Waterford’s Philip Mahony is honest about his return to action.

Ballygunner became the first team to qualify for the Waterford SHC quarter-finals following a low-key top of the table tussle with Mount Sion at Walsh Park last night (0-20 to 1-9).

An Rinn and Kilrossanty booked their spots in the quarter-finals of the Waterford SFC after last night’s fourth round action.

Youghal (Cork) 4-13 Ardmore (Waterford) 1-12

MUNSTER CLUB IHC QUARTER-FINAL:

Ballinacourty and Stradbally advanced to the Waterford SFC quarter-finals after the completion of the third round over the weekend.

Richie Foley will miss the remainder of Waterford’s Allianz National Hurling League campaign after undergoing major surgery for a second successive year.

Waterford stalwart Declan Prendergast has decided to quit senior inter-county hurling at the age of 30, it has been confirmed.

Waterford’s long-serving defender Declan Prendergast has retired from intercounty hurling.

Kilkenny have made four changes in personnel from the team which beat Tipperary in the league first round with keeper Eoin Murphy making his league debut in place of David Herity, while Conor Fogarty, Richie Doyle and Richie Hogan all come into the side.

Basics will be the key to Déise hopes

APART from being close friends, Anthony Daly and Davy Fitzgerald have much in common this weekend. Both are managing teams (Dublin and Waterford respectively) attempting to get their championship challenge back on track after heavy defeats in their respective provincial finals.

EVERYONE in hurling, no matter what county you follow, must congratulate Dublin’s hurlers on reaching their first league final since 1946.

WATERFORD star Eoin McGrath has been ruled out for up to six weeks with ankle ligament damage. However, that blow has been softened by the news that brother Ken and fellow veteran Tony Browne are due back in training with the county senior hurling panel tonight.

Cork needed extra-time to knock UCC out of this season's Waterford Crystal Cup, with a penalty from goalkeeper Anthony Nash handing the Rebels a 3-17 to 1-22 quarter-final win.

SHANE MCGRATH insists Tipperary are better equipped to retain their All-Ireland hurling crown than the team that captured the title in 2001.

WATERFORD manager Davy Fitzgerald will assess potential panellists this Saturday when he stages two challenge games in Carriganore.

THE nominations for the GPA Hurling team of the year have been announced with all those involved last weekend in the Vodafone All-Stars in the equation again.

Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has made no personnel changes for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Tipperary at Croke Park (throw-in 3.30pm).

AND we thought last Sunday was dramatic!

1. Strength in depth.

IS there no separating these two magnificent hurling teams?

THE main talking point from yesterday’s Muster final was the crucial decision to award Waterford a 20-metre free in the closing stages of a very competitive second-half.

The replay? I’m really looking forward to that, though I doubt we’ll see the same two starting line-ups the next day.

LAST weekend, and not for the first time this year, you’d have to say the football outshone the hurling, big-time – a bad Leinster final in Croke Park.

WATERFORD star Eoin Kelly has branded the GAA’s decision to play the Clare-Waterford Munster SHC clash on Bank Holiday Monday as “unfair” on supporters of both counties.

A DULL afternoon in Thurles yesterday, cold and drizzly, dense and low-lying grey clouds enveloping the whole area; reflective of those conditions, out in Semple Stadium a pitiful crowd of just over 11,000 to witness a fixture which, only a few years ago, was one of the glamour clashes on the GAA calendar.

1. CLARE POSITIVES

IT was a pairing that was bound to stir up a well of personal emotions but despite 17 championship seasons of service to the Clare senior hurlers, Davy Fitzgerald was focused on his current role as Waterford manager in yesterday’s Munster SHC semi-final in Semple Stadium.

SOME journeys matter more than the destination, but not yesterday in Semple Stadium.

Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald felt that his side showed great appetite and determination to overcome a dogged Clare outfit in this afternoon's Munster SHC semi-final at Semple Stadium.

Waterford 0-22 Clare 1-15

Dan and Maurice Shanahan will start their first Munster SHC match together when the pair feature for Waterford in the Bank Holiday Monday semi-final against Clare at Semple Stadium (throw-in 3pm).

Munster SHC Semi-Final

WATERFORD manager Davy Fitzgerald has sprang more than one surprise in naming Waterford’s starting 15 to face Clare in Monday’s Munster senior hurling championship semi-final at Thurles.

DAVID CUNNINGHAM, Glen Rovers, takes over the full back slot left vacant by the injury to Eoin Cadogan for Cork’s last game in the preliminary rounds of the Allianz NHL against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

THE KERRY management’s desire to employ Marc Ó Sé’s footballing talents in the half-back line gets another trial tomorrow in Tralee, with the youngest of the Gaeltacht brothers selected at right half-back for the clash with Mayo.

Impressed by what he saw during last weekend's 13-point defeat of Dublin, Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has made just one change to the team for Sunday's NHL Division 1 clash with Galway at Pearse Stadium (throw-in 2.30pm).

GAA chiefs yesterday clarified an issue relating to the mandatory wearing of helmets at senior inter-county level which arose in Sunday’s Kehoe Cup match between Roscommon and Wicklow, by insisting helmets have to be worn at all times during games.

A number three can hurl a lot of ball, make vital interceptions, thunder out of defence, but cannot afford any mistake in front of goal. The full-back can win lots of ball but all the full forward needs is one.

CROKE PARK yesterday was a marvellous place to be, two hugely entertaining hurling games and a fine football game between Meath and Mayo.

WHAT must John Mullane do to win the love of hurling followers? He has the respect, there’s no question about that, and John is unquestionably one of the finest corner-forwards of his generation.

NO recriminations or no excuses,” said Galway manager John McIntyre after this All-Ireland quarter-final loss in Semple Stadium yesterday.