NHL Division 1A: Waterford 1-16 Clare 0-20
Clare maintained their good start to the season with a resolute win in the re-opened Walsh Park. They overcame a sluggish start and an uncertain finish to emerge with a second win from the opening two fixtures, which may well have secured the county’s place in next year’s first tier.
It was an exciting, well contested match even though frequently scrappy and disrupted by a surfeit of rucks and throw-ins from referee Liam Gordon.
There is a greater sense of urgency to this year’s Allianz Hurling League with only the top three in each section of Division 1 guaranteed to keep that status.
Teams however cut their cloth to measure and at this stage of the league, it’s possible for both teams to feel they’ve got something out a match. If Clare are on course for elite hurling next season, Waterford were happy that they had competed well despite being short an assembly of first-choice players. The managers reflected this duality.
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“I think it is important. You’d be hoping with two wins under our belt that we are in a strong position to make that top three,” said Clare manager Brian Lohan.
His counterpart David Fitzgerald was equally upbeat but blunt about his priorities.
“Listen, I’d love to stay there but if you ask me honestly, would I prefer to get out of Munster than be in the top seven of the league, I probably don’t have to answer you.
“We’re all realistic, it comes down to April and May. I think in Waterford in the round robin, we haven’t shown over the past few years that we’re capable of doing that. We’ve got to be ready for it – no excuses, no hanging around – we’ve got to be ready for championship.”
On the day, Clare lost a few players themselves to the aftermath of last week’s Fitzgibbon Cup, the busiest of all the weeks, according to Lohan. A welcome return in the half backs was All Star John Conlon, who had a busy afternoon until called ashore even if there was understandable rustiness about some of his distribution.
Waterford started the stronger and their movement from the back created pressure on the visitors, who were strangely slow to settle to the rhythm of the game.
Newcomer Seán Walsh had a lively opening, taking opposing captain Conor Cleary for 1-1 in the first 12 minutes, the goal from a long ball that got in behind the defence.
Neil Montgomery had an energetic start and got off a couple of unavailing shots but was fouled for a converted free, as was Mikey Kiely, unceremoniously taken down when running at the defence. Fouling was futile, as Stephen Bennett fired over four frees in the first half, missing just a long-range effort that dropped short.
The loss of the Waterford captain to a hamstring injury at the end of the third quarter cast some gloom on his manager’s otherwise sunny disposition.
“I am just afraid to go in and see because he was just mad to get a run of games. He felt that’s what he needed. He missed three or four league games last year, so he just wants to get a run and try and get that fitness up in the games because we are not training him that hard because of what he has injury-wise,” he said in reference to Bennett’s ongoing hip problems.
Having been under the pump in the initial stages, Clare recovered to pick off their own sequence of points. As if jolted to life by Walsh’s goal, they took the next three points, from Patrick Crotty, a McCarthy free for a challenge on Robin Mounsey that earned Mark Fitzgerald a yellow card, and Sean Rynne.
Ian Galvin and David Reidy proved menacing when they got decent ball and the sides swapped points four times before the break. Cian Galvin disrupted the sequence before half-time with a smart finish after the ball had been smuggled back from one of the match’s many rucks.
The half closed with an outbreak of disorder, brought to an end by the half-time whistle.
For the second week, Clare’s strong opening to the second half had a decisive impact on the scoreboard. They raced into a four-point lead, which Waterford just couldn’t erase.
There appeared to be a swing moment when McCarthy missed a free to push the lead back to three only for Paddy Leavey, deployed as sweeper at the back of the defence, to burst forward and drive a long-range shot over the bar.
The problem for Waterford was that McCarthy slipped in the couple of points that kept the match out of reach. They were Clare’s only scores in the last 20 minutes but ultimately decided the outcome.
His manager was matter-of-fact about the whole exercise.
“We’re happy enough with that,” said Lohan, “happy enough to get the result, a hard place to come. Good, tough, robust game. A lot of physicality in it. So happy to come out of it but conscious that it is the league – it’s no big deal either.”
WATERFORD: S O’Brien; I Kenny, P Leavey (0-1), M Fitzgerald; C Ryan (0-2), T Barron, M Power; PJ Fanning P Curran (0-2); N Montgomery, J Prendergast (0-1), Pádraig Fitzgerald; M Kiely, Stephen Bennett (capt; 0-6f), S Walsh (1-1). Subs: K Mahony for P Fitzgerald (41 mins), Shane Bennett (0-2f) for Stephen Bennett (52), D Lyons (0-1) for Kenny (58), S Fitzgerald for Walsh (both 58).
CLARE: E Quilligan; C Leen, C Cleary (capt), Rory Hayes; J Conlon, D McInerney, C Galvin (0-1); C Malone (0-1), S Rynne (0-2); D Fitzgerald (0-1), R Mounsey, D Reidy (0-2); I Galvin (0-2), A McCarthy (0-8, 6f), P Crotty (0-2). Subs: J Conneally for Cleary (h-t), S Meehan (0-1) for (49 mins), G Sheedy for Mounsey, S Morey for (both 56), P Duggan for Fitzgerald (67 mins).
Referee: L Gordon (Galway).
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