Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling Quarter Final Replay – Clare 2-13 Limerick 1-15

Donnellan delivers winner for Clare

Clare 2-13 Limerick 1-15

By Diarmuid O’ Flynn for the Irish Examiner newspaper

It has taken two games, but with this win at floodlit Gaelic Grounds last night, Clare finally booked their berth in the Waterford Crystal SH Tournament semi-final, and an early competitive meeting on Sunday for manager Davy Fitzgerald against his old team, Waterford. With the teams tied 2-12 to 1-15 as we headed into the one minute of signalled additional time, Limerick had three half-chances of points, all missed, before midfielder Bryan Donnellan finally sealed the deal for Clare. Worthy winners they were too, but while it was Donnellan with the winning score, the real heroes on the night for Clare were full-back Cian Dillon and returning corner-forward Tony Carmody.

Fielding a vastly different starting 15 from last Saturday night’s marathon, Clare started strongly, but nobody more so than Carmody, who announced his return to the big stage with 1-1 inside four minutes, the goal taken with aplomb from close range. Limerick then settled and a run of five unanswered points took them into the lead by the 15th minute, Declan Hannon continuing where he left off in Sixmilebridge on Saturday and notching four of those. It was tit-for-tat for the next ten minutes, four points apiece, Hannon still on target but Graeme Mulcahy also with a fine strike for Limerick, while Padraig Hickey had two for the Banner, John Conlon and midfielder Bryan Donnellan with the other two.

Then came Clare’s second major and once again Carmody was involved, using his strength to win possession, his guile to lay off the scoring pass for new full-forward Ross Horan. A further point apiece before the break left it 2-6 to 0-10. Limerick made the early running after the break with points from substitute Donal O’Grady and the inevitable Hannon tying it up yet again. Clare then took the initiative, three points on the trot from placed balls from the Hickey, but a goal from Brian Geary in the 54th minute made it all square once again.

Geary, centre-back linchpin for Limerick for so many years, was introduced at full-forward in the drawn game to try to match the power of Cian Dillon, was brought on here again in the same position and for the same reason in the 23rd minute. However, he was very much playing second fiddle to the Crusheen crusher on both occasions. His goal, however, was a consolation, and was also his last act of the game, a hamstring injury forcing his retirement. Clare responded well to the goal, and points from fine young midfielder Colm Galvin and John Conlon had them two ahead in the 60th minute. Yet again, back came Limerick and Declan Hannon’s two points looked to be enough to take the game to yet another period of extra-time. Not to be, however, and after two fine contests, Donnellan had the final say for Clare.

Scorers for Clare: P Hickey 0-6 (0-5f, 0-1 65); T Carmody 1-1; R Horan 1-0; J Conlon 0-2; B Donnellan 0-2; C Galvin, J McInerney (f), 0-1 each.

Scorers for Limerick: D Hannon 0-9 (0-4f, 0-2 65s); B Gavin 1-0; M Ryan 0-2; D Moloney, G Mulcahy, M Carmody, D O’Grady, 0-1 each.

CLARE: D Fahy; M Earley, C Dillon, S Morey; C O’Doherty, J McInerney, S O’Halloran; C Galvin, B Donnellan; J Clancy, J Conlon, D Russell; T Carmody, R Horan, P Hickey.

Subs: P Duggan (Russell 38); A Cunninghan (Hickey 61); P Donnellan (O’Doherty 63); F Lynch (Horan 66).

LIMERICK: A Murphy; S Walsh, T Condon, S O’Neill; B O’Sullivan, G O’Mahony, D Moloney; T Ryan, J Ryan; D Hannon, N Maher, G Mulcahy; M Carmody, N Moran, M Ryan.

Subs: B Geary (Moran 23); D O’Grady (T Ryan 35); M Carr (O’Sullivan 35); E Gleeson (Geary inj. 55); K Loftus (Maher 66).

Referee: D Kirwan (Cork)

For the Record

Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling 2012

Preliminary Round

Sunday January 22^nd

@ Dolla                                              Tipperary 2-24 Limerick Institute of Technology 1-16

Sunday January 29^th

@ Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney       Kerry 1-20 IT Tralee 1-15

@ Sixmilebridge                               Clare 3-25 WIT 0-5

Quarter-Finals

Saturday February 4^th

@ MacDonagh Park Nenagh          Tipperary 2-11 University of Limerick 0-12

@ Pairc Ui Rinn                                Cork 5-18 Kerry 1-14

@ Sixmilebridge                               Limerick 1-15 Clare 0-18 AET

Sunday February 5^th

@ WIT Sportsgrounds                      Waterford 3-19 UCC 1-19

Quarter-Final Replay (Extra time)

Tuesday February 7^th

@ Gaelic Grounds Limerick            Limerick v Clare                                            @ 7:00pm                 

Semi-Finals (Extra time)
Sunday February 12^th

@ Clonmel Sportsfield                     Cork v Tipperary                                           @ 2:00pm

@ Limerick or Waterford venue      Limerick or Clare v Waterford                     @ 2:00pm

Final (Extra time)

Date TBC

Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling – Odds and Ends

Since the Waterford Crystal Cup began in 2006, 63 games have been played with just 1 draw – the Limerick v Clare Q-Final on Saturday February 4^th.

82 players scored in the seven matches played to date in the 2012 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.

Limerick won the first Waterford Crystal Cup title in 2006, winning four matches in the process. Since then, in four appearances in the competition they have failed to win a game.

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.

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 third level colleges has a winning record in the Waterford Crystal Cup since 2006.

Waterford have won 12 of their last 14 matches in the Waterford Crystal Cup, including a current winning streak of 8 matches.

The record of the Third Level Colleges in the Waterford Crystal Cup since 2006 is Won 18, Lost 39, a 32% success rate. Since the Third Level Colleges entered the McGrath Cup (Senior Football) in 2005, their success rate is 32%.

Waterford Crystal Cup

Waterford Crystal began their sponsorship of the Munster pre-season hurling competition in 2006. Prior to this, the competition was played in different formats dating back to the early 1990’s and was most popularly known as the South Eastern Hurling League which also included county teams from Leinster.

Waterford Crystal Cup Senior Hurling Roll Of Honour

Waterford (2) – 2010, 2011

Tipperary (2) – 2007, 2008

Clare (1) – 2009

Limerick (1) – 2006

Waterford Crystal Cup – 2012 Scorers