*James Organ. Photograph: Ruth Griffin
AN UNANSWERED rally of 1-4 including a goal from James Organ saw Clare’s U20 hurlers record their first win of this year’s Munster championship.
Clare 2-18
Waterford 0-17
Venue: Fraher Field, Dungarvan
April Fools Day may have passed but still don’t let this scoreline mislead you as Clare were extremely fortunate to come out of Fraher Field in Dungarvan with their first win of the campaign.
In the end, a 1-4 unanswered blitz entering the final ten minutes saved Clare’s blushes once more, a week on from somehow letting Cork off the hook with an opening draw.
Don’t get me wrong, a win is a win and Terence Fahy’s side will be thoroughly relieved to have prevailed over an obstinate Waterford side that simply refused to lie down. However, with provincial favourites Tipperary to come in a fortnight’s time, there will have to be a step up in gears if Clare are to maintain their unbeaten start.
Not able to put their opponents away for the majority for the second successive week, two key moments would aid Clare’s maiden victory of 2025. The first came deep into injury-time in the opening half as having conceded three points in a row against their incrementally momentum-fuelled hosts, Clare could have easily gone in trailing by 0-9 to 0-8.
That they didn’t stemmed from a superb catch from Fred Hegarty from a Jamie Moylan delivery while his marker Fiacra Cooney’s ill-advised decision to haul him down would come with the ultimate cost of a black card and a penalty that Hegarty duly dispatched to the net to give the Banner a perfect half-time boost at 1-8 to 0-9.
Despite a two point interval lead and a strong wind and an extra man for the first ten minutes to come, Clare still couldn’t take advantage as they only led by 1-10 to 0-10 by the time Cooney returned at the two-thirds mark thanks to points from Eoin McMahon and a Hegarty.
In an eerily similar scenario to last week’s third quarter blank, that pair of points would be Clare’s only contribution to the scoreboard in the same period despite having an extra man for the majority of it.
Ben O’Sullivan also had a shot saved as Mark Hartley’s frees lessened the damage to just the minimum entering the final quarter.
Clare’s funk stemmed from having way too many players in the middle third and only one or two in Waterford’s half which ensured that they were unable to utilise the strong wind at their backs.
A relieving brace of Jack O’Neill points did provide some much needed breathing space though and once Clare got their second crucial break when James Organ blocked down a Daniel Lalor clearance and cut in from the right corner to fire to the net, that goal emphatically clinched a much-needed Banner triumph.
In the absence of the injured Diarmuid Stritch, Michael Collins worked tirelessly throughout aided by Jamie Moylan, James Hegarty, James Organ and Jack O’Neill who also had a shot superbly tipped away midway through the opening half.
Mark Sheedy also excellently denied O’Sullivan a goal in the same period while Fred Hegarty was unerring from placed balls in what must have been a draining week.
In the end, Waterford will wonder how they didn’t get something out of the tie but a double figure wide count including too many from score able frees provided detrimental as did their ringrustiness in decision-making as full-back Cooney had completely forgotten about the black card rule for cynical fouls as did his management who couldn’t believe the decision.
It was the correct call and one which greatly helped nudge Clare over the line ahead of a welcome two week break until hosting Tipperary back in O’Garney Park.
Scorers for Clare: Fred Hegarty 1-7 (1-0 Pen, 7f); Jack O’Neill, Michael Collins 0-3 each; James Organ 1-0; Sean Boyce, Eoin McMahon, Ronan Kilroy, Jamie Moylan, Liam Crotty 0-1 each
Scorers for Waterford: Mark Hartley 0-9 (7f); Jack Twomey 0-3; Conor Tobin 0-2; Gearoid Power, Aaron O’Neill, Peter Cummins 0-1 each
Clare
1: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)
2: Eoghan Gunning (Broadford)
3: Fionan Treacy (Éire Óg)
4: John Cahill (Clooney-Quin)
8: Jamie Moylan (Cratloe)
6: James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)
7: Eoin McMahon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
5: Joe Casey (Kilmaley)
9: Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge)
14: James Organ (Corofin)
12: Michael Collins (Clonlara)
10: Ronan Kilroy (Banner)
13: Sean Boyce (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
15: Fred Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)
11: Jack O’Neill (Clooney-Quin)
Subs
18: Liam Crotty (Scariff) for Gunning (43-48, BS)
22: Daniel Costelloe (Ballyea) for Crotty (48)
Crotty for Boyce (50)
24: Frankie Lyons (Ruan) for F. Hegarty (57)
17: Tadhg Lohan (Cratloe) for Kilroy (61)
21: Piaras Ó Sé (Ruan) for O’Halloran (61)
Waterford
1: Alex Reade (Ballyduff Lower)
2: Daniel Lalor (De La Salle)
3: Fiacra Cooney (Ballygunner)
4: Conor Keane (De La Salle)
5: Joe McDonnell (Tallow)
6: Aaron O’Neill (Ballygunner)
7: Cillian Ryan (Brickey Rangers)
8: Evan Spellman (Fourmilewater)
9: Sean Mackey (Fenor)
10: Cormac Deevey (Brickey Rangers)
11: Jack Twomey (De La Salle)
12: Gearoid Power (Clonea)
13: Michael Morrissey (Fourmilewater)
14: Mark Hartley (Ballygunner)
15: Ben O’Sullivan (Lismore)
Subs
21: Peter Cummins (Brickey Rangers) for Deevey (37)
23: Conor Tobin (Ballygunner) for Power (46)
24: Pat Walsh (Fourmilewater) for Morrissey (55)
18: Cathal O’Sullivan (Ballygunner) for Lalor (56, inj)
17: Joe O’Keeffe (Lismore) for Spellman (57)
Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary)
