Player Ratings: Tipperary vs Clare in Round 4 of the Munster Hurling Championship

Player ratings from Tipperary’s loss to Clare in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Tipperary were dumped out of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship last Saturday evening, losing to Clare in FBD Semple Stadium.

See below player ratings from the game.

1. Rhys Shelly - 5/10

The restarts were a constant issue for Tipperary throughout the game, particularly against the wind in the first half. In fairness to Shelly, the movement in front of him just wasn't good enough, and that fed into those issues moreso.

2. Robert Doyle - 7/10

Doyle tagged Tony Kelly throughout the game and did a really good job on the mercurial Clare man. He never let him out of sight and held him to a single point from play.

3. Eoghan Connolly - 5/10

Connolly tried hard to get into the game, but like a lot of his teammates, he struggled as the game developed. He did ok in the first half, coming out with the ball, but his second half was summed up with the no-look, over-the-shoulder pass to Ronan Maher late on that went out over the sideline.

4. Michael Breen - 5/10

Breen was in no man’s land in this one, particularly in the second half, as the quality of ball being played into the Clare full forward line gave him little or no chance. However, Ian Galvin's early second-half goal was poor defending, and Breen was culpable in this. It essentially finished the game.

5. Craig Morgan - 4/10

Morgan was anonymous throughout this game as the Clare half-forward line ran amok, particularly in the first half. Also, in possession, the Kilruane MacDonaghs man got no traction coming forward with the ball. A year to forget in blue and gold for Morgan.

6. Ronan Maher - 6/10

Maher did pretty well all things considered, as he matched up well to the big Clare man. He caught some brilliant aerial ball at times and held Duggan well, despite late points when the game was over. Far from the problem at the back.

7. Bryan O'Mara - 8/10

O'Mara was Tipp's best performer. Kept Shane O'Donnell scoreless all game and was on top throughout any 50/50 ball that came in between the pair.

8. Willie Connors - 4/10

Connors ill-discipline got the better of him again, with a silly second yellow ending the contest in the middle of the second half. Prior to that, he did some good things in the first half, but he just struggles to get around with the pace of the modern game.

9. Alan Tynan - 5/10

Tynan did ok in the first half but, like the rest of the middle eight, they were far too loose on their Clare counterparts. The workrate just wasn't there from Tynan for large swathes, something that is usually a common asset.

10. Jake Morris - 7/10

Morris wasn't in his top form but despite huffing and puffing, he still picked off four points during the game, when it was still there for Tipperary to get back into contention.

11. Andrew Ormond - 4/10

Ormond just never got into the form of 2025, and the Clare game was a microcosm of his year this time around. He was completely snuffed out and the lack of confidence in his play was evident anytime he got on possession, far flung from the hurling he produced last year.

12. Oisin O'Donoghue - 5/10

O'Donoghue struggled to get into the game and never made an impact. He can be given some quarter after being on the losing end of a devastating U20 loss where he played 35 or 40 minutes.

13. Darragh McCarthy - 5/10

McCarthy never seemed to recover from the shoulder injury he picked up late in the league that hampered his championship run-in. He never found himself in the game and any possession in his vicinity, he was beaten to the ball by Darragh Lohan.

14. John McGrath - 5/10

McGrath worked his socks off, but like the rest of the forward division, they never got the service required due to the battle being lost out the field throughout. He was denied what would have been a brilliant goal by Eibhear Quilligan in the early stages of the second half, which could have turned the game.

15. Jason Forde - 6/10

Forde was one of the brighter forwards in the game, with his first half producing some good moments and scores, including two points from play and a sublime sideline cut. The second half was a far cry from that with no service for the Silvermines man.