Clare 1-14 Limerick 0-11

All-Ireland champions Clare got 2014 off to a winning start when they defeated Munster title-holders Limerick at Sixmilebridge yesterday, in the quarter-final of the Waterford Crystal Senior hurling tournament. Davy Fitzgerald and his backroom team fielded an experimental side that featured only one player, wing-back Pat O'Connor, who started in both the drawn and replayed decider last September. Nevertheless, the Banner county proved too strong for a Limerick side who squandered scoring chances over the seventy minutes, hitting thirteen wides overall.

One of Clare’s newcomers, corner-forward Bobby Duggan was in fine scoring form, recording twelve points in all, nine of those from placed balls. The Clarecastle youngster, county minor for the past three seasons,

was one of a number of debutants to impress on a day when Limerick

unveiled their new joint managers, TJ Ryan and Corkman, Donal O’Grady.

Playing in front of a crowd of 1,456, the home-side got off to a dream start when another new recruit David Reidy was in for a goal within a minute of the throw-in. Centre-forward Cathal “Tots” O’Connell set him up with a long goal-ward ball and the young Éire Óg clubman flicked to the net from the edge of the square. Duggan put the Banner four points ahead minutes later with a 40m free after O’Connell was fouled in possession.

John Fitzgibbon opened the Shannonsiders account in the 8th minute when he pointed from a free close to the right sideline. Limerick did have a real goal chance on thirteen minutes when Graeme Mulcahy hand-passed to Michael Ryan but the full-forward’s volley hit the right up-right and sailed harmlessly wide. Shane Golden and Liam Markham dominated slightly in the middle of the park and Clare forced the Limerick defence to give away a number of frees, resulting in Duggan punishing them with his unerring accuracy. At half-time Limerick trailed by six points 1-9 to 0-6 and knew that they should have been closer but for some wayward shooting.

After the break Clare introduced Sean Collins for left-half forward Alan O’Neill while Ryan and O’Grady returned with the same fifteen that began the game. William Hickey had a very early point from play for the visitors to narrow the gap. But three in a row from Bobby Duggan, including two frees, ensured that Fitzgerald’s charges still kept the upper hand. As in the opening half, Duggan proved to be the difference between the sides and even though he landed some fine scores both from play and placed balls he still managed to miss the target on two occasions in the second period. After the game All-Ireland winning manager Davy Fitzgerald expressed his pleasure with his unfamiliar looking team’s performance when he said, “I thought they fought well. We fought very well and we tackled very well and that was the most pleasing aspect of it.

I though both teams worked really hard, to tell you the truth. So for the middle of January, it was a very good workout,” he said. Meanwhile Limerick joint-manager T.J. Ryan admitted that inaccuracy possibly cost his side the game. He stated, “they scored nine points from frees and we missed some of our frees so that was probably the key difference. We created a goal chance or two in the first half but didn’t get them and they kept their five/six points lead throughout.”

Scorers – Clare: B Duggan (0-12) 9 f's, D Reidy (1-0), K Ryan & C O'Connell (0-1) each. Limerick: J Fitzgibbon (0-5) f's, W Hickey (0-2), D O'Donovan, T Quaid, S Tobin, P O'Brien (0-1).
CLARE: D Tuohy, K Ryan, C Duggan, S Morey, C Cleary, P Kelly, P O'Connor, L Markham, S Golden, N O'Connell, A O'Neill, B Duggan, C Cooney (Capt.), D Reidy. Subs: S Collins for O'Neill (half-time), D O'Halloran for Cooney (57), D O'Donovan for Kelly (58), Colin Ryan for Markham (64), S Gleeson for Reidy (65).
LIMERICK: B Hennesy, S Walsh, P O'Loughlin, R English, W McNamara, G O'Mahoney, C McNamara, P Browne, P O'Brien, D O'Donovan, D O'Grady (Capt.), W Hickey, G Mulcahy, M Ryan, J Fitzgibbon. Subs: S Tobin for O'Donovan (52), T Quaid for Ryan (58), R McCarthy for Walsh (65), B Lynch for English (66).
Referee: D Copps (Cork)

UCC 3-28 Mary Immaculate College 2-14

A potent full-forward lined helped UCC to advance past Mary Immaculate College without too much obstruction in the Waterford Crystal Cup at the Mardyke yesterday.

