Clare fade after bright first quarter

Waterford 1-23 Clare 1-20

Six points ahead after the first quarter of this Allianz hurling league tie at Walsh Park this afternoon, Clare looked to be on the way to victory and a top of the table spot in division 1 A but from here on Waterford held the upperhand and emerged as deserving winners.

Clare had already qualified for the league quarter finals prior to this tie but they clearly wanted to return to winning ways after their loss to Wexford last time out. However, they failed to match the hunger shown by the home side who,despite this result, face a reletation play off against Cork next weekend.

Clare will now face their Shannonside neighbours and arch rivals Limerick in a quarter final tie next week and a toss of a coin tomorrow Monday will decide between Cusack Park the Limerick’s Gaelic grounds for this tie

Waterford played with the aid of the breeze in the first half but the early exchanges were dominated by Clare and at the end of the first quarter they led by double scores,1-7 to 0-5, the goal having come from the stick of Conor McGrath after a good move involving a number of players.

A Seadna Morey point pushed Clare’s lead out to six points but then Waterford took a grip on proceedings with their half back line in control while Patrick Curran, named at corner forward but playing out around the middle of the field was causing a lot of problems for Clare.

In a spell of twelve minutes Waterford landed seven unanswered points to take a one point lead before Patrick Currn brought his tally for the first half to 1-7 when he finished off a good move when shooting to the net. It was 1-13 to 1-10 for the home side at the interval.

Clare hit the first three points of the new half to draw level but, despite their best efforts, they never managed to hit the front. A point separated the sides at the three quarter stage but from here to the finish the winners outscored Clare, 0-6 to 0-4, for a merited win. Patrick Curran cop scored for the winners with 1-13,1-4 from play.

They will meet again on May 27 in Cusack Park in the new look championship

Scorers; Waterford; Patrick Curran 1-13; Mikey Kearney (0-4). Stephen Bennett(0-2) Austin Gleeson, Kevin Moran, Kieran Bennett, Conor Gleeson (0-1)each;

Clare; Peter Duggan (0-5), Tony Kelly (0-4) Conor McGrath (1-1) , David Reidy (0-3); John Conlon, Ian Galvin (0-2) each, Shane O’Donnell, Seadna Morey, Cathal Malone (0-1)each

Clare; Donal Tuohy (Crusheen); Patrick O’Connor (Tubber), Conor Cleary (Miltown St. Josephs), Jack Browne (Ballyea); David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona) David McInerney(Tulla), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge); Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); Ian Galvin (Clonlara), John Conlon (Clonlara), David Reidy (Eire Og); Conor McGrath (Cratloe) Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Shane O’Donnell (Eire Og);

Subs;Michael O’Malley (Kilmaley) for Morey; Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge) for O’Connor; Cathal McInerney (Cratloe) for Malone; Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin) for Galvin; Eoin Quirke (Whitegate) for Browne

Waterford; Ian O’Regan; Shane Fives, Barry coughlan, Ian Kenny; Tadhg de Burca, Austin Gleeson,Kieran Bennett; Mark O’Brien, Conor Gleeson; Kevin Moran, Stephen Bennett, D.J. Foran; Michael Walsh, Mikey Kearney, Patrick Curran

Subs; Tom Devine for Foran;Tommy Ryan for Walsh; Conor Prunty for O’Brien; Philip Mahoney for Stephen Bennett

Referee; Johnnie Murphy,Limerick