*Shane Meehan. Photograph: Chris Copley

Clareโ€™s minor hurlers have got off to a winning start defeating Waterford by two points in Sundayโ€™s curtain raiser.

Clare 0-17
Waterford 0-15
Venue: Walsh Park

Inagh/Kilnamonaโ€™s Conner Hegarty set the standard for the winners with four points from play over the course of sixty minutes. Others to impress for the Saffron and Blue youngsters included Shane Meehan, Diarmaid Cahill and Cian Galvin. A wasteful Waterford could have overturned the result had it not been for their nine wides.

Level on four occasions in the opening half, successive scores from Keith Smyth and one from Tony Butler on twenty two minutes would put Clare in the lead for the first time. Three Aaron Ryan efforts reduced the deficit but white flags from Hegarty and Meehan would leave the visitors ahead by one at the break.

Within ten minutes of the restart, Waterford led by two. Crusheen forward Oisin Oโ€™Donnell got Clare off the mark on forty one minutes and they followed this with scores from Smyth and Cahill to restore the one point advantage.

A nervy finish ensued but points from Hegarty and substitute Dylan Downes would be enough to see Fergal Lynchโ€™s side home.

In their first championship outing, both sides were bound to make mistakes, they did and crucially for Clare they do so while managing to carve out a win. Their confidence will grow following on from this result. The same applies for Waterford who had strong showings from Aaron Ryan, Rory Furlong and Caolan McCraith.

Scorers Clare: K Smyth (0-05 4f), C Hegarty (0-04), D Cahill (0-03), C Galvin (0-01 1f), T Butler (0-01), S Meehan (0-01), O Oโ€™Donnell (0-01), D Downes (0-01).

Scorers Waterford: A Ryan (0-09 8f), J Burke (0-01), R Halloran (0-02 1f 1โ€™Pen), J Gleeson (0-01)

Clare:

1: Aaron Shanahan (Tulla)
2: Storm Devanney (Sixmilebridge)
3: Adam Hogan (Feakle)
4: Cillian McGroary (Corofin)
5: Jarlath Collins (ร‰ire ร“g)
6: Colm Oโ€™Meara (Clonlara)
7: Tony Butler (St Josephs Doora/Barefield)
8: Oisin Clune (Feakle)
9: Killian Oโ€™Connor (Corofin)
13: Conner Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona)
11: Cian Galvin (Clarecastle)
12: Oisin Oโ€™Donnell (Crusheen)
10: Shane Meehan (The Banner)
14: Diarmaid Cahill (Corofin)
15: Keith Smyth (Killanena)

Subs:
23. Dylan Downes (Sixmilebridge) for Oโ€™Connor (41)
21. Sean Ronan (Kilmaley) for Oโ€™Donnell (60)

Waterford:
1: Rian Hogan (Kilcrossanty)
2: Jack ร“ Floinn (An Ghaeltacht)
3: Sean Oโ€™Neill (Ballygunner)
4: Cathrach Daly (Lismore)
5: Ruairรญ Fitzpatrick (Ballygunner)
6: Rory Furlong (Ruanmore)
7: Reuben Halloran (De La Salle)
8: Sean Burke (Roanmore)
9: Eoin Oโ€™Brien (Ballygunner)
10: Jamie Gleeson (Mount Sion)
11: Aaron Ryan (Fourmilewater)
12: Triston Loftus (Dungarvan)
21: Caolan MacCraith (An Ghaeltacht)
13: Johnny Burke (Dungarvan)
15: Michael Cummins (Passage)

Subs:
14. Mark Fitzgerald (Passage) for Loftus (HT)
24. Caoimhin Walsh (Killrossanty) for Fitzpatrick (HT)
22. Jamie Power (Modeligo) for Oโ€™Brien (38)
19. Jake Foley (Ballygunner) for Gleeson (46)
17. Conor Berry (Ballygunner) for Cummins (56)

Referee: John McCormack (Tipperary)

Related News

albert dolan sisters of mercy 1
โ‚ฌ1m allocated to rejuvenate old Sisters of Mercy convent in Gort
corofin v cooraclare 12-10-25 jamie malone 1
Malone clocks up the miles to help Corofin climb back to senior football ranks
kilfenora corner linnanes pub 1
Community plans for Kilfenora Corner Project scrapped
church scariff sacred heart 1
Bicentenary celebrations of Scariff church
Latest News
henry adams kieran considine 1-2
Liscannor.ie goes live as village's new official website
albert dolan sisters of mercy 1
โ‚ฌ1m allocated to rejuvenate old Sisters of Mercy convent in Gort
inagh kilnamona v scariff ogonnelloe 11-10-25 eugene foudy 2
Foudy & Inagh/Kilnamona looking to bridge five year gap for senior success
raymond o'mahony andrea o'keeffe 1-2
Awesome display from Andrea wins player of the week
corofin v cooraclare 12-10-25 jamie malone 1
Malone clocks up the miles to help Corofin climb back to senior football ranks
Premium
Malone clocks up the miles to help Corofin climb back to senior football ranks
No talk of three in a row for Truagh/Clonlara
U21 teams profiled as the games begin in football championship
The Water Break: How ร‰ire ร“g painted the town of Ennis red with historic senior double
Lanigan's having a ball in ร‰ire ร“g's golden era

Advertisement

Subscribe for just โ‚ฌ3 per month

If youโ€™re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just โ‚ฌ3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter โ‚ฌ8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.