Waterford 0-22 Clare 1-15:Waterford were made to work for win as underdogs Clare put up a stern challenge in their Munster SHC semi-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles where Davy Fitzgerald's side eventually won 0-22 to 1-15 for a final date with either Cork or Limerick.
Fitzgerald accepted his side were second best for large periods but credited his side, who responded each time. They were also forced to rely heavily on the scoring prowess of Eoin Kelly to get them out of trouble against their more youthful opponents.
Waterford were stunned into action when Darach Honan blasted home a 33-minute goal to send Clare further ahead. Despite Clare's lead there was always the sense Waterford had enough in the tank to come back.
“The one thing about Waterford we kept coming back,” said Fitzgerald after the game. “After their goal we replied straight away. They hit us again in the second half, we replied straight away, we kept there. We didn’t play great but maybe that was down to how well Clare played and tackled and harried and hassled.
Fitzgerald refutes the notion he was tinkering to find his best line-up. Instead he placed importance on the need for a strong squad.
“I think the most important thing about any team is you need a good panel. I can assure you the guys in that dugout were not happy, probably not happy with me for leaving them sitting there.
“The one thing we will do is pick the guys we feel are training and playing well, That’s the way, there are no favourites. I was delighted to have to bring guys in off the bench.
“It was a no win situation for us today we were expected to win but I kept saying the Clare lads will fight hard and they showed character today.
The Bannermen had opened up a 1-10 to 0-09 lead by the break but Waterford pressed for home in the second period as experience told.
Substitute Declan Prendergast hit three great points, while Kelly brought his tally to six.
“The lads gave it everything today, we fought right to the end, but we gave them a few soft scores. There a few 50/50 dubious frees too on another day might have gone our way,” noted Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin.
“I think we introduced seven or eight new players to the Championship today. Everything is positive from that point of view but we’re very deflated with the result - it was a great chance for us.
“Most of lads have under-21 All-Ireland medals and what I have found working with them is they’re very honest. We do find it hard to raise our game at certain times of the year and that’s something we have to work on. We fell over the line in Division 2 games against Carlow and Antrim and really shouldn’t have won those games.
“We need to learn to be more clinical, that’s what probably cost us today,” he added.
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is glad of the time to prepare for the final.
“Cork or Limerick will not feel under any pressure ahead of the Munster final, we will have to raise our game quite considerably to come anywhere close to them we know that,” he said.
“We have a few weeks to work on it, we’ll keep the head down and see what happens.
“A lot of people have said Waterford are dead and gone since I came here a couple of years ago, but it’s a funny thing, we’re still there, still playing and you never know what will happen.”
CLARE:D Touhy; P Vaughan, C Dillon, C Cooney; B Bugler, D McMahon, P Donnellan; B O'Connell, N O'Connell; S Collins, J Conlon, J Clancy; F Lynch, D Honan, C Ryan.
WATERFORD:C Hennessy; E Murphy, L Lawlor, N Connors; T Browne, M Walsh, J Nagle; S O'Sullivan, R Foley; D Shanahan, K Moran, S Molumphy; J Mullane, E Kelly, M Shanahan.
Referee:Brian Gavin (Offaly).