Munster Senior Hurling Championship

CLARE 2-27 WATERFORD 2-18

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

Clare got their Munster Championship bid up-and-running in style when powering past an injury-ravaged Waterford in front of 13,736 in Cusack Park, Ennis.

Home advantage was certainly influential for the Banner to unearth their best provincial championship display since reaching the 2008 Munster decider as they bounced back superbly from their opening loss to Cork with a determined display.

John Conlon was the home side's undoubted talisman when not only scoring 1-3 but also earning the match-altering penalty at the end of the opening quarter.

Peter Duggan fired 1-10 from placed balls while Tony Kelly revelled in the freedom of home soil with six points from play on their way to only a third provincial victory in 14 outings.

In contrast, it was a truly forgettable championship bow for last year's All-Ireland finalists who along with having to concede second best, were further depleted by a succession of injuries along with a red card for captain Kevin Moran midway through the second half.

Starting without Austin Gleeson and Pauric Mahony, Derek McGrath's side also lost four defensive options to injury as Tadgh de Burca, Noel Connors, Darragh Fives and Barry Coughlan all had to be replaced throughout a dispiriting afternoon.

The visitors had started well with the aid of the conditions which contributed to their opening goal in the ninth minute when a Stephen O'Keeffe puck-out was gathered by Tom Devine, only to see his shot repelled by goalkeeper Donal Tuohy. Maurice Shanahan was quickest to react to fire the rebound to the net and give his side a 1-4 to 0-3 lead.

The loss of de Burca allied to a home penalty in the 17th minute saw the pendulum swing decisively towards the home side however as John Conlon was felled on his way to goal for Peter Duggan to fire to the top left corner of the net and ignite Clare into action.

Shane O'Donnell dispossessed Barry Coughlan with a shoulder to snatch an inspirational point while a second goal soon followed as Conlon shrugged off two challenges before firing past goalkeeper O'Keeffe from close range at 2-6 to 1-6 by the 23rd minute.

Gathering momentum, four further points, three from Duggan, lifted the hosts seven clear. And while Waterford did lower the half-time arrears to just five at 2-11 to 1-09, it would be accompanied by a back injury for Noel Connors that ruled him out of the second half.

Clare's bright start on the restart through Tony Kelly (2) and Conlon was cancelled out by a goal from substitute Tommy Ryan by the 42nd minute. However, any hopes of a Waterford revival were soon quashed when spinal defenders Darragh Fives and Barry Coughlan had to replaced through injury while Kevin Moran followed them into the dressing room in the 48th minute when receiving a straight red from referee Paud O'Dwyer.

With that, Duggan punished Waterford from frees while Tony Kelly, John Conlon and Colm Galvin fended off any insurgency from Stephen Bennett who largely carried the torch for his side in a difficult second half.

Indeed, the result was known from a long way off as Clare held a double figure lead for much of the final quarter on their way to a rousing first win.

Scorers for Clare: Peter Duggan 1-10 (1-0 pen, 9f, 1’65), Tony Kelly 0-6, John Conlon 1-3, Jamie Shanahan, Colm Galvin 0-2 each, David Fitzgerald, Conor McGrath, Shane O’Donnell, and David Reidy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: Maurice Shanahan 1-6 (6fs), Tommy Ryan 1-1, Stephen Bennett and Jake Dillon 0-2 each, Tadgh de Burca, Conor Gleeson, Philip Mahony, Tom Devine, Kevin Moran, Jamie Barron, and DJ Foran 0-1 each.

CLARE: Donal Tuohy; Jack Browne, David McInerney, Patrick O'Connor; David Fitzgerald, Conor Cleary, Jamie Shanahan; Colm Galvin, Cathal Malone; Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly, David Reidy; Conor McGrath, John Conlon, Shane O'Donnell.

Subs: Podge Collins for McGrath (60), Seadna Morey for Malone (64), Niall Deasy for Reidy (65), Mikey O'Neill for O'Donnell (67), Daragh Corry for Conlon (68)

WATERFORD: Stephen O'Keeffe; Barry Coughlan, Shane Fives, Noel Connors; Philip Mahony, Tadhg de Burca, Darragh Fives; Jamie Barron, Conor Gleeson; Kevin Moran, Maurice Shanahan, Jake Dillon; Michael Walsh, Tom Devine, Shane McNulty

Subs: Colm Roche for de Burca (14, inj), Stephen Bennett for Connors (HT, inj), DJ Foran  for Walsh (HT), Tommy Ryan for D. Fives (38, inj), Ian Kenny for Coughlan (45, inj).

REFEREE: Paud O'Dwyer (Carlow)