MUNSTER UNDER-21 HURLING SEMI-FINAL Clare 2-22 Waterford 0-9:THE PAST three years have been sprinkled with provincial minor success for Clare and Waterford so yesterday's Munster under-21 semi-final at Cusack Park was always going to be revealing.
Ultimately significant evidence of Clare’s vast potential was available as a splendid opening period display ensured they will contest next month’s provincial decider with Tipperary. That promises to be an especially interesting tussle because Clare were cool and calculated in the first half causing Waterford plenty of problems. It was a similar tale of Waterford woe when the action recommenced too as Clare, featuring several of Davy Fitzgerald’s senior panel, strolled to a surprisingly emphatic success.
The small Waterford travelling support in the 3,176 crowd departed Ennis wondering about how they continue to encounter such difficulty at this level. Despite all their work in the past decade Waterford haven’t claimed a Munster under-21 crown since 1994 which is a worrying statistic.
Scoring early and often Clare’s classy attack were tormenting the visitors, who would have trailed by a greater interval margin than 1-11 to 0-4 only for the excellence of custodian Stephen O’Keefe.
With the nifty Cathal O’Connell dashing between the half- and full-forward lines Clare were very much in the ascendancy and struck for a 14th-minute goal.
Shane Golden’s crisp delivery located Conor McGrath, who drew a reflex save from O’Keefe, but David O’Halloran reacted quickly to net an opportunistic Clare goal. O’Keefe denied Aaron Cunningham moments later as Clare continued to rule the game.
Ten ahead at the break Clare were in cruise control and terminated any slight hope of a Waterford comeback six minutes after the restart when Pádraic Collins clipped a goal for the vibrant locals.
All that needed to be determined from then on was how much Clare would prevail by as O’Connell and O’Halloran were enterprising up front.
While this triumph was as facile as the scoreline suggests Clare will be completely aware that the August 8th Munster decider with Tipperary at the same venue carries deep importance.
CLARE: R Taafe; P Flanagan, D McInerney, K Ryan; S Morey, C Ryan, P O'Connor; C Galvin (0-1), S Golden (0-1); A Cunningham (0-2), P Collins (1-0), T Kelly (0-1); D O'Halloran (1-4), C McGrath (0-2), C O'Connell (0-10, four frees, two 65s). Subs: C McInerney for O'Halloran (48 mins), S O'Halloran for Morey (50 mins), P Duggan (0-1) for Kelly (52 mins), J Colleran for Galvin (54 mins), E Boyce for O'Connor (59 mins).
WATERFORD: S O'Keefe; J Barron, S O'Keefe, Philip Mahony; P Prendergast, D Fives, E Madigan; R Barry, G O'Brien; Pauric Mahony (0-1), E Murphy (0-2), B O'Halloran (0-1); F Murray, M O'Neill (0-5, four frees), J Dillon. Subs: D Breathnach for Barry (31 mins), J Prendergast for Fives (33 mins), M Wyse for Madigan (45 mins), I Galgey for Murray (57 mins), S Roche for O'Brien (60 mins).
Referee: J Ryan(Tipperary).