While last year's Fitzgibbon Cup final between the sides saw UCC prevail by just five points, this game never really had a chance to develop in a real contest as Jack Ahern's 10th-minute goal put the hosts 1-5 to 0-3 ahead and from there they drove on.

Ahern finished with 1-4 while his partners up top, Conor Lehane and Willie Griffin, each managed to scored 1-6. Lehane’s goal, a brilliant doubled effort from fellow Cork panellist Rob O’Shea’s pass, made it 2-10 to 0-4 by the 18th minute.

When Griffin profited from Killian Bourke’s excellent delivery to add the third goal just before the half-hour, the advantage was 18 points, 3-14 to 0-5, and by half-time they led by 20.

Wing-back James Barry was another to shine for UCC while Brian Murray and Daniel Roche did well at midfield. With a raft of changes after half-time though, it was inevitable that the tempo dropped and Mary I managed to augment their tally.

Clare star Colm Galvin impressed from them while Jamie Wall and Niall O’Meara got late goals, but those scores and late points from Paul Hayes and Jamie Moloney were never going to materially affect the outcome.

UCC now face a busy weekend. On Saturday, they take on Cork in the Canon O’Brien Cup while then on Sunday they travel to face All-Ireland champions Clare.

UCC: D McCarthy; S Maher, D Glynn, P O'Sullivan; J Barry (0-3, one free), C Murphy, K Bourke; B Murray (0-2), D Roche (0-1); B Lawton (0-2), D McCormack (0-2), R O'Shea; W Griffin (0-4, frees, C Lehane (0-2, frees), J Ahern (1-4). Subs: M Collins for Murray, S Roche for D Roche, C Spillane for Maher (all half-time), A Cadogan (0-2) for Lehane, D Lester for Barry (both 43 mins).
MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE: N Kelly; C Barry, A Ryan, Éanna Hogan; M Collier, J Meagher, S Kennedy; L Considine, C Galvin (0-3, one free); PJ Keane (0-1), D Reidy (0-1, free), D Ferncombe; Eoin Hogan (0-1), J Wall(1-3), N O'Meara (1-0). Subs: J Hannon for Considine, L Corry for Barry (both half-time), J Moloney (0-2) for Keane (41 mins), M O'Shea for Galvin, P Hayes (0-1)for Eoin Hogan (both 54 mins).
Referee: J O'Brien (Tipperary).

University of Limerick 2-30 Waterford IT 1-20

For a second successive week University of Limerick hurlers emerged from the south east venue at Carriganore with a decisive victory and a place in the Waterford Crystal Cup semi-final. Powered by the considerable influence of Clare seniors Conor Ryan and Podge Collins UL were much too good for a depleted WIT side.

In a fast paced opening 30 minutes it was WIT with their noses in front 12 to 10 with Wexford’s Harry Kehoe registering five excellent scores for the Waterford side. UL though stamped their authority on the game with 1-3 without reply before the break. Nenagh’s Tommy Heffernan netting from close range to leave UL leading 1-13 to 12 at half-time.

The elusive Podge Collins had UL’s second goal after 38 minutes and while Johnny Hayes hit the net for the Waterford students soon after the result was never in doubt. Padraic Walsh hit four superb points from the middle of the field for the winners with left-half back Thomas Ryan also contributing three points from play for the Limerick side.

UL manager Brian Lohan was delighted with his side's performance and is looking forward to locking horns with Eamon O'Shea's Tipperary in the semi-final Sunday next.

UL: S.Hassett, D.Quinn, J.Sheehan, J.Browne, C.Ryan (0-4,1f,1'65), D. Morrissey, T.Ryan (0-3), B.Maher (0-2), P.Walsh (0-4), C.Malone (0-3), P.Collