Winning start for defending champions

DEFENDING champions Clare were always in control in the semi-final of the Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship at Thurles on Sunday and deserved their four-point win over Waterford.
Unable to call on any of the players who helped bring the All-Ireland intermediate title to the county last year, Clare opted for a young squad and the starting line-up featured 11 players who are eligible for U-21 grade this year. It was a similar situation for Waterford, nine of whose starting line-up are eligible to play U-21.
With both teams managed by the respective U-21 management teams, it should add to the interest in the meeting of the counties in the provincial U-21 semi-final in a month’s time.
Clare took a grip on the match from the outset and quickly raced into a three-point lead with scores from Davy O’Halloran (2) and Conor Ryan. They controlled the exchanges in the opening quarter, at the end of which they were 0-7 to 0-0 ahead, with O’Halloran’s third point in the 17th minute.
The game was 18 minutes old before Waterford had their opening score, a point from a free by Fionán Murray. It was 0-10 to 0-2 as half-time approached but Waterford were given a great boost when Jake Dillon got through for game’s first goal. The half-time score was 0-10 to 1-3, which flattered Waterford who had played second fiddle to Clare in most areas in the opening half.
Clare again dominated the opening exchanges in the second period and hit four unanswered points in as many minutes to stretch their lead to eight.
As the end of the third quarter approached, the Banner men strengthened their position with a goal from a penalty. A slick tap down by Tony Kelly to the in-rushing Davy O’Halloran led to a foul on the Éire Óg man and Kelly blasted the resultant penalty to the net, leaving the score at 1-15 to 1-4 with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Comfortably ahead, Clare availed of the opportunity to give members of the squad a run and they introduced Peter Duggan, Bryan Donnellan and Michael O’Neill. Kilmaley man O’Neill had made a brief appearance in the first half as a blood sub and during that visit he had scored a point.
Waterford did better in the last 10 minutes and goals from Gavin Crotty and a superb effort from Eamonn Murphy helped close the gap.
As the game went into injury time the gap was down to four points. In the first of three added minutes they cut the margin to three and, briefly, there were fears that Waterford might snatch a draw. However, Davy O’Halloran converted a 45m free to seal a merited win for the title holders.
The full-back trio of Paul Flanagan, David McInerney and Killian Ryan were outstanding throughout. Elsewhere Cillian Duggan, Conor Ryan, Cathal Malone and Cathal O’Connell excelled.

Clare: Ronan Taaffe (Tubber); Paul Flanagan (Ballyea), David McInerney (Tulla), Killian Ryan (Ruan); Ciarán O’Doherty (Crusheen, capt), Cillian Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Enda Boyce (Cratloe); Pa Sheehan (Sixmilebridge), Conor Ryan (Cratloe); Fergus Kennedy (Crusheen), Cathal Malone (Ennistymon), Cathal Chaplin (Broadford); Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea), Davy O’Halloran (Éire Óg).
Subs: Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin) for Chaplin (45 minutes), Michael O’Neill (Kilmaley) for O’Connell (48 minutes), Bryan Donnellan (O’Callaghan’s Mills) for Sheehan (48 minutes), Haulie Vaughan (Inagh-Kilnamona) for O’Doherty (55 minutes) and Aidan Lynch (Ruan) for Kennedy (57 minutes).
Scorers: Tony Kelly (1-3, 1-1f), Davy O’Halloran (0-6, 1f), Cathal O’Connell (0-4, 2f), Ciarán O’Doherty (0-2, 1f, 1 65’) Conor Ryan, Cathal Malone, Fergus Kennedy and Michael O’Neill (0-1 each).
Waterford: Ritchie Roche; Michael Kearney, Stephen O’Keeffe, Mark Wyse; Seamus Hannon, Eoin Madigan, William Henley; John Prendergast, Seamus Lawlor; Jake Dillon, Brian O’Halloran, Páidí Nevin; Fionan Murray, Gavin Crotty, Eamonn Murphy.
Subs: Ray Barry for Henley (24 minutes), Stephen Roche for Lawlor (half-time), Stephen Power for Prendergast (44 minutes), Paul Power for Dillon (44 minutes) and Ian Galgey for Nevin (54 minutes).
Scorers: Gavin Crotty (1-1), Fionán Murray (0-4, 3f), Eamonn Murphy and Jake Dillon (1-0 each), John Prendergast, Seamus Lawlor, Brian O’Halloran and Ray Barry (0-1 each).
Referee: David Copps, Cork.