Loss to Déise leaves Clare with big hill to climb

Clare minor hurlers were comprehensively beaten on Wednesday evening when they went to Walsh Park to take on the current defending Munster champions, Waterford in the opening round of this season’s championship.

Clare failed to match a physically stronger Waterford in last evening’s first round and were fortunate not to have suffered a heavier defeat.
The team must now win two games in four days (Saturday and Wednesday) if they are to qualify for the semi-finals of the Munster Championship in June. This Saturday evening, they face Kerry in Cusack Park (6.30pm) and, should they win this, they will then be in action next Wednesday against Tipperary.
Clare struggled in far too many areas against the Déise team and it was only Niall Arthur’s accuracy from placed balls – he scored 10 points – that kept them in contention.
Four of county’s starting line-up also played when Clare emerged one-point winners in the corresponding tie, played in Dungarvan’s Fraher Field, 12 months ago.
Goalkeeper Ronan Taaffe, full-back Noel Purcell, who was at corner-back in 2009, and forwards Daire Keane and David O’Halloran were the survivors from last year.
Waterford went into last evening’s game with a third of last year’s starting line-up. Luke Egan, Darragh Fives, Paudie Prendergast, Paudie Mahony and Jake Dillon were all in the Waterford side in 2009.
Waterford played with the breeze in the opening half and, while the visitors took the lead twice in the opening minutes, the home side dominated the exchanges for most of the half.
They scored 1-5 in a six-minute spell to lead at the end of the opening quarter on a score of 1-6 to 0-2 and Clare were struggling in many areas.
The visitors brought corner-forward Conor Galvin out to midfield but Waterford quickly spotted the change and moved corner-forward Stephen Roche out to counter.
Physically stronger, Waterford ruled the aerial contests and the only Clare forward to threaten was Niall Arthur who scored five of his side’s first-half tally, three coming from frees.
The home side’s half-backs and midfielders held the upper hand throughout this period and they were full value for their half-time lead of seven points with the score standing at 1-10 to 0-6.
Clare resumed with Jamie Shanahan and David McInerney in their line-up in place of Aaron Cunningham and Daire Keane.
The Kilmaley teenager was clearly rattled after shipping a heavy challenge from Waterford full-back, Stephen O’Keeffe, shortly before the break.
When the home side scored the opening two points of this half, the writing was on the wall for The Banner County. They scored the next three but they never got closer than five points and the home side always looked comfortable.
It took a fine save from Ronan Taaffe inside the last five minutes to deny the winners a second goal. The home side finished strongly and scored the last two points of the game to confirm their position in the semi-final.
There are few Clare players who will be happy with their performances in this tie. Ronan Taaffe, Noel Purcell, Paul Flanagan and Niall Arthur did best for the county while substitute, Cathal O’Connell, showed some nice touches after his introduction in the last ten minutes.
Clare: Ronan Taaffe (Tubber); Haulie Vaughan (Inagh-Kilnamona), Noel Purcell (Sixmilebridge), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge); Paul Flanagan (Ballyea) captain, Kevin Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle); Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); David O’Halloran (Éire Óg), Daire Keane (Kilmaley), Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones); Alan Mulready (Sixmilebridge), Niall Arthur (Inagh-Kilnamona), Colm Galvin (Clonlara).
Subs: Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge) for Cunningham (half-time); David McInerney (Tulla) for Keane (half time); Enda Boyce (Cratloe) for Vaughan (40 minutes); Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara) for Mulready (52 minutes).
Scorers: Niall Arthur (0-10) 8 frees; P Flanagan; P Collins; D O’Halloran; A Cunningham, D McInerney, C Galvin (0-1) each.
Waterford: Darren Duggan; Jamie Barron, Stephen O’Keeffe, Luke Egan; Martin O’Neill, Darragh Fives, Eoin Madian; Paudic Prendergast, Gavin O’Brien; Pauric Mahony, Eamonn Murphy, Colm Curran; Jake Dillon, Cormac Heffernan, Stephen Roche.
Subs: Seán Ryan for O’Neill (41 minutes); Cein Chester for Heffernan (59 minutes).
Scorers: P O’Mahony (0-7); S Roche (0-4); P Prendergast, J Dillon, E Murphy (0-3) each; C Heffernan (1-0); E Madigan (0-1).
Referee: Colm Lyons, Cork.