Minor hurlers crowned Munster champions

Clare 1-20   Waterford 3-9

A particularly superb first half performance laid the foundation for Clare’s historic Munster minor hurling final victory over Waterford at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday.
In winning their fourth provincial crown at this level, Clare repeated last year’s final success over the Déise
County, thus retaining the Munster minor title for the first time in the county’s history.
It was, by any standards, an outstanding performance and while some followers might have been a little anxious when Waterford hit for their third goal, four minutes from the end, there was never really any danger of defeat.
Waterford scored first when Jake Dillon pointed a 40m free in the first minute but Clare responded with five unanswered points and by the tenth minute were in control in most positions.
It was 0-7 to 0-3 by the mid-point of the half when a rare slip by the Clare defence made the opening for the game’s first goal.
The highly rated Stephen Bennett, playing at full-forward, rounded his marker Niall O’Connor before passing to Adam O’Sullivan who found the net. It was a worrying moment for Clare but their response was magnificent. They hit five points in four minutes to clearly put down a marker and when the half time whistle sounded, they were ahead by double scores, 0-14 to 1-4.
They started the second half as they finished the first and when full-forward Oisin Hickey won possession from a Jamie Shanahan delivery in the third minute, he had only one thing on his mind and he duly found the net. Clare was now 11 points clear and there was no way back for Waterford.
Clare started with an unchanged team from that which lined out against Tipperary in the semi-final in Semple stadium two weeks earlier. On that occasion, Cathal O’Connell showed superb accuracy from placed balls and this was again the case on Sunday. He converted the first of ten frees in the fourth minute to level the match for the only time before Peter Duggan gave Clare a lead in the sixth minute that they would hold to the finish. Aaron Cunningham, O’Connell and Jarlath Colleran followed with points.
Waterford captain Gavin O’Brien and O’Connell then exchanged points before Clare full-forward Oisin Hickey forced Waterford goalie Paddy Cooke into a great save. A Jake Dillon free kept Waterford in touch before Adam O’Sullivan struck for their first goal which brought a tremendous response from Clare.
Midfielder Colm Galvin pointed at either side of a Jamie Shanahan effort and all three points came in the space of just over one minute. Team captain Tony Kelly followed with his second of the day and free taker O’Connell quickly hit another.
Waterford had Donal Breathnach in their attack for the second half but it was Clare who made the better start. Oisin Hickey forced another good save from Paddy Cooke, this time at the expense of a 65’, but had he opted to pass to Shane O’Donnell, a goal would almost certainly have been the result as the Éire Óg man was free in front of the posts.
The resultant effort from Cathal O’Connell was turned behind for another 65’ which Tony Kelly converted before Hickey left Waterford with a mountain to climb when he found the corner of the net after gathering possession from a Jamie Shanahan delivery.
In the next 15 minutes each side added three points, leaving Clare 11 in front with 12 minutes to play. Waterford were given hope when Adam O’Sullivan scored his second goal and after a further six scoreless minutes, they struck again when captain Gavin O’Brien had their third goal with four minutes remaining.
With the margin down to five points the big Waterford crowd got behind their favourites but Clare held firm and a Cathal O’Connell effort from a 50m free ended a 15-minutes spell without a score for the champions and killed off any slim chance of a Waterford rally.
There is no denying the fact that Clare were the better side but there is a little concern that they managed just one point in the final 17 minutes. The defence was superb throughout and this is reflected in the fact that only Adam O’Sullivan from the starting Waterford attack managed to score from play.
Colm Galvin and Tony Kelly dominated at midfield while up front, Clare posed many questions of the Waterford defence and were unlucky not to have another goal or two.

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle); Jack Browne (Ballyea), Niall O’Connor (Newmarket), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge); Jarlath Colleran (Doora-Barefield), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge), Gearóid O’Connell (Ballyea); Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea) capt; Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara), Eoin Enright (Kilmaley); Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg), Oisin Hickey (Meelick), Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones).
Sub: Alan Mulready (Sixmilebridge) for Enright (54 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal O’Connell (0-10), all frees; Tony Kelly (0-3, 1 ’65); Oisin Hickey (1-0); Aaron Cunningham, Colm Galvin (0-2 each); Jarlath Colleran, Jamie Shanahan, Peter Duggan (0-1) each.
Frees for: 12; wides: 11; 65: 2
Bookings: Niall O’Connor (21 minutes), Aaron Cunningham (50 minutes), Jack Browne (58 minutes).

Waterford: Paddy Cooke; Jamie Barron, Damian Ahern, Colin Walsh; Stephen O’Neill, Darren Foley, Ray Barry; Gavin O’Brien, Shane McNulty; Colin Dunford, Jake Dillon, Darragh Flynn; Adam O Sullivan, Stephen Bennett, Cein Chester.
Subs: Donal Breatnach for Dunford (half-time); Cathal Curran for Chester (38 minutes); Ian Kenny for O’Neill (46 minutes). Micheál Harney for Flynn (49 minutes).
Scorers: Adam O’Sullivan (2-1); Jake Dillon (0-5), all frees, Gavin O’Brien (1-1); Donal Breathnach (0-2).
Frees for: 15; wides: 8; 65s: 2
Bookings: none.

Referee: Jer O’Connell, Cork.