No fear of Croke Park and no fear of Kilkenny. Jamie Barron knows it’s easy for him to say such things but he’s the utmost confidence that Waterford won’t suffer from stage-fright or ailurophobia (a fear of Cats).

Clare 0-23

Three-time champions De La Salle fended off a second-half revival from Ballygunner to collect their first win of the season in the Waterford SHC Round 3 at Walsh Park last night.

The all-too-familiar criticism surrounding Cork hurling’s underage plight was yet again dragged front and centre in the wake of the county’s Munster semi-final defeat to Waterford earlier this month.

Waterford SHC, Round 4: With their backs to the wall beforehand, county champions Passage came out fighting last night to claim a vital Group 1 win over Fourmilewater in a crunch fourth round clash at Fraher Field (3-18 to 1-18).

Kilkenny’s Michael Fennelly returns at centre-forward for tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final clash against Limerick.

Electric Ireland Munster MHC final replay

Waterford minor hurling manager Derek Lyons has made sweeping changes for the Munster semi-final clash against Clare tomorrow night.

Bryan Sheehan, Anthony Maher and Aidan O’Mahony make their first starts of the year for Kerry in tomorrow’s McGrath Cup semi-final against Limerick at Fitzgerald Stadium.

Work commitments mean Stephen Molumphy won’t be available to Waterford’s hurlers this year.

Dungarvan 1-15 Fourmilewater 2-9

Fourmilewater 0-12 Abbeyside0-8

Waterford hurlers suffered a massive pre-championship blow with the news Pauric Mahony has been ruled out for the entire campaign.

Waterford hurler Wayne Hutchinson is set to be sidelined for up to six weeks after breaking a bone in his hand.

TIPPERARY U21 boss Ken Hogan feels greater consideration should be given to the scheduling of the Munster hurling championships, as his charges prepare to face Waterford in tonight’s provincial quarter-final — just three days after the county senior side defeated Cork.

CORK senior footballer Aidan Walsh was last night named at left half-forward in the Cork U21 hurling side to face Waterford in tomorrow night’s Bord Gáis Energy Munster U21HC quarter-final in Páirc Ui Chaoimh, despite his involvement with Cork in next Sunday’s Munster SFC semi-final against Kerry.

WATERFORD senior hurling champions Ballyduff Upper are still in contention to retain their crown — but only just.

AFTER last Sunday's thriller, the Waterford SHC relegation play-off replay between Ballyduff Upper and Fourmilewater at Dungarvan tomorrow (1pm) is awaited with great anticipation.

Ballygunner 3-11 Fourmilewater 0-10

A CONFLICT over club and county interests has forced Meath hurling manager Michael Duignan and his selectors to quit only days before their vital Allianz NHL game against Antrim.