Lanigan (0-01); T Doyle (0-02), P Bourke (0-08, 7f), L Corbett.
Subs: R Ruth for McCormack (37), M O’Brien for Doyle (41).
Referee: C McAllister (Cork)
