Tipperary finished with four of the last five points to snatch a Munster SHC final lifeline and all but eliminate Liam MacCarthy holders Clare from this year's championship
With both sides languishing on a solitary point heading into this crunch derby, the visitors appeared to be cruising towards victory with a remarkable first half brace of goals for each of John McGrath and Andrew Ormond powering the Premier County 12 clear by the 27th minute at 4-06 to 0-06.
However, just as in the opening home tie against Cork, the All-Ireland champions managed to unearth a stirring backlash, with Mark Rodgers pulling back a goal before the break to lessen the half-time damage to nine before an emphatic penalty from captain Tony Kelly entering the final quarter was the catalyst for a full recovery by the 63rd minute at 4-14 to 2-20.
Despite having the conditions and clear momentum behind them, Brian Lohan's side simply couldn’t get themselves in front at any stage, and having expended so much energy just to regain full parity, they would be powerless to halt a final flourish that delivered Tipp's first championship win in two years.
Unanswered points from John McGrath, Jason Forde, Eoghan Connolly and substitute Sean Kenneally ensured a four-point cushion that would only be lessened by a Rodgers free.
Victory means that Tipperary have catapulted themselves back into the frame for a Munster final berth, provided they can repeat the dose against Waterford on home soil next weekend.
They’ll certainly take great confidence from this victory as what seemed a certain triumph then looked to be slipping from their grasp, until rescuing matters at the death.
What a start though, with John McGrath unlucky not to raid for two goals in the space of a minute when just clearing the crossbar only seconds after making the breakthrough in the sixth minute.
With Clare still coming to terms with the absence of John Conlon, Conor Cleary and Diarmuid Ryan from their backline, Liam Cahill’s side took full advantage with Ormond being supplied by Morris for a second goal in the 12th minute.
Tipperary looked dangerous every time they attacked, with home goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan excellently repelling a Morris shot before Robert Doyle delivered down the right wing for John McGrath to cut in and fire his second and Tipperary’s third major at the midway mark of the opening half.
If the home support thought it couldn’t get any worse, they would be sorely mistaken as Ormond superbly caught and finished a rebound to the Clare net after Quilligan had superbly prevented Morris from scoring in the 23rd minute.
Up the other end, David Reidy was snuffed out for a goal chance while he would also subsequently find the side-netting with another. However, credit Clare for persevering as they did finally pick themselves off the canvas in the 32nd minute when Reidy turned provider for Rodgers to catch on the turn and billow the net at 4-09 to 1-09 by the interval.
Resuming with a further hat-trick of Rodgers frees, the gap was soon slashed to six but it would take until the three-quarters mark for the Banner to make any real inroads as Tony Kelly sprung to life to convert a free, tee up Sean Rynne for a point before earning and finishing a 55th minute penalty to slash the arrears to just the minimum.
It took until the 63rd minute for Mark Rodgers to level matters with a 45-metre free but the All-Ireland champions seemed powerless to stop Tipperary’s second wind that has given Cahill’s side a new lease of life ahead of their final showdown against Waterford.
Clare are mathematically out of the Munster final reckoning but there is an outside chance of third place if results go their way next weekend.
Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Michael Breen, Eoghan Connolly (0-02, 2f), Robert Doyle; Ronan Maher, Craig Morgan (0-01), Bryan O’Mara; Sam O’Farrell, Alan Tynan; Conor Stakelum, Andrew Ormond (2-01), Noel McGrath; John McGrath (2-03), Jake Morris (0-02), Jason Forde (0-08, 6f, 1’65)
Subs: Oisin O’Donoghue for Stakelum (46), Seamus Kennedy for Maher (56-58, BS), Willie Connors for N. McGrath (58), Kennedy for O’Farrell (62), Darragh Stakelum for Tynan (62, inj), Sean Kenneally (0-01) for Forde (66)
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Darragh Lohan, Adam Hogan, Conor Leen; Daithi Lohan, David McInerney, Cian Galvin; Cathal Malone (0-01), Ryan Taylor (0-02); Sean Rynne (0-03), David Reidy, Peter Duggan (0-01); Tony Kelly (1-01, 1-0 Pen, 1f), Mark Rodgers (1-13, 13f), Shane Meehan
Subs: Rory Hayes for Leen (19, inj), Shane O’Donnell for Meehan (44), David Fitzgerald for Rynne (58), Ian Galvin for Reidy (62), John Conlon for Daithi Lohan (67)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
