*Clare’s U20 football panel. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
IT WAS an emotional return for the Clare Under 20 footballers who ultimately paid the perfect tribute to the late Jack Boddy with a strong finish to advance to the last four of the Munster Minor Football Championship with a game to spare.
Clare 1-12
Waterford 0-6
Venue: Páirc Naomh Bríd , Lemybrien
The team’s S&C coach’s untimely passing in the aftermath of their opening win over Tipperary understandably impacted the entire camp but they admirably demonstrated remarkable unity to finally shake off their stubborn hosts Waterford.
With both sides victorious in their opening games, this was a winner-takes-all showdown for a place in Phase 2, with Clare welcoming the conditions to lead from start to finish.
However, what the final scoreline does mask is how tight the margins were as having kicked nine wides in the first half including five two point attempts, Dermot Coughlan’s side would be punished by a last gasp Paddy McCarthy two-point free to lessen Clare’s half-time cushion to just a goal at 0-7 to 0-4.
That was as close as the Deise would come to a battling Banner though as they kicked the first three points of the new half and never looked back over their shoulders thereafter.
Central to victory was their utter domination of the middle third that saw the visitors win 70% of both their own and Waterford’s kick-outs. Evan Cahill, Colm Breen and Sean Fennell produced command performances, especially Kilmurry Ibrickane clubman Cahill who burst forward at every available opportunity to keep Clare on the front foot.
Wing-backs Daniel Brody and Michael Kelly were also superb attacking outlets and only for a succession of misses in the first half, Clare could have been out of sight by half-time.
That said, Diarmuid McMahon two-point opener was worth the wait as Clare opened their account in the fifth minute and the Lissycasey wizard would have another on the board before Waterford got off the mark after ten minutes through Ben Qualter.
McMahon (2), Sean Fennell (2) and Daire Culligan’s two point attempts all caught the tricky wind and drifted wide of the target and in fact, the Banner were fortunate to keep their lead as a Paddy McCarthy free seemed to deceive everyone en route to goal, only for the goal to be ruled out by referee Timmy McGrath for a square ball.
Instead, Donncha O’Dwyer (2) and Daire Culligan made it a six point swing by the 28th minute at 0-7 to 0-2 but there was still time for Paddy McCarthy to dissect the posts with a ground free with the last kick of the first half at 0-7 to 0-4.
With time to regroup, Clare re-emerged in determined mood and thanks to their slicker running game allied to that continued midfield superiority, they doubled their advantage by the two-thirds mark with unanswered points for captain Culligan (2) and Darragh Townsend at 0-10 to 0-04.
Culligan was unlucky not to clinch victory at the turn of the final quarter when Colm Breen’s flick picked him out at the edge of the square but his pressurised kick just flew wide of the post as a relieved Waterford countered with their first point of the new half through David Nyhan in the 46th minute.
A tense twelve minute barren patch ensued but that inactivity on the scoreboard rather suited Clare before stepping on the gas to put the result beyond doubt.
An impressive Aidan Weaver burst unleashed Donncha O’Dwyer to point before Diarmuid McMahon, Michael Kelly and Col Breen combined from the restart to play in Daire Culligan to round goalkeeper Conor Drohan and finish to the net in the 59th minute.
The Lissycasey leader would trade points with Waterford’s chief threat Joe Brennan who was well marshalled by Diarmuid Boyle as was Paddy McCarthy by shadower Aaron Killeen.
Boyle would actually clear a late flick from Aaron Curran off the line in injury-time to ensure a second consecutive victory and leave Waterford to scrap it out with Tipperary for the other Phase 2 berth when they meet back in Lemybrien next Friday.
That Good Friday would be a great one if Clare can complete a perfect Phase 1 with victory over neighbours Limerick in Mountcollins as the same time (7pm).
Scorers for Clare: Daire Culligan 1-5 (3f), Diarmuid McMahon 0-3, (1tp), Donncha O’Dwyer 0-3 (1tp), Darragh Townsend 0-1
Scorers for Waterford: Paddy McCarthy 0-3 (1tpf, 1f), Ben Qualter 0-1, David Nyhan 0-1, Joe Brennan 0-1 (f)
Clare
1: Harry O’Gorman (Cooraclare)
2: Aidan Weaver (Lissycasey)
4: Aaron Killeen (Lissycasey)
6: Diarmuid Boyle (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
5: Daniel Brody (Ennistymon)
3: Stephen Murphy (St Joseph’s Miltown)
7: Michael Kelly (Lissycasey)
8: Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
9: Sean Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks)
12: Donncha O’Dwyer (St. Breckan’s)
11: Colm Breen (Corofin)
10: Darragh Townsend (Cooraclare)
14: Daire Culligan (Lissycasey)
13: Diarmuid McMahon (Lissycasey)
15: Ruben Fallon (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
Subs
22: Simon Culligan (Cooraclare) for Fallon (53)
20: Sean O’Dea (Cooraclare) for Breen (67)
Waterford
1: Conor Drohan (Rathgormack)
4: Corey Lyons (Dungarvan)
3: Ben Boland (St. Saviour’s)
2: Andrew Ryan (The Nire)
7: Darragh Jacob (St. Saviour’s)
6: Fergal O’Brien (Gaultier)
5: David Nyhan (Brickey Rangers)
8: Diarmuid Mackle (Ballinacourty)
9: Daithi Colleran (Brickey Rangers)
10: Ben Qualter (An Rinn)
11: Justin Foley (Affane/Cappoquin/Tourin)
12: Aaron Curran (Stradbally)
13: Joe Brennan (Tramore)
14: Paddy McCarthy (Brickey Rangers)
15: Paul Bagnall (Tramore)
Subs
17: Callum Royle (Brickey Rangers) for Foley (41)
19: Ciaran Power (Rathgormack) for Mackle (51)
24: Liam Kiersey (Stradbally) for Lyons (52, inj)
18: Emmanuel Adebayo (Mount Sion) for Bagnall (58)
20: Darragh Murphy (Fenor) for McCarthy (61)
Referee: Timmy McGrath (Limerick)
