The reigning champions got off to a winning start in the Tipperary senior football championship at a pitch perfect Ardfinnan last night.
Mikey Quinlivan and Ryan Lambe goals set up Clonmel Commercials as the looked to keep a brave Cahir team at arms length.
Leading 3-7 to 1-4 at the half way stage the Clonmel team ran out 4-12 to 2-10 winners by full time with Sean O Connor and Quinlivan to the fore.
After the game Commercials manager Charlie McGeever told Tipp FMs Stephen Gleeson that it’s fantastic to have championship action in summertime:
“The first thing, to be fair, is that it’s great to be out there. We thought we wouldn’t see a football kicked or anything played with COVID, but it’s great to get out on a lovely summer’s evening and a great pitch and a great set-up.
“Hats off to all concerned in organising tonight. It was so well organised – no hiccups whatsoever and everything went according to plan for everybody and the result of that was a good match.”
McGeever also praised a Cahir side who never gave up at any stage of the game:
“Cahir are an up and coming team. They’ve done really well at under-21 level and you can see the fruits there and with Liam Casey back, who should have been travelling, it’s great to see these stars of Gaelic Football in Tipperary out playing on the field.
“The same goes for Michael Quinlivan for us – somebody else who was travelling. To watch the best players in Tipperary out on the field at this time of the summer, it’s a great thing to behold and watch.
“It was a very open game of football, very entertaining I would have said. And there are a lot of things for us to take out of it on the positive, and some negatives too.
“We looked at this game as being an absolute banana skin. Cahir have been going well, they played well last year and were unlucky probably last year not to go further.
“They’re a team of the future. But hopefully we’re a team of the present and we hope to push on from here.”
In the night’s other senior games, JK Brackens defeated Aherlow on a 3-11 to 10 points scoreline, and Moyle Rovers got the better of Arravale Rovers by 16 points to 11.
Today sees three senior games take place.
Moyne Templetouhy and Ardfinnan are first out of the traps this afternoon with a 1 o’clock throw-in in Cashel.
Due to a funeral, the Killenaule versus Galtee Rovers clash has been pushed back by half an hour and will now get underway at 2.30 in Golden.
And later this afternoon, at 4 o’clock, Kilsheelan take on Upperchurch Drombane in New Inn.
We’ll have live updates from all those games here on Tipp FM.
Meanwhile in the intermediates, Cashel King Cormacs versus JK Brackens game won’t be going ahead this afternoon as Cashel are said to be unable to field a team.
Kiladangan and Borrisokane also withdrew from their respective games during the week.
