Report supplied by Muiris Walsh for Tipperary GAA Discussion List

That is the question that is now being asked of our senior hurling team after their two point victory over Clare last Sunday.

This victory now sets up a Munster Final with Waterford on July 12th. However, given the respective performances of the two teams over last weekend, Waterford will fell the happier about themselves. The more people see of Tipperary the less confident they are becoming. That is not "knocking" anyone, but merely stating what most Tipperary fans are thinking.

We once again allowed a team to claw their way back into a game that we should have put to bed. At various stages of the game we led by nine, ten, eleven points. Yet, we were hanging on for dear life come the end of the match. We went from the sublime to the ridiculous and everything in between. If were not for the wonderful Noel McGrath, Tipperary may well have been on the qualifier route. His seven points, six of which were from play, were a joy to behold. This was matched and some by Clare's Colin Ryan, who finished the day with 0-12 after his name.

Liam Sheedy and his team have serious work to do. They need to as a matter of urgency, try and rectify these periods of where Tipperary simply stop hurling. It is mystifying and equally frustrating to watch. The biggest worry is its receptiveness. It has become a nasty habit. Give Waterford that amount of ball and space, they will beat us a score a man.

Tipperary started the game in a blistering fashion. John O'Brien registered the first score of the day after only 30 seconds. Pat Kerwick followed soon afterwards and when Eoin Kelly popped over a free, Tipperary were three in front. Jonathan Clancy stopped the rot two super points by Noel McGrath and Declan Fanning had Tipperary five to one ahead after only six minutes. That lead increased to seven when Larry Corbett got on the end of a super ball from John O'Brien to flick the ball past Philip Brennan. However that was to be Tipperary's last score for nearly ten minutes. In that time Clare hit over four points. Three form the impressive Ryan, one of which a monster effort from in front of the Mackey Stand. Tipperary hit over a few wides, three of which were very poor efforts from O'Brien, Callanan and Corbett. They went for the big "hail Mary" points from impossible angles. Had they steady themselves and shown a bit of vision, they would have found better positioned team mates. Niall Gilligan and Conor O'Brien then received yellow cards for a bit of pushing and shoving.

In the 20th minute Noel McGrath got Tipperary moving again with the first of his seven. Pat Kerwick followed that score with a super point. Then with a beautiful flick of the wrists, McGrath registered a gem of a point. James Woodlock was putting in a wonderful shift. He was winning a huge amount of ball. His distribution was poor at times but he along with Shane McGrath were winning the midfield battle. This resulted in Tipperary's second goal. Seamus Callanan was making no headway against the impressive Brendan Bulger but in the 28th minute he got on the end of a super flick by Noel McGrath to bury the ball past Philip Brennan. In the space of eight minutes, Tipperary increased their lead from four to eleven. However once again we feel asleep. In the last seven minutes of the game Clare outscored us 1-3 to 0-1, or did they? Mind you Eoin Kelly should have had a penalty in the 32nd minute, when he was clearly dragged down.

Callanan's goal was followed by two Clare points from Carmody and Clancy. Noel McGrath then stepped up again to hit over another point. There was a minute left, Tipperary looking good for a ten point half time lead. Not so. Shane McGrath lost possession very cheaply, Patrick Donnellan delivery found Diarmuid McMahon. The big Kilmaley man looked to have smashed the ball to the corner of the net but TV proved that it hit the butt of the post and came out. How did the umpire miss it? On the Sunday game Des Cahill made light of it, announcing that these things balance out. How is that I ask. What would have happened if we had lost that game by two points? Still it was given and a further point by McMahon reduced Tipperary's lead to six at half time.

The half time talk was of how we left Clare back into a match that should be way beyond them. The form of Callanan, Kelly and Corbett was a concern. Eoin Kelly doesn't look fit. He didn't win a single ball. Rumours of a back injury similar to Paul O'Connell still persist. In any case I fear we have seen the best of him.

Brendan Maher was introduced by Tipperary for the injured Conor O'Mahoney. Clare started the second half they way they finished the first. A great Tony Griffin point was followed by a Ryan free. The gap was four and the nerves were starting to get the better of all of us. In the 45th minute the score line read Tipperary 2-14 Clare 1-11. Then Paddy Stapleton plucked a great ball out of the air, ran thirty yards before laying off to Shane McGrath. The Ballinahinch man's cross field ball found John O'Brien who shot past Philip Brennan to give Tipperary a nine point lead with less than twenty minutes to go. Surely, surely that was the killer blow. Sadly it wasn't.

To Clare's credit, they responded well to the goal. Colin Ryan hit over a further three points, Eoin Kelly hit over a free. However Tipperary's midfield and half forward line went out of the game as Bulger, Markham started to dominate. In the last nineteen minutes Tipperary managed only two points. Clare's corner back Pa Vaughan was superb as was Gerry O'Grady in the other corner. Tipp's defence was being tested by McMahon and John Conlon. A now rampant Clare hit over some wonderful points. McMahon could have goaled only to take his point after some pressure from Paul Curran. Tipperary were now unable to win any decent possession. The Tipperary defence and in particular Padraig Maher, Conor O'Brien and Paddy Stapleton were outstanding. Only for them, we would have been I serious trouble.

In the 61st minute Noel McGrath got on the end of a quick sideline cut to hit over a much needed point. Further points from Ryan and Conlon made the game a one score deficit. Cummins then pulled off a great save to deny Gilligan, Paul Curran managed to crucially flick the rebound beyond Colin Ryan. From the resultant '65, Clare pointed. This was now anybody's match. Tipperary needed to get two scores in front and missed three great chances. Subs Benny Dunne and Willie Ryan hit two poor wides before John O'Brien hit the post. The tension was unbearable. Clare then almost stole in for a goal but for the alertness of Stapleton. Moments later they won a '65. Ryan pointed and it was now a two point game. Hugh Maloney was then on the receiving end of a wild pull. Having taken off two free takers in Callanan and Kelly, it was left to eighteen year old Noel McGrath to hit over the free that put Tipp three points in front. There was still time for some late drama. Clare were awarded a free forty yards from goal. Colin Ryan's bullet was deflected over the bar by the flying Cummins and Tipperary ran out winners by two points on a score line 3-18 to 1-22.

Liam Sheedy was quite measured in his response to the game. He said "mission" accomplished. He pointed to fact that previous Tipp teams blew big leads and lost or drew. Can't argue there but Liam still needs to address why his team cannot finish teams off.

Last Sunday's performance is a big worry. For the first ten minutes we looked like All Ireland contenders. By minute eight four of our forwards had scored from play. They went asleep only to find our way with Larry Corbett's goal. Callanan's goal should have sent us on our way and ok you have to expect a response from Clare. However when John O'Brien raised a green flag, that should have been the end of the contest but no, we were still hanging on. Do we somewhere in our sub c