Waterford Crystal Cup Quarter Final – Clare 3-13 University of Limerick 1-13

Late Banner goal blast ends UL resistance

By Gerry Quinn for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare 3-13 University of Limerick 1-13

Clare secured their first competitive win of 2013 and booked a place in the last four of the Waterford Crystal tournament with this six points victory at Sixmilebridge yesterday. Weather conditions played havoc as a strong wind and heavy rain made life miserable for both sides. The students, backed by the elements in the opening half, enjoyed a two point lead (0-8 to 0-6) at the break but things changed rapidly on the restart with Clare hitting 1-5 without reply to take charge. However some of their good work was undone when corner-forward Kieran Morris punished some slack defending for UL’s first score of the second half in the 55th minute.

Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald admitted the elements were a major factor in the game: “In the first-half we played into an absolute storm. It died down a bit in the second-half. In the first, we missed a goal or two but at least we created the opportunities. We were coasting in the second-half until we made a stupid mistake that gave them the momentum to get back into the game. UL are a decent team but we got the win.”

The UL goal reduced the deficit to three points (1-11 to 1-8) and further points from Morris and sub Geoff Brennan left a score between them with ten minutes remaining. But Clare finished in style with goals from Seadna Morey and Alan O’Neill, to secure a deserved victory and a date with Cork next weekend. Former Clare All Star full-back Brian Lohan was amongst the UL mentors and was impressed with the performance ahead of Thursday’s Fitzgibbon Cup clash with St Patrick’s. “We came up here trying to win the game. It was a good competitive game and we were there or thereabouts until close to the finish. We are conscious that our big game is on next Thursday.

Scorers for Clare: N O’Connell (1-3) 0-1 ‘65, 0-1 f, S Morey (1-0), A O’Neill (1-0), C O’Connell (0-3) f’s, F Lynch (0-2), D OHalloran (0-2), C Ryan, E Barrett, T Kelly (0-1) each.

Scorers for UL: K Morris (1-6) 0-6 f’s, A Ryan (0-2), D Butler, C Malone, S Golden, P Walsh, G Brennan (0-1) each.

CLARE: P Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona), D McInerney, J McInerney, C Cooney, B Bugler, P Donnellan, P Kelly (Clarecastle), N O’Connell, C Ryan, F Lynch, T Kelly, E Barrett, D O’Halloran, A O’Neill, C O’Connell.

Subs: S O’Donnell for C O’Connell (46), P O’Connor for P Kelly (Clarecastle) (58), S Morey for Lynch (58), J Clancy for O’Halloran (60).

UL: N McGrath (Tipperary), P Flanagan (Clare), D Morrissey (Limerick), P Ryan (Tipperary), T Ryan (Limerick), C Ryan (Clare), P Stapleton (Tipperary), M Fennelly (Kilkenny), S Golden (Clare), P Walsh (Kilkenny), A Ryan (Tipperary), C Malone (Clare), K Morris (Tipperary), D Butler (Tipperary), E Murphy (Waterford).

Subs: B Stapleton (Tipperary) for Butler (44), P Kelly (Tipperary) for Malone (46), G Brennan (Kilkenny) for Fennelly (46), E Murray (Tipperary) for Murphy (46), M Boran (Kilkenny) for Walsh (61).

Referee: J Sexton (Cork)

For the Record

Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling 2013

Preliminary Round

Saturday January 19th

@ Kilmallock                               Limerick 3-15 Mary Immaculate College 0-13

@ The Mardyke                          Cork 3-20 UCC 1-16

Sunday January 20^th

@ Abbeydorney                          Kerry 6-17 IT Tralee 0-12

@ WIT GAA Grounds                  University of Limerick 1-20 Waterford 0-18

Quarter-Finals (Extra Time)

Thursday January 24^th

@ Abbeydorney                          Kerry v Limerick Institute of Technology            @ 7:00pm

Saturday January 26^th

@ Pairc Ui Rinn                           Cork v Waterford Institute of Technology           @ 2:00pm

Sunday January 27^th

@ Sixmilebridge                          Clare v University of Limerick                            @ 2:00pm

