A new Banner unfurled?

THE promised torrential thunder-showers didn’t hit Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds until about an hour after the final whistle, long after the disappointing crowd of 17,365 had headed for home.

However, long before that, the storm clouds were gathering over the hurlers of Waterford, as they made a tame exit from this year’s Munster championship, their crown meekly surrendered.

This was victory on a grand scale for Clare, their first championship win in Munster in five years, and impressively earned. For a Waterford side that has figured near the top of the betting for every All-Ireland championship during that same period, it was a defeat of possible era-ending significance.

It all started so brightly for Waterford. Three points on the board after five hectic minutes — a couple of Dave Bennett pointed frees sandwiching a typical John Mullane effort — had their loyal supporters on their feet, and everything seemed to be in place for the expected Déise win.

Then the 2008 Clare declaration of serious intent started. 2006 All Star Tony Griffin claimed an eighth-minute point, followed in quick succession by four more, from as many sources. The first of those marked the first big test of debutant forward and free-taker Mark Flaherty, and it wasn’t a gimme by any means — 55m wide left, and the wrong side for a righty, he struck with conviction between the posts. That was followed by a super point from Tony Carmody, while veteran Niall Gilligan and young wing-back Brendan Bugler ended the run.

A second point from Mullane stopped the rot, but then in the 16th minute came the first big body-blow for Waterford. A superb long centre from another Clare debutant, wing-back Pat Donnellan, dropped dangerously in behind the Waterford full-back line, which had been sucked outfield. First to the break was Flaherty and the young Killanena star was coolness personified — 1-5 to 0-4 after 24 minutes.

Backed by the light down-field breeze, Waterford came back, and six points without reply (Mullane, Seamus Prendergast, Stephen Molumphy, Eoin McGrath with a beauty over his shoulder, Gary Hurney and a huge free from his own 55m by Bennett) had them back in the lead again in the 24th minute, 0-10 to 1-5.

But that was when Clare really stepped up their game.

Many teams have been blown away when Waterford hit their stride like that but Clare were having none of it. Diarmuid McMahon, superb at centre-forward, started it off, hitting a hat-trick of points; Colin Lynch, Flaherty (2) and wing-back Brendan Bugler added three more, and even then, the signs were there. Mullane interrupted that sequence with his fourth first-half point, Bennett pointed another free just before the break, but at 1-12 to 0-12, with the advantage of that breeze to come, it was looking ominous for the favourites.

As is their wont, Waterford started the second half with a much-changed look. Eoin McGrath, wasted in the corner for the first-half, became a third midfielder in an attempt to break the stranglehold exerted in that area by Brian O’Connell and the evergreen Lynch. Dan Shanahan — ineffective at centre-forward — was back in his best position of right-wing, Seamus Prendergast was at centre-forward, Tony Browne swapped with Brian Phelan, moving from wing-back to the centre.

Waterford got the opening score, yet another Bennett free, and the first 10 minutes of the half were pretty even. Waterford had three more, Bennett (two frees) and Mullane, but four well-taken points from Flaherty, Griffin (two) and Lynch preserved the Clare one-goal lead.

Then came the game’s really decisive score, Clare’s second goal. Started with two Waterford forwards colliding, a long clearance from Plunkett, a catch and pass by McMahon to Gilligan, and the experienced Sixmilebridge sniper did the rest, making it 2-16 to 0-16 in the 48th minute.

Could this be the beginning of the end for Waterford? Time will tell, but this was as insipid a championship display as this team has served up in over a decade.

It could be that this is just what the doctor ordered. Had Waterford won, they’d have been facing into a meeting with a supercharged Limerick in three weeks, not enough time for those missing in action yesterday to have recovered fitness.

As it is, they have five weeks to prepare for their first-round All-Ireland qualifier game, almost certainly against Antrim, a gentle reintroduction to championship fare. From there, who knows? Without question, the quality is still in this side, and any number of Waterford players are capable of an individual tour-de-force such as witnessed from John Mullane yesterday. Their trouble, however, is that on days like yesterday, Waterford always have the individuals, but not the team.

For Clare, a different question: could this be a new beginning? Mike Mac and his management team of Alan Cunningham, Ollie Baker and Fergie Touhy had this team in magnificent shape, playing as an impressive unit.

Scorers for Clare: M Flaherty 1-7 (0-2 frees 0-2 65’s); T Griffin 0-5; N Gilligan 1-2; D McMahon 0-3; C Plunkett 0-3 (all frees); T Carmody 0-2; C Lynch 0-2; B Bugler, P Vaughan, 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: D Bennett 0-10 (0-9 frees); J Mullane 0-8; S Prendergast, S Molumphy, G Hurney, E McGrath, D Coffey, 0-1 each.

CLARE: P Brennan; G O’Grady, F Lohan, D Clancy; B Bugler, C Plunkett, P Donnellan; B O’Connell (c), C Lynch; T Carmody, D, McMahon, J Clancy; T Griffin, N Gilligan, M Flaherty.

Subs: T Keogh (O’Grady 35); F Lynch (McMahon 65); P Vaughan (C Lynch 67); D Barrett (J Clancy 70).

WATERFORD: C Hennessey; S Kearney, K Moran, D Prendergast; T Browne, B Phelan, J Kennedy; M Walsh (capt), D Bennett; S Prendergast, D Shanahan, S Molumphy; J Mullane, G Hurney, E McGrath.

Subs: D Coffey (Moran 55); S O’Sullivan (Molumphy 60); S Walsh (Shanahan 61); R Foley (Phelan 63); T Feeneys (D Prendergast 70).

Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).