Munster GAA Junior Football Championship Semi Final – Clare 0-13 Waterford 0-6

Banner have edge in attack

By Terry Reilly for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare 0-13 Waterford 0-7

That Clare finished this game with eight Kilmurry-Ibrickane men on the field told its own story. The Banner men had too much class for a Waterford side desperately lacking cutting edge at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night. Racing into a five-point lead after 20 minutes they looked primed to rack up a huge score. However, Waterford, with former senior boss John Kiely at the helm, showed a stubborn streak and Adam O’Loughlan, Gavin Crotty, David Power and Edmond Hogan scores made it 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval.

But the Déise men never capitalised on their possession and as the Kilmurry-Ibrickane trickle of men on the field became a flood, all chances of an upset we snuffed out. Niall Downes gave an exhibition at full-forward while Paul Reidy and Paudge McMahon played solid support roles as the Banner pulled clear. Clare’s experience also showed in defence where Shane Hickey, a candidate for the senior panel, and one-time New York senior inter-county player Paul O’Connor were to the fore.

Scorers for Clare: N Downes 0-5, P McMahon (1f) 0-4, P Reidy (1f) 0-3, C Malone (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: E Hogan (2fs) 0-3, G Crotty 0-2, A O’Loughlan, D Power 0-1 each.

CLARE: P Deloughrey (Cratloe); E Ralph (Ennistymon), D Kelly (St Seans Kilkee), D Hickey (Kilmurry-Ibrickane);, P O’Connor (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), S Malone (St Joseph’s Miltown); C Ryan (Cratloe), K King (Kilmurry-Ibrickane); P Reidy (Kilmihill), D Molohan (St Josephs Miltown), C Dunning (Wolfe Tones na Sionna); P McMahon (Clondegad), N Downes (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), C Malone (Kilfenora).

Subs: N Hickey (Kilmurry-Ibrickane) for C Malone (ht), I McInerney (Kilmurry-Ibrickane) for Molohan (ht), S Cormican (St Brekans) for Dunning (48), K Cahill (Wolfe Tones) for Reidy (52), E Talty (Kilmurry-Ibrickane) for S Malone (55).

WATERFORD: P Houlihan (St Saviours); J Walsh (Nire), D Predergast (Ardmore), G Dunphy (Newtown); S Lannon (Stradbally), E Rockett (C) (Stradbally), R Hennessy (Ardmore); R Cahill (Rathgormack), A O’Loughlan (St Molleran’s); P Power (Portlaw), Gavin Crotty (Dungarvan), D Power (KIlrossanty); E Hogan (Rathgormack), M Casey (De La Salle), J Coffey (Stradbally).

Subs: M Walsh (Nire) for Lannon (ht), M O’Gorman (Nire) for Casey (39), P Larkin (Rathgormack) for Hennessy (58), S Ryan for P Power (58).

Referee: S Joy (Kerry)