Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Play-Off 1 – Clare 5-11 Waterford 0-6

Clare defeated Waterford by 5-11 to 0-6 in the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Play-Off 1 on Wednesday April 19th at Cusack Park Ennis.

Murach é seo-bhí 4 chúl ag Gearóid Cahill @GaaClare But for this-Cahill had 4 goals @MunsterGAA MFC highlights v @WaterfordGAA Mon 8pm #TG4 pic.twitter.com/qqtauprEnR

— GAA 2017 (@GAA_2017) April 21, 2017

Gearóid Cahill hat-trick eases Clare home against Waterford

Report by Gerry Quinn for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare 5-11 Waterford 0-6

The Clare minor footballers recorded a 20-point win over Waterford at Cusack Park, Ennis last night.

A scintillating second-half performance in this play-off game saw Seamus Clancy’s charges overwhelm the visitors. Yet the Banner were only two points to the good at the break, 1-3 to 0-4. Clare began in whirlwind fashion with a point by wing forward Sean Rouine, inside 25 seconds. Ross O’Doherty added a further score before Banner corner forward Gearóid Cahill goaled on four minutes. His right footed effort crashed to the roof of Aaron Beresford’s net.

Waterford managed to get on the scoresheet after six minutes, with a Tom Looby free. Mick Devine added another from play and there was just a goal between them (1-2 to 0-3) after nine minutes. Gavin Cooney scored Clare’s fourth score and third point from a free but it was to be his side’s final one of the half.

Waterford got a grip on the game and but for some poor shooting, they should have been ahead at half-time. Tom Barron had Waterford’s third point in the 20th minute and their fourth a minute into injury time. Clare held all the aces in the second period.

Team captain Dermot Coughlan and Waterford’s Barron exchanged points by the 41st minute and then Ross O’Doherty, a Clare corner-forward sent them on their winning way with a goal. His first time volley found the back of the net after a good delivery by Cahill.

The Corofin club man went on to grab two more goals as the half progressed and O’Doherty helped himself to his second and Clare’s fifth in second-half injury-time. Clare will now have home advantage against Tipp next Wednesday, while Waterford exit the competition.

Scorers for Clare: G Cahill (3-0), R O’Doherty (2-1), D Coughlan (0-3) 2 f’s, S Rouine (0-2), J Sheedy, D Ryan, G Cooney f, R Considine, C O’Donoghue (0-1) each.

Waterford: T Barron (0-4) All f’s, T Looby f, M Devine (0-1) each.

CLARE: M Lillis, J Miniter, J O’Sullivan, J Sheedy, D Ryan, F Donnellan, C McNelis, C McMahon, D Griffin, S Rouine, D Coughlan (capt), R Phelan, R O’Doherty, G Cooney, G Cahill.
Subs: C O’Donoghue for Phelan (24), K White for Griffin (h/t), A O’Brien for McNelis (45), R Considine for Cooney (50), A McNamara for McMahon (55 ), C O’Brien for Cahill (60).

WATERFORD: A Beresford, M Hogan, D Cullinane, S Murphy-Nix, M Twomey, S Ahern, C Kilgannon, M Devine, C Cullinane, T Loobey, D Booth, S Whelan-Barrett, S Curry, D O’Keeffe (capt),T Barron.
Subs: R Lynch for O ‘Keeffe (41), J Devine for Kilgannon(45), R Stringer for Horgan (54), N Dumphy for Whelan Barrett (55), R Power for Curry (55). Referee: J Ryan (Cork).