Waterford prevail despite being 'three or four points light' at half time

Waterford manager Peter Queally celebrates in the closing moments of the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 2 match between Waterford and Clare at Walsh Park in Waterford. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

WATERFORD 2-23 CLARE 0-21

The whipping boys of the round-robin iteration of the Munster senior hurling championship cracked the lash yesterday.

Clare’s backs sure felt it as they bemoaned the loss of Tony Kelly to illness but they were well beaten by Waterford. A hat-trick of additional scores made the scoreline a morsel more digestible but only a morsel.

Waterford, of course, have been here before. Manager Peter Queally knows all about starting with a bang and finishing broken when he was selector last year. The insignificance of the six-day break and significance of Limerick coming to town will also temper expectations.

But there had been so many questions asked of them coming into their 2025 championship debut. They hadn’t played a Munster county in 11 months. Division 1B sure isn’t Division 1A and then there was their abysmal five-year record in the provincial round-robin.

In this their 21st game, this was only their fourth win, their first over Clare, the other three victories coming against Tipperary twice and Cork in last year’s first round.

In his 100th senior appearance for his county, the 1,500th All Star Stephen Bennett turned on the charm in the second half. Another All-Star of yesteryear Jamie Barron was a buzzing nuisance for Clare throughout.

In front of 12,078, it didn’t feel like Waterford’s 0-13 to 0-10 advantage after would be enough having played with a breeze but they ended up scoring more in the second half.

Bennett’s penalty goal nine minutes after the turnaround sent them into a six-point lead. Adam Hogan was found to have upended substitute Mikey Kiely as he made his way towards the Clare goal.

Patrick Curran tagged on a point to restore a seven-point advantage Waterford had enjoyed just over midway through the first half but it proved to be a target for Clare to chase.

Goalkeeper Billy Nolan did brilliantly to keep out an Ian Galvin goal attempt in the 48th minute but Clare grew closer with a flurry of scores, David Reidy posting a brace of them.

With 15 minutes of regulation time, Duggan landed his fourth to make it a one-score game and then Bennett struck again. The Ballysaggart man followed Patrick Fitzgerald’s short point attempt, broke free of his marker and caressed the ball low to the net.

The score ruptured Clare who conceded seven of the next nine points and were 11 behind going into additional time. Shane Meehan and Reidy twice picked off points but purely for score difference purposes. Their race on this day was well and truly run.

Waterford manager Peter Queally admitted he felt the difference at the break was “probably three or four points light. I did have it in my head that we would be forced into using the ball better in the second half.

“Our big downfall in the first half was the way we used the ball. We spoke about the importance of working it through the lines in the second half. That was the major difference. We got the first point in the second half and I knew then we're okay here."

The crater-sized void left by Kelly’s 11th hour omission aside, Clare didn’t do themselves justice. They should have been sharp but their touch deserted them too often. Aidan McCarthy missed a couple of first-half frees and his confidence was rocked when he failed to land a third in the second. John Conlon has had easier days, David Fitzgerald and Mark Rodgers much more effective afternoons.

Peter Duggan could hold his head highest and long after the final whistle he was still arguing with an official about some of the decisions made. Behind him, David Reidy and Ryan Taylor were prominent. Shane Meehan, Kelly’s replacement, did fine and the full-back line put out plenty of fires.

But such was the anonymity of their All Stars, there were grounds for Brian Lohan to empty his bench and yet he only replaced three. Clare had been bereft of leaders but men blooded in the league weren’t considered for intervention.

Waterford sprinted into a 0-10 to 0-3 lead by the 19th minute. Darragh Lyons, who had three points to his name by that time, was dominating and Barron’s free role was causing Clare plenty of headaches.

In defence, Mark Fitzgerald had the early measure of Duggan and at the other end Hogan and Darragh Lohan were having some hairy moments. Lohan could have been punished heavier for a foul on Bennett in the 12th minute. A goal-scoring chance was denied but referee Chris Mooney was right to keep him on the field as it was not one of the prescribed infringements.

Bennett sent over the resultant free to push Waterford 0-7 to 0-3 clear. It was the second of five Waterford scores without reply as Clare were struggling to make the ball stick in the Déise half.

A converted Duggan sideline cut stopped the rot for The Banner but the margin returned to six points when Nolan landed a long-range effort in the 27th minute. However, it was the last Waterford score for eight minutes as Clare finally found the feet.

Taylor and Duggan were to the fore in bringing the visitors withing a score before Barron added his third only for Meehan’s second of the game and Clare were within three at the break. They thought they were close.

So did their sizeable contingent in the stand and terrace. Not close enough.

Scorers for Waterford: S. Bennett (2-8, 1-0 pen, 0-4 frees); J. Barron (0-4); D. Lyons (0-3); P. Curran, D. Hutchinson (0-2 each); M. Fitzgerald, B. Nolan, P. Fitzgerald, M. Kiely (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: D. Reidy (0-6, 2 frees); P. Duggan (1 sideline), R. Taylor, S. Meehan (0-4 each); C. Malone (0-2); M. Rodgers (0-1).

WATERFORD: B. Nolan; I. Kenny, C. Prunty, I. Daly; M. Fitzgerald, T. de Búrca, P. Leavey; D. Lyons, K. Bennett; J. Prendergast, D. Hutchinson (c), J. Barron; K. Mahony, S. Bennett, P. Curran.

Subs: M. Kiely for K. Bennett (h-t); P. Fitzgerald for P. Curran (53); Shane Bennett for K. Mahony (57); S. Walsh for D. Lyons (70+1); A. Gleeson for J. Prendergast (70+3).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; D. Lohan, A. Hogan, C. Leen; C. Galvin, J. Conlon, D. McInerney (c); R. Taylor, C. Malone; D. Fitzgerald, D. Reidy, P. Duggan; S. Meehan, A. McCarthy, M. Rodgers.

Subs: A. Shanagher for D. Fitzgerald, I. Galvin for A. McCarthy (both 47); R. Hayes for C. Leen (65).

Referee: C. Mooney (Dublin).