Woeful Waterford no test for Clare

Clare   2-22

Waterford  0-0

CLARE may have carried the favourites’ tag for the Munster U-21 Hurling Championship semi-final last Thursday but even the most ardent supporter would not have predicted such an easy passage to the provincial decider, where they will play Tipperary.
Waterford had the first score, a point from Brian O’Halloran in the opening minute, but thereafter there was only one team in the contest as Clare dominated throughout the field. By half-time, they were 10 points clear and they stretched this to 13 early in the second half when Paudge Collins struck for their second goal.
The visitors had the aid of the breeze in the second half but failed to make any impression and the result was clear long before the final whistle.
A crowd of 3,176 attended Thursday’s game and this is expected to double for the final, which will also be played at Cusack Park on Wednesday, August 8.
Clare’s opening score in the semi-final came from a Cathal O’Connell 65’ in the third minute. It levelled the tie and O’Connell went on to add nine more and finish as the game’s top scorer. The home side went ahead through Aaron Cunningham in the fifth minute.
Davy O’Halloran and O’Connell, from a free, added points before O’Halloran had the game’s opening goal after Waterford goalie Stephen O’Keeffe made a fine save from Clare captain Conor McGrath.
O’Keeffe came to his side’s rescue again a few minutes later with a truly magnificent save from Aaron Cunningham, who was at the end of a superb Clare move. This stop is sure to be a contender for save of the year.
Four Clare points followed, bringing their tally to 1-8 without reply. In the final five minutes of the half, the sides exchanged points three times, leaving the half-time score at 1-11 to 0-4. Waterford’s challenge faded as the half progressed as Clare took a firm grip on proceedings throughout the field.
The visitors returned with Donal Breathnach in their attack and four minutes into the second half, they were forced into another change when Darragh Fives had to retire with a leg injury. He has just returned after being out of action for a number of months due to injury, which caused him to miss the senior provincial final the previous Sunday.
In the sixth minute of the half, their task was made all the greater when Clare struck for their second goal. A great break by midfielder Conor Galvin ended with the Clonlara teenager’s effort rebounding off the upright. Paudge Collins was following up and he made no mistake. Clare outscored the visitors 1-5 to 0-1 in the third quarter, by which stage the result wasn’t in doubt.
In the remaining time Clare made a number of changes, introducing Cathal McInerney, Stephen O’Halloran, Peter Duggan, Jarlath Colleran and Enda Boyce.
In what was an excellent team performance, Conor Ryan, Patrick O’Connor, Shane Golden, Davy O’Halloran and Cathal O’Connell stood out.
The winning margin would have been much greater but for the performance of Waterford goalie Stephen O’Keeffe, who is also their senior custodian.

Clare: Ronan Taaffe (Tubber); Paul Flanagan (Ballyea), David McInerney (Tulla), Killian Ryan (Ruan); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Conor Ryan (Cratloe), Patrick O’Connor (Tubber); Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); Davy O’Halloran (Éire Óg), Conor McGrath (Cratloe), Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara).
Subs: Cathal McInerney (Cratloe) for O’Halloran (44 minutes), Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle) for Morey (46 minutes), Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin) for Kelly (50 minutes), Jarlath Colleran (St Joseph’s) for Galvin (52minutes) and Enda Boyce (Cratloe) for O’Connor (56 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal O’Connell (0-10, 3f, 2 65s), Davy O’Halloran (1-4), Paudge Collins (1-0), Conor McGrath and Aaron Cunningham (0-2 each), Shane Golden, Colm Galvin, Tony Kelly and Peter Duggan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 10; wides: 8; 65s: 3
Bookings: None.
Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Jamie Barron, Stephen O’Keeffe, Philip Mahony; Padraig Prendergast, Darragh Fives, Eoin Madigan; Ray Barry, Gavin O’Brien; Fionan Murray, Eamonn Murphy, Brian O’Halloran; Pauric Mahony, Martin O’Neill, Jake Dillon.
Subs: Donal Breathnach for Barry (half-time), John Prendergast for Fives (inj, 34 minutes), Mark Wyse for Madigan (42 minutes), Ian Galgey for Murray (53 minutes) and Stephen Roche for O’Brien (57 minutes).
Scorers: Martin O’Neill (0-5, 4f), Eamonn Murphy (0-2), Pauric Mahony and Brian O’Halloran (0-1 each).
Frees for: 11; wides: 12; 65s: 1
Bookings: Padraig Prendergast (47 minutes).
Referee: Johnnie Ryan, Tipperary.