HARTY CUP Quarter-final: De La Salle 3-17 St Caimin's 0-6Holders De La Salle, Waterford, hammered Shannon side St Caimin's by 20 points in Golden yesterday to book their place in the semi-finals of the Dr Harty Cup.

The reigning All-Ireland champions were in devastating form against their Clare opponents, who found themselves out of their depth in their very first quarter-final appearance.

The game was over as a contest at half-time as the Waterford boys held a 1-9 to 0-3 lead, the sixth-minute goal courtesy of county minor Stephen Power, one of six survivors from last year's successful team.

Merciless De La Salle added second-half goals from Peter McCarthy and substitute Dominic Smith, but this was not just a supreme attacking performance by the Waterford side as a rock-solid defence ensured that St Caimin's finished the game without a single score from play.

De La Salle's handsome victory has set up an all-Waterford 'derby' match in the last four.

West Waterford Colleges are already through to the semi-final stage of the Harty Cup, along with Limerick's Ard Scoil Rís, and the last remaining place will be decided next Friday in the Ragg (throw-in: 1.30pm) when Thurles CBS and Our Lady's Templemore square up again in their replayed quarter-final.

DE LA SALLE:S O'Keeffe; R Cunningham, B Coughlan, O Keevers; N Connors, P Mahony (0-2), S Daniels (0-1); J Dillon, E Barrett; D Purcell (0-1), N Clifford, P McCarthy (1-2); Pauric Mahony (0-1), B O'Sullivan (0-4), S Power (1-6, 5f, 1 sl). Subs: G Bambrick for Dillon (47m), P Farrelly for Purcell (49m), D Smith (1-0) for Pauric Mahony (49m), K Fitzgerald for McCarthy (49m), B Norris for Daniels (52m).

ST CAIMIN'S:I Mulcahy; S O'Connor, K Lynch, N Frawley; E Boyce, L Markham (0-2), P Sheahan; S Collins (0-1), S Hynan; B Deasy, T Crowe, D Gallery; D Duggan, C Treacy, C McGrath (0-3f). Subs: P Collins for Deasy (42m), D Liddy for Treacy (53m).

Referee: John Ryan (Tipperary).