Clare 2-19 Waterford 3-13

Clare’s hopes of contesting the final of the Munster hurling league remain alive thanks to this three point win over Waterford at Fraher field in Dungarvan this Sunday afternoon.

They must now beat unbeaten Cork in their final group game which is set for Wednesday night in Sixmilebridge.

However, Clare have informed the authorities that they are not prepared to play on Wednesday. “We have seventeen players involved in the Fitzgibbon cup and they have first round games on Tuesday. It’s not fair to ask them to play again on Wednesday”, joint manager Donal Moloney said after the victory in Dungarvan.

While they will be pleased to have returned to winning ways following their midweek loss to Limerick, There wil be s ome concern in the Clare camp at the fact that the defence again leaked some soft scores and also with the fact that they went twenty four second half minutes without scoring.

Clare played the last twenty m,nutes of this tie with fourteen players after Brendan Bugler picked up a second yellow which led to his dismissal.

Waterford hit the opening two points before Clare opened their account through Conor O’Dommell. Four unanswered Clare points followed and the visitors led by three as the game entered the tenth minute.

It was 0-6 to 0-4 four minutes later in Clare’s favour when Watwrford broke through for the opening goal, corner forward Peter Hogan drilling the ball past Patrick Kelly. He struck for a second goal in the twenty first minute after poor defence by Clare

Clare ;went ;back in front five minutes from the half time whistle whenCathal Malone got the final touch after a good more involving Conor O’Donnell and Aaron Cunningham. Two minutes later Ben O’Gorman struck for the visitor’s second goal while helped them to a four point half time lead when the score was 2-11 to 2-7.

Scorers; Clare; John Conlon, Bobby Duggan (0-4) each; Cathal Malone, Ben O’Gorman (1-1) each;Aaron Cunninghan (0-3) Conor O’Donnell (0-2), Jason McCarthy, Shane Golden, Peter Duggan, Jamie Shanahan (0-1) each

Waterford; Peter Hogan (2-0) Billy Nolan (0-6), Billy O’Keeffe (1-1) Eamonn Murphy, D.J. Hogan (0-2) each, Jack Fagan, Stephen Roche (0-1) each

Clare; Patrick Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona); Shane McNamara (Clooney-Quin), Cian Dillon (Crusheen) Capt., Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle);Jason McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona) Conor Cleary (Miltown St. Josephs), Brendan Bugler (Whitegate); Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge), Ben O’Gorman (Wolfe Tones); John Conlon (Clonlara), Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin); Conor O’Donnell (Crusheen), Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle), Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones )

Subs; David Reidy (Eire Og) for Cvonlon (inj.); Conlon for Malone; Colm Galvin (clonlara) for O’Gorman;; Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge) for P. Duggan; Kevin Hehir (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Golden

Waterford; Ian O’Regan; Charlie Chester, Shane McNulty, Calum Lyons; Dara Lyons, M.J. Sutton, Seamus Keating; Killian Fitzgerald, Eoin Madigan; Martin F. O’Neill, D.J.Foran, Billy Nolan; Peter Hogan, Jack Fagan, Eamonn Murphy

Subs; Tommy Ryan for Fagan; Colin Dunford for McNulty; Billy O’Keeffe for Foran; Stephen Roche for Hogan. Andy |Molumpy for Roche

Referee; Joe Larkin, Cork

By Seamus Hayes