Waterford Crystal Cup round-up

Timmy Hammersley got one over on his native county Tipperary as Waterford IT handed the reigning All-Ireland champions their first defeat of 2011.

Hammersley scored 1-9 in all, helping the Waterford students to a 2-17 to 1-19 Waterford Crystal Cup victory at the Clonmel Sportsfield.

It was a match of first as Declan Ryan took charge of Tipperary for the first time, and the Clonmel venue hosted its first inter-county fixture since its redevelopment.

Ryan will have been pleased with the start that Tipp made. John O'Neill pointed after just 30 seconds, and Pa Bourke added an early brace.

Then Paddy Fanning ran through the WIT defence and passed for O'Neill to rasp home the opening goal.

But once the Waterford students got on the scoresheet in the seventh minute, they began to settle. Hammersley teed up Cathal Parlon for a fine finish to the top right corner of the net.

As the scores racked up for both sides in a free-flowing first period, Brian O'Meara played his fellow Tipp man Hammersley for WIT's second goal in the 29th minute. They led by 2-10 to 1-9 at the break.

The second half was closely-fought and in the final quarter Tipp outscored WIT by 0-8 to 0-1. But Hammersley's accurate shooting kept the students on course, and a late free from substitute Stephen Power, from a difficult angle, sealed the win for the visitors.

WIT will face UL in next Sunday's quarter-finals, with Clare also winning through to the last-eight today.

The Banner men, who face Waterford in the next round, staved off a valiant IT Tralee side as they emerged as 1-19 to 2-13 winners at Sixmilebridge.

Tralee looked on course for an upset as Limerick's Nicky Quaid and Eoin Ryan scored a goal apiece, with Ryan popping up with points from a variety of angles.

The visitors led by 2-13 to 0-17 in the closing stages of the second half, but Clare came good thanks to the sharpshooting of substitute Caimin Morey (1-3).

Morey, who played for NUIG yesterday, notched a late goal, netting from the rebound of Fergal Lynch's initial shot, and landed two crucial points.