Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship Round 2
Clare 2-18 Waterford 0-17

It wasn’t pretty but ultimately the result was all that mattered as Clare rallied to finish strongly and hold off their stubborn hosts to record a first win of the campaign in Fraher Field, Dungarvan, writes Eoin Brennan.

Leading by only a solitary point entering the final ten minutes despite a strong wind at their backs, there must have been distinct flashes of Déjà Vu for Terence Fahy and his management team as the Banner found it so difficult to put their opponents to bed.

Crucially though, much like that opening share of the spoils against Cork seven days earlier, they stuck with it and would finally be rewarded when a brace of Jack O’Neill points produced a chink of light before a clinching goal for James Organ in the 54th minute would ultimately floor the Deise challenge.

It was Organ’s persistence that would reap the full dividends as he blocked down a Daniel Lalor clearance from a short puck-out to cut in and blast to the right corner of Alex Reade’s net.

Part of a 1-4 unanswered blitz in just five minutes the included points for the relentless Michael Collins, Jamie Moylan, Ronan Kilroy and metronomic freetaker Fred Hegarty, it would prove the death knell for Waterford and a major boost for a Clare side still to hit top gear.

It’s difficult to put your finger on why Clare haven’t matched their endeavour with tangible scores but in essence they don’t play with an orthodox forward line, far from it in fact, as for long periods only one or two forwards were in the opposition half.
More akin to a Clare football team before the new rules were implemented, there were far too many workhorses in the engine room and little or no sales people to actually bring in the cash.

That was most felt in another third quarter malaise that is rapidly becoming a bit of a hex. Having failed to score for the third quarter against Cork, this time Clare had a gale at their backs and an extra man for ten minutes of the new half but still only managed two points through Eoin McMahon and a Hegarty free.

How Clare got that extra man was a tale in itself really as Clare, mainly through Fred’s frees seemed to be able to defy the conditions and hold the whip hand for the majority of the opening half. Ben O’Sullivan had a shot superbly stopped by Mark Sheedy while down the other end his counterpart Alex Reade proceed an even more spectacular top corner save to tip away a Jack O’Neill attempt.

However, Waterford despite hitting almost as many wides as scores did manage to hone their radar just enough to finish the half in style as successive points from chief threats Mark Hartley (2) and Jack Twomey actually nudged the hosts in front for the first time at 0-9 to 0-8 by the half hour mark.

Amazingly, that narrative would be completely flipped on its head a minute later when a Jamie Moyland delivery was impressively fielded by Fred Hegarty to turn and head towards goal, only to be dragged down by his marker Fiacra Cooney.

Clearly not realising the consequences, Waterford would be dealt a double whammy with the last puck of the half as a black card for Cooney was compounded by the awarding of a penalty that Hegarty cooly slotted to the net to provide a timely shot in the arm at 1-8 to 0-9.

It should have been the catalyst to drive on for the second period and hammer home their wind and numerical advantage but nothing could be further from the truth as the Banner struggled to find a flow and would be made to sweat it out for a large chunk of the latter half.

Leaders like Jack O’Neill, Fred and James Hegarty, Michael Collins and James Organ did surface when needed most to avoid another anxious finale.

However, with a scorned Tipperary coming to Sixmilebridge on Wednesday week, Clare will need to be slicker and more ruthless if they are to preserve their unbeaten start.
It;’s a big fortnight for Terence Fahy’s side as their best is yet to come.

Clare: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); Eoghan Gunning (Broadford), Fionan Treacy (Éire Óg), John Cahill (Clooney-Quin); Jamie Moylan (Cratloe), James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Eoin McMahon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield); Joe Casey (Kilmaley), Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); James Organ (Corofin), Michael Collins (Clonlara), Ronan Kilroy (Banner); Sean Boyce (O’Callaghan’s Mills), Fred Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Jack O’Neill (Clooney-Quin)
Subs: Liam Crotty (Scariff) for Gunning (43-48, BS), Daniel Costelloe (Ballyea) for Crotty (48), Crotty for Boyce (50), Frankie Lyons (Ruan) for F. Hegarty (57), Tadhg Lohan (Cratloe) for Kilroy (61), Piaras Ó Sé (Ruan) for O’Halloran (61)

Scorers: Fred Hegarty (1-7, 1-0 Pen, 7f); Jack O’Neill, Michael Collins (0-3 each); James Organ (1-0); Sean Boyce, Eoin McMahon, Ronan Kilroy, Jamie Moylan, Liam Crotty (0-1 each)

Waterford: Alex Reade (Ballyduff Lower); Daniel Lalor (De La Salle), Fiacra Cooney (Ballygunner), Conor Keane (De La Salle); Joe McDonnell (Tallow), Aaron O’Neill (Ballygunner), Cillian Ryan (Brickey Rangers); Evan Spellman (Fourmilewater), Sean Mackey (Fenor); Cormac Deevey (Brickey Rangers), Jack Twomey (De La Salle), Gearoid Power (Clonea); Michael Morrissey (Fourmilewater), Mark Hartley (Ballygunner), Ben O’Sullivan (Lismore)
Subs: Peter Cummins (Brickey Rangers) for Deevey (37), Conor Tobin (Ballygunner) for Power (46), Pat Walsh (Fourmilewater) for Morrissey (55), Cathal O’Sullivan (Ballygunner) for Lalor (56, inj), Joe O’Keeffe (Lismore) for Spellman (57)

Scorers: Mark Hartley (0-9, 7f); Jack Twomey (0-3); Conor Tobin (0-2); Gearoid Power, Aaron O’Neill, Peter Cummins (0-1 each)

Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary)