*Donncha O’Dwyer scored Clare’s goal of the campaign as they lost out to Waterford. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
It was a gut-wrenching end to another compelling Phase 2 home tie for Clare as Waterford completed a dramatic eight point second half turnaround with an injury-time free through Paddy McCarthy to snatch a first win with the last kick of the game.
Waterford 2-14
Clare 2-13
Venue: St Michael’s Park, Kilmihil
With Clare soaring to a nine point victory over the Deise in the corresponding Phase 1 fixture in Lemybrien three weeks earlier, a backlash was inevitable but it was the manner of the role reversal that will hurt Dermot Coughlan and his management team most.
After all, they seemed to weather the Waterford storm that saw the visitors agonisingly pass up four glorious first half goals in contrast to a more ruthless Banner who scored the goal of their championship run so far in the ninth minute through Donncha O’Dwyer while inspirational two-pointers through goalkeeper Harry O’Gorman and Sean Fennell powered Clare to a 1-8 to 0-4 half-time advantage.
Chief threats Joe Brennan and Paddy McCarthy did initiate a second half revival on the restart but again the Banner proved clinical in their reprisal as captain Daire Culligan emphatically billowed the net in the 37th minute to put the hosts 2-8 to 0-7 in front.
Having remained unbeaten in four championship outings, more than any previous Clare Under 20 or 21 side, they should have been able to close out victory from there.
Amazingly however, within five minutes, Clare would actually be trailing their opponents for the very first time after Waterford unearthed a 2-3 unanswered blitz to completely flip the script entering the final quarter at 2-10 to 2-09.
It had to take real leadership and composure to wrestle back momentum but admirably the Banner turned the tide with the next four points through Culligan (2), Donncha O’Dwyer and a Harry O’Gorman ’45 to repair the damage at 2-12 to 2-10 entering the final ten minutes.
Crisis averted? Not quite as with only victory sufficient for Waterford to remain in the championship, they simply refused to yield with Paddy McCarthy cooly converting the last three points, all from frees, to sucker-punch their hosts at the death.
Even though defeat wasn’t detrimental for Clare, it was still a bitter pill to swallow as their game management was impressive for the first 40 minutes.
David Nyhan’s second minute shot just whistled past the far right post as Waterford, off the back of a sobering 23 point reverse to Kerry a week earlier, looked to bounce back immediately. Instead it was Sean Fennell that opened the scoring a minute later, a pattern that would be replicated when Nyhan turned provider for Ben Qualter to shoot on goal, this time seeing their attempt saved by goalkeeper O’Gorman.
Those misses would be magnified when Darragh Townsend superbly fielded a Waterford kick-out in the ninth minute and worked the ball through to Ruben Fallon whose clever disguised pass inside to Donncha O’Dwyer was perfectly placed to the left corner at 1-2 to 0-1.
Two further Waterford goal sightings were offset by two-pointers at the other end as goalkeeper Harry O’Gorman stepped forward to float over a 45 metre free in the 18th minute before Sean Fennell did likewise from play to extend Clare’s lead to seven by the break.
So when captain Culligan raided for a second goal nearing the two-thirds mark, it seemed as if Clare were set to complete their first ever Phase 2 win.
David Nyhan’s immediate goal in the next passage of play was pivotal though as it deflated the wind out of the home sails and inflated Waterford’s self-belief once more as they laid siege on the home goal for the next few minutes and would be rewarded with a deft strike from Joe Brennan for a second goal to inch the Deise in front for the very first time in the 43rd minute.
Clare did recover admirably but by then, Waterford’s spirit was proving incrementally more difficult to quench and with the door of opportunity left ajar, Paddy McCarthy duly punished with a heroic hat-trick of frees to sink the Banner.
All’s not lost though as with Cork also overturning holders Kerry by the minimum, next Wednesday’s final group round is now effectively two Munster Under 20 Semi-Finals as it’s winner-takes-all between Kerry and Clare in Tralee at 7pm while at the same time in Páirc Ui Chaoimh, a resurgent Waterford can have a real go at the last unbeaten team Cork for a place in the decider.
Scorers for Waterford: Paddy McCarthy 0-6 (5f), Joe Brennan 1-3 (2f), David Nyhan 1-2, Ben Qualter 0-1, Callum Royle 0-1, Aaron Curran 0-1
Scorers: Donncha O’Dwyer 1-2, Daire Culligan 1-2, Sean Fennell 0-3 (1tp), Harry O’Gorman 0-3 (1tpf, 1’45), Colm Breen 0-2, Simon Culligan 0-1
Clare
1: Harry O’Gorman (Cooraclare)
2: Aidan Weaver (Lissycasey)
21: Louis Griffin (Ennistymon
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)
11: Colm Breen (Corofin)
12: Donncha O’Dwyer (St. Breckan’s)
15: Ruben Fallon (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
10: Darragh Townsend (Cooraclare)
14: Daire Culligan (Lissycasey)
9: Sean Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks)
13: Diarmuid McMahon (Lissycasey)
Sub
24: Conor Hill (Lissycasey) for Murphy (38)
22: Simon Culligan (Cooraclare) for Breen (48)
23: Seanán Kirby (Corofin) for Brody (58, inj)
Waterford
1: Conor Drohan (Rathgormack)
18: Niall Fahey (Rathgormack)
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: Ciaran Power (Rathgormack)
11: Ben Qualter (An Rinn)
12: Aaron Curran (Stradbally)
13: Joe Brennan (Tramore)
14: Paddy McCarthy (Brickey Rangers)
15: Callum Royle (Brickey Rangers)
Subs
22: Ciaran Cotter (Geraldines) for Jacob (52)
17: Paul Bagnall (Tramore) for Mackle (53)
19: Justin Foley (Affane/Cappoquin/Tourin) for Power (55)
Referee: James Regan (Cork)