@ MacDonagh Park Nenagh        Tipperary v Limerick                                        @ 2:00pm

Semi-Finals (Extra Time)

Sunday February 3rd

Clare or UL v Cork or WIT

Venue Permutations

@ TBC                                       Clare v Cork
@ Clare venue                            Clare v WIT
@ Cork venue                             UL v Cork
@ TBC                                       UL v WIT

Tipperary or Limerick v Kerry or LIT

Venue Permutations

@ TBC                                       Tipperary v Kerry

@ Tipperary venue                      Tipperary v LIT
@ TBC         `                             Limerick v Kerry
@ Limerick venue                        Limerick v LIT

Final (Extra Time)

Sunday February 10^th

Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling – Odds and Ends

35 goals were scored in the 2012 Waterford Crystal Cup competition over 11 matches (an average of 3.2 goals per match). This contrasts with 23 goals in the 2011 competition over 10 matches (an average of 2.3 goals per match). In the first four matches in last week’s preliminary round of the 2013 competition, there were 14 goals scored (an average of 3.5 goals per match)

Since the Waterford Crystal Cup began in 2006, Clare (15 wins), Tipperary (13 wins) and Waterford (13 wins) have accounted for 41 of the 75 victories in the competition (55%).

Tipperary hold the record for the longest winning streak in the Waterford Crystal Cup since the competition began under that guise in 2006 when they won 10 consecutive matches between 2007 and 2009.

None of the five teams who take part in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship have a losing record in the Waterford Crystal Cup since 2006.

Since the Waterford Crystal Cup began in 2006, 70 games have been played with just 1 draw – the 2012 Limerick v Clare Quarter-Final after two periods of extra time.

The record of the Third Level Colleges in the Waterford Crystal Cup since 2006 is Won 20, Lost 42, a 32% success rate.

Waterford have won 8 of the last 10 matches in the Waterford Crystal Cup.

Clare are the only team who have won at least one game each year since the Waterford Crystal Cup competition began in 2006.

IT Tralee is the only team not to win a game in the Waterford Crystal Cup since 2006, losing their first match in the last 6 seasons.

Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling Roll Of Honour

Tipperary (3) – 2007, 2008, 2012

Waterford (2) – 2010, 2011

Clare (1) – 2009

Limerick (1) – 2006

University of Limerick

The UL Panel for the Waterford Crystal Cup is as follows –

Conor Ryan (Cratloe, Co. Clare)

Dan Morrissey (Ahane, Co. Limerick)

Darach Honan (Clonlara, Co. Clare)

David Butler (Drom & Inch, Co. Tipperary)

Eamonn Murphy (Dunmill, Co. Waterford)

Joe Gallagher (Kildangan, Co. Tipperary)

Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan, Co. Galway)

Kieran Morris (Moycarkey-Borris, Co. Tipperary)

Adrian Ryan (Templederry, Co. Tipperary)

Mark Carmody (Patrickswell, Co. Limerick)

Pa Ryan (Clonakenny, Tipperary)

Paddy Stapleton (Borrisilleigh, Co. Tipperary)

Paul Flanangan (Ballyea, Co. Clare)

Podge Collins (Cratloe, Co. Clare)

Paul Kelly (Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary)

Pauric Walsh (Tullaroan, Co. Kilkenny)

Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare)

Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare)

Thomas Ryan (South Liberties, Co. Limerick)

Tommy Heffernan (Burgess, Co. Tipperary)

Eanna Murray (Templederry, Co. Tipperary)

Geoff Brennan (St. Patrick’s, Co. Kilkenny)

Aongus Clarke (Castletown Geoghan, Co. Galway)

Niall McGrath (Burgess, Co. Tipperary)

John Fitzgibbon (Adare, Co. Limerick)

Development Officer: Patsy Morrissey.

Manager: Liam Garvey.

Runai: Amanda Hogan.

Selectors: Ger Cunningham, Brian Lohan, Niall O’Sullivan, Eoin Brislane

Waterford Crystal Cup – 2013 Scorers