Ep. 185 – Munster Senior Club woes, ‘Church march on

Episode 185 of The Premier View dives into a sobering weekend for Tipperary clubs in Munster, with Loughmore’s extra time defeat to Ennis and Upperchurch’s superb surge into a Munster final creating a tale of two very different campaigns.

Lockmore’s latest crack at Munster never sparked into life. Their 1-13 to 1-14 defeat after extra time in Sixmilebridge told a story of a team that never settled and never found rhythm in heavy conditions, a late venue switch only adding to the sense of unsettlement. Sixteen wides proved fatal. As one line in the show put it, “they were just taking on shots that were not on and they kept forcing it”. Noel McGrath battled to influence the contest but the wides, dropped efforts and tired legs chipped away at their momentum. John McGrath’s twelve points kept them in it, yet the freshness of  Eire Og’s younger bench carried the Clare men through extra time.

There was also an honest admission that the Loughmore squad depth has not matched their long-term success, with players reintroduced after being substituted. The panel is ageing and a decade of bruising knockout campaigns may now be catching up. Loughmore have not won a Munster match since 2007, a statistic that now weighs heavily. As the pod noted, “not getting results in Munster is starting to grate with people at club level”. Add in a brutal run of draws in the last decade and frustration is understandable.

If Loughmore’s journey ended with regret, Upperchurch’s continues with real momentum. Their 2-14 to 17 point win over Ballinhassig was controlled, disciplined and fully deserved. They set the tone early, won the physical exchanges and defended superbly. Their concession average for the season sits at just seventeen points per game, an exceptional return at this time of year. Keith and Gavin Ryan were immense again in the spine, with Keith’s ball-winning and clearances standing out.

The forwards worked tirelessly, led by the running and pressure of Luke Shanahan, Pat Ryan and Conor Fahey. Fahey’s decisive goal ten minutes from time pushed them five clear and the Church never looked back. Their work rate, structure and clarity of roles have been trademarks since recovering from a mid-season dip. They now move on to face O’Callaghan Mills in the Munster final in Limerick on the 29th.

For Tipperary, Upperchurch’s run is a lift at a time when county champions have struggled in Munster. A Church victory would be a badly needed boost for the county’s club profile and a chance to crack the All-Ireland series. As the lads said, “it would be great to see a Tipp club team win in Munster and get a proper run at it again”.