Heartbreak for Waterford minors as Clare snatch victory with late goal

Kilmurry Ibrickane star Conor Burke was the hero for Clare.

The Clare minors defeated Waterford in the Munster Minor Football Championship. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE

Munster Minor Football Championship Phase 1 Round 1: Clare 1-11 Waterford 0-13 

Twilight robbery in West Clare as the hosts somehow managed to find the net with the very last touch to floor Waterford in what was a truly dramatic Munster Minor Football Championship opener in Páirc Naomh Mhuire.

Having averaged victory by 20 points over the past two campaigns, Clare were refreshingly met by a much slicker Waterford side that appeared to have weathered the home storm with a brace of injury-time points at 0-13 to 0-11.

However, as the clock ticked into its third minute of additional time, Clare would earn one final opportunity at redemption as an interception by substitute Gabriel Fennell saw chief marksman Conor Burke find replacement Shane O’Connell to take on his marker and pass across the square for the waiting Burke to flick to the net.

While it was exceedingly cruel on Waterford who had predominantly dictated matters throughout the second half and led as much as three points entering the final few minutes.

That said, the Banner had also kicked ten wides including seven in the second period when the tie was in the balance. With the sides level seven times as late as the hour mark and with never more than a kick of the ball between them at any stage, it was a worthy opener defined by a glorious goal chance at either end of the contest.

Waterford, led by Joe Brennan and Paddy McCarthy throughout, were 0-2 to 0-1 clear when a high delivery broke perfectly for the latter to race through, only for goalkeeper Eoin Byrne to repel the low shot with his legs.

Conor Burke’s placed balls got a relieved Clare back on track with four of the last six points to inch 0-6 to 0-5 in front by the break.

The minimum still separated the sides when the visitors made their break for glory as four unanswered points, three from the lively Brennan contrasted some frustrating shooting from their hosts at 0-10 to 0-7.

Luke Hennessy also passed up a goal chance to put the result beyond doubt for Waterford who still clung to a three point cushion by the 56th minute.

A Banner backlash was inevitable but even with Burke (2) and Shane O’Connell regained full parity by the hour mark, the hosts failed to use their momentum as Waterford hit back through substitute Tom Lynch who scored one and earned a free immediately afterwards for Paddy McCarthy to seemingly clinch a first minor victory since 2019.

It wasn’t to be however as a never-say-die Clare kept plugging away and through Fennell’s interception and fellow repalcement O’Connell’s ingenuity, it was fitting that Kilmurry Ibrickane star Conor Burke would be the hero on his own home patch to get his side out of jail.

Scorers for Clare: C Burke (1-8, 7f); S O’Connell (0-2); S Fennell (0-1f) 

Scorers for Waterford: J Brennan (0-6, 3f); P McCarthy (0-3, 2f); C Power, L Kavanagh, B Drohan, T Lynch (0-1 each) 

Clare: E Byrne (St Breckan’s); A Killeen (Lissycasey), C Hill (Lissycasey), J Blunnie (Kilrush Shamrocks); C Walsh (Banner), L Clune (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), S Murphy (St Joseph’s Miltown); D Boyle (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), B O’Halloran (Banner); D Cahill (Clooney-Quin), S Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks), C Downes (Shannon Gaels); C Burke (Kilmurry Ibrickane), D McMahon (Lissycasey), D Townsend (Cooraclare) 

Subs: S O’Connell (Cooraclare) for O’Halloran (HT), D Brody (Ennistymon) for Cahill (45), L Switzer (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Walsh (45), G Fennell (Cooraclare) for Downes (55) 

Waterford: C Drohan (Rathgormack); S Roche (Stradbally), D O’Callaghan (Rathgormack), A Ryan (The Nire); D Broxson (Rathgormack), J Power (Brickey Rangers), P Spellman (The Nire); C Cotter (Geraldines), L Hennessy (Deuglan Naofa Ardmore); C Power (Rathgormack), L Kavanagh (Kilmacthomas), B Drohan (Kilmacthomas); J Brennan (Micheál MacCraith Tramore), P McCarthy (Brickey Rangers), D Nyhan (Brickey Rangers) 

Subs: J Jacob (St Saviour’s) for Kavanagh (43), T Lynch (Rathgormack) for Nyhan (52), D Walsh (Bunmahon) for Spellman (55), A Curran (Stradbally) for Power (60) 

Referee: T McGrath (Limerick)