Clare deliver knockout blow to Waterford in Munster U20 Hurling championship
Clare 2-26 Waterford 0-18
12 February 2020; A general view of hurls on the sideline before the Fitzgibbon Cup Final match between UCC and IT Carlow at Dublin City University Sportsgrounds in Glasnevin, Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Keith Smyth and Senan Dunford scored 2-12 between them as Clare knocked Waterford out of the Munster Under-20 Hurling Championship in Dungarvan.
Free-taker Smyth struck 1-9 while target man Dunford got 1-3 from play as the Banner picked up their first win of the campaign and moved onto four points in the provincial standings.
Jack O'Neill (0-4) and Sean Rynne (0-3) also impressed as Terence Fahy's team blitzed their opponents 1-15 to 0-7 in the second half. Tom O'Connell was Waterford's top performer with four points from play.
Dunford's 26th minute goal left Clare 1-11 to 0-11 to the good at the break. Oran Cahill grabbed a Waterford puckout and fired the ball into Gearoid Sheedy.
He crossed for Dunford who flicked home. The Tubber man finished the half with 1-2 and also had a goal disallowed. Smyth added another free. He nailed five in the opening half.
Clare moved seven up early in the second period as their running game tore the Déise defence apart. The nippy O'Neill added two to his tally with Smyth (free), Dunford and Kennedy also on target.
The home team rallied as O'Connell closed the gap to four. That was as near as Gary O'Keeffe's side got.
Michael Mullaney forced a save from Clare number one Aaron Shanahan on 40 minutes and Ian McNamara stopped the rebound from Kevin Cullinane.
With nine minutes left, Smyth batted to the roof of the Waterford net to clinch Clare's first win of the provincial series.
Scorers – Waterford: P Fitzgerald 0-7 (6fs), T O'Connell 0-4, C Keane, C Treen 0-2 each, M Mullaney, J Booth, E Foley 0-1 each. Clare: K Smyth 1-9 (8fs), S Dunford 1-3, J O'Neill 0-4, S Rynne 0-3, O O'Donnell 0-2, O Cahill, D Lohan, P Crotty, D Kennedy, K Hartigan 0-1 each.
Waterford: C Troy; J Power, C Cantwell, R Dobbyn; M Mullaney, M Fitzgerald, O Walsh; W Beresford, K Cullinane; J Booth, C Keane, T O'Connell; C Treen, P Fitzgerald, F Roche. Subs: L O Siothchain for Roche (HT), F Hallinan for Beresford (41), L Horgan for Keane (48), E Foley for Cullinane (54).
Clare: A Shanahan; J Conneally, A Hogan, I McNamara; J Collins, D Lohan, O Cahill; J O'Neill, S Rynne; O O'Donnell, P Crotty, K Smyth; D Kennedy, G Sheedy, S Dunford. Subs: C Cleary for Kennedy (41), K Hartigan for Sheedy (45), C Whelan for Dunford (54), O Clune for Cahill (55), R O'Connor for Rynne (61).
Referee: K Jordan (Tipperary).
