Champions Clare cruise into final

Munster and All-Ireland champions Clare cruised into a second successive provincial intermediate hurling decider at Semple Stadium yesterday.

Clare were 12 points ahead after 50 minutes before late goals from Gavin Crotty and captain Martin O’Neill brought some degree of respectability to the scoreboard for Waterford.

Clare were 0-8 to 0-0 ahead after just 17 minutes.

Waterford finally got off the mark through a Fionán Murray free in the 18th minute and a Jake Dillon goal three minutes before half-time kept them in touch at the break, trailing 0-10 to 1-3.

The issue was put beyond doubt 15 minutes from time when Tony Kelly cracked home a 20m free.

Scorers for Clare: T Kelly 1-3 (1-1f), D O’Halloran 0-6 (1f), C O’Connell 0-4 (2f), C O’Doherty 0-2 (1f, 1 65), C Malone, C Ryan, F Kennedy & M O’Neill 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: G Crotty 1-1, F Murray 0-4 (3f), J Dillon & E Murphy 1-0 each, J Prendergast, S Lawlor, B O’Halloran & R Barry 0-1 each.

CLARE: R Taaffe; P Flanagan, D McInerney, K Ryan; E Boyce, C Duggan, C O’Doherty; P Sheahan, C Ryan; F Kennedy, C O’Connell, C Chaplin; C Malone, T Kelly, D O’Halloran. Subs: P Duggan for Chaplin (45), B Donnellan for Sheahan (48), M O’Neill for O’Connell (49), H Vaughan for O’Doherty (55), A Lynch for Kennedy (58).

WATERFORD: R Roche; M Kearney, S O’Keeffe, M Wyse; S Hannon, E Madigan, W Henley; J Prendergast, S Lawlor; J Dillon, B O’Halloran, P Nevin; F Murray, G Crotty, E Murphy. Subs: R Barry for Henley (20), S Roche for Lawlor (h-t.), S Power for Prendergast (44), P Power for Dillon (44), I Galgey for Nevin (53).

Referee: D Copps (Cork).