Cormac Spain leads Waterford to convincing All-Ireland MHC final victory over Clare
Waterford captain James Comerford and teammates celebrate with the Irish Press Cup. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
From the very bottom of the ladder to the highest step.
From a winless and worrying couple of years on the underage front to a fourth All-Ireland minor crown in Waterford history.
Convincing. Timely. Needed. A welcome change of direction. A most welcome piece of silverware.
Across the 2022, ‘23, and ‘24 campaigns, Waterford minor teams played 13 championship games and lost 11. If you factor in the 2021 Munster final defeat to Cork, that stat stretches to 12 losses from 14 championship outings.
At U20 level, the county are currently winless across 13 games and three years.
The health of the county’s underage scene was not at all rude. The chart at the front of the patient’s bed has been rewritten in recent weeks. Waterford have a group of young talents to offer hope and excitement in the years ahead. In goalkeeper James Comerford, corner-back Darragh Keane, midfielder Gearóid O’Shea, half-forward Shane Power, and full-forward Cormac Spain, they have a quintet of fine prospects to keep the closest eye on in the years ahead.
The Waterford supporters rose in the rain to applaud off their young heroes at half-time. The Waterford subs had departed their seats just before the half-time whistle. As their team-mates disappeared off the field, they lined either side of the tunnel and clapped back to the dressing-room the 15 starters.
The last of the starters to disappear out of sight was Cormac Spain. His left knee was heavily strapped. The Waterford team doctor accompanied him off the field.
Spain’s injury arrived early in proceedings. He didn’t move as freely for the remainder of the half. You’d hardly have known such from his seven-point haul. Of the four frees he converted, he won one himself. And but for Leon Talty’s reflexes in the Clare goal on 16 minutes, one of Spain’s three white flags from play would have been green.
His hand was strongest in their 1-12 to 0-5 interval lead. Waterford had one hand on the silverware they last lifted in 2013.
Clare’s danger duo at the far end of the field were Paul Rodgers and Liam Murphy. The pair were responsible for four of Clare’s five first-half points.
Their problem and Clare’s problem was the radar. It was not in. Not even close.
By the 12th minute, Clare had registered three wides, one short, and had a Murphy goal effort blocked by corner-back Darragh Keane. By half-time, their wide count was at five and the number of point attempts short three.
Waterford didn’t hesitate in punishing. After Paul Rodgers struck the Banner’s fourth wide on 20 minutes, the Déise held onto possession from the ensuing puckout and engineered a point through Spain. When Rodgers was short at a later turn, the play finished with another Spain score. When centre-back Dara Kennedy was short with a free from the opposition 65-metre line, the play finished with a foul on Jamie Shanahan and Cormac Spain converted free.
Waterford finished the half with six scorers. They began the half with a 1-2 burst. James Comerford’s free broke to Dylan Murphy. He hand-passed to Pierce Quann. A Waterford goal inside 68 seconds. Spain and Power followed with a white flag pair. A five-point lead inside three minutes.
Rodgers opened the Clare account from the placed ball on four minutes. It would be another nine minutes before the Banner would double their tally and manage a first from play. They lacked the defensive heft or middle third cohesion Waterford brought in bucklet loads.
The Déise struck five without reply on the run into the break. Four belonged to Spain, the remainder to midfielder Gearóid O’Shea.
Clare charged into the second half in such a manner that suggested a comeback was a strong prospect. Sub John Barry assumed freetaking responsibilities and sniped a pair either side of an Ian O’Brien effort. The gap back to seven. 1-12 to 0-8. They would, however, manage only two further points across the remaining 28 minutes.
Waterford, mind, weren’t exactly shooting off into the distance at the same time. Only two points in the opening 23 minutes of the second period. A poor second period, all told.
Not that it was necessarily required such was their strong lead throughout, but the score that told you that this, in front of 15,411 spectators, was Waterford’s day arrived on 55 minutes. Clare’s James O’Donnell and Liam Murphy had goal shots repelled. Waterford worked possession down the Ryan Stand side. An 11th Cormac Spain point. The Waterford crowd again on their feet.
On May 2, Waterford had six to spare over Clare in the Munster round-robin at Dungarvan. The result carried Waterford into the Munster final at Clare’s expense. It was a Munster final Waterford came off second best in.
From very early on here, it was so abundantly clear they’d not be second best in this latest decider.
C Spain (0-11, 0-7 frees); S Power (0-3); P Quann (1-0); G O’Shea (0-2); T Kennedy, E McHugh (0-1 each).
J Barry (0-3, 0-3 frees); P Rodgers (0-1 free, 0-1 sc), L Murphy (0-2 each); B Talty, I O’Brien, G Ball (free), D Murrihy (0-1 each).
J Comerford (Ballygunner); C Lynch (Geraldines), D Murphy (St. Mary's East), D Keane (De La Salle); B Penkert (Mount Sion), H Quann (Lismore), T Kennedy (Mount Sion); E Burke (Roanmore), G O'Shea (St. Mollerans); P Quann (Dungarvan), J Power (Ballygunner), S Power (De La Salle); D Murphy (Roanmore), C Spain (Ballygunner), J Shanahan (Erins Own).
L Talty (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield); Z Phelan (Sixmilebridge), N Doyle (Éire Óg Ennis), J O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); E Crimmins (Newmarket-on-Fergus), D Kennedy (Ballyea), C Daly (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield); G Ball (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), E Cleary (Ballyea); B Talty (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), R Ralph (Clarecastle), J O’Donnell (Broadford); I O’Brien (Cratloe), P Rodgers (Scariff), L Murphy (O’Callaghan’s Mills).
J Barry (Inagh Kilnamona) for Ralph (29 mins); G Marshall (Parteen Meelick) for Talty (45); D Murrihy (Inagh Kilnamona) for Cleary (52); J Gibbons (Whitegate) for O’Donnell (61); D Mahon (Clooney Quin) for Murphy (64).
C McDonald (Antrim).
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