Post-match panto a sideshow after more epic Munster theatre

Clare edged another breathless Munster Championship thriller that spilled over following the final whistle.

COLOSSUS: Clare’s David Fitzgerald. Pic ©INPHO/Natasha Barton

The sole shame is that middle-aged men in tracksuits detracted from the pure theatre their players had served up.

When breathless Munster thriller No.492 throws up six goals, 47 points, an injury-time penalty, and a 65 that caused the mother and father of all commotion right at the finish to decide it all, our first visit should not be to the post-match happenings.

But neither can we ignore the distasteful drama that played out.

Mark Rodgers won Clare this fixture by converting the correctly-guessed 65 in the sixth minute of injury-time. The final whistle went seconds later and Waterford went bonkers.

Fingers were pointed at the fourth official, the linesman too. What were they deemed guilty of? Who knows.

Davy and some more of his crew marched in the direction of referee Liam Gordon. Vexation. Beration. Remonstration. We don’t know if the Déise management were arguing the awarding of the 65 or that the play should have continued on afterwards. If it was the former, they had no case. If it was the latter, they had a case to make. Davy told us afterwards he didn’t agree with either.

Irrespective, none of this concerned Clare. They had their win. They didn’t need to get involved. But they couldn’t help themselves. We’d venture a guess and say it was because of who led the opposition.

Banner backroom staff went out and got involved at the scene of the Waterford protest. Pushing and shoving ensued, all of it unnecessary and utterly childish.

Noticeable was that few players involved themselves in the post-match hullabaloo. They were simply too drained, too exhausted from their participation in 80 minutes of pure theatre.

Before recounting said theatre, a quick glance at the round-robin table.

Clare’s victory, coupled with Tipp’s exit two hours later, means they face a side next Sunday whose interest is already concluded. Clare couldn’t have planned it better. As for Waterford, they will have to take at least a point off champions Limerick to sustain their interest.

Whatever regrets Waterford cradled pulling out of Cusack Park, they should not concern the result. They led only once, that with the opening score of the day. It was an afternoon spent chasing, one where Clare’s astounding wastefulness left Waterford in contention longer than ought to have been the case.

So often the commentary surrounding Davy and his Déise approach centres on the inside line, how many players are stationed there, and how long it takes for them to have food put on their plate.

Here, the commentary centred on their full-back line, the lack of bodies stationed there, and the feast Clare were enjoying.

Both of Clare’s first-half goals had their roots in stray passes from Jamie Barron and Tadhg de Búrca. For the first on 20 minutes, Rodgers’ booming handpass found midfielder Darragh Lohan trespassing untracked.

For the second six minutes later, Iarlaith Daly had to contend with a two-on-one against Shane O’Donnell and David Fitzgerald. Daly was never winning that. Fitzgerald finished. 2-10 to 0-8.

Two Shaun O’Brien saves and a Kieran Bennett block on Rodgers prevented that first- half goal tally swelling to five.

Waterford had the gap shrunk to five at the break, 2-13 to 0-14. It was in the third quarter where they should have been sunk. It was in the third quarter they secured stalemate.

Rodgers collecting the break from a Diarmuid Ryan delivery and flicking beyond O’Brien had the board reading 3-13 to 0-16 on 39 minutes. But instead of placing a lock on this result, Ryan, Fitzgerald, O’Donnell, David Reidy, and Peter Duggan were off target. Six wides from half-time to the 45th minute.

All the while, Kevin Mahony and Dessie Hutchinson made incremental progress on the deficit. A Stephen Bennett goal, followed by a Dessie free, had proceedings tied on 54 minutes.

The remaining 20 or so minutes were your now-standard Munster Championship blur.

Tony Kelly came on. Tony Kelly sent wide his first attempt to rise Clare frustration. Tony Kelly then squeezed in a goal to lift said frustration.

Waterford were warm tar on Clare’s undersole. They stuck and could not be unstuck. Their bench twice wiped out a gap of three. First, a pair from Pádraig Fitzgerald to sandwich a Calum Lyons effort. Then a Shane Bennett penalty on 72 minutes won by Patrick Fitzgerald.

None of it, ultimately, mattered.

Brian Lohan’s record of never losing a championship fixture to Davy remains intact. So too does Clare’s Munster progression.

The picture is less certain for Davy and the Déise. Their unbeaten start is over.

“Limerick will have that extra week which will be a bonus to them,” he concluded.

Here’s hoping for breathless Munster thriller No.493, or whatever last count was. At this stage, it’s impossible to keep track.

Scorers for Clare: D Fitzgerald (1-4); M Rodgers (1-3, 0-1 ‘65); A McCarthy (0-5, 0-4 frees); T Kelly, D Lohan (1-0 each); S O’Donnell, I Galvin (0-2 each); C Cleary, D Ryan, C Malone, P Duggan, D Reidy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: D Hutchinson (0-6, 0-5 frees); Shane Bennett (1-0 pen), Stephen Bennett (1-2 each); K Mahony (0-4); T de Búrca (0-1 free), J Prendergast, Pádraig Fitzgerald (0-2 each); I Kenny, K Bennett, J Fagan, C Lyons, J Barron, Patrick Fitzgerald (0-1 each).

CLARE: E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, R Hayes; C Galvin, J Conlon, D Ryan; C Malone, D Lohan; D Fitzgerald, D Reidy, P Duggan; A McCarthy, S O’Donnell, M Rodgers.

Subs: T Kelly for Reidy (48); S Morey for Lohan (57) C Leen for Hayes (59); I Galvin for McCarthy (63).

WATERFORD: S O’Brien; K Bennett, I Daly, I Kenny; C Lyons, T de Búrca, M Fitzgerald; D Lyons, P Curran; Stephen Bennett, J Prendergast, J Barron; K Mahony, M Kiely, D Hutchinson.

Subs: J Fagan for Lyons (15 mins); Shane Bennett for Curran (32, temporary); C Ryan for K Bennett (57); Patrick Fitzgerald for Kiely (58); Pádraig Fitzgerald for Stephen Bennett (63); P Hogan for Barron (67).

Referee: L Gordon (Galway).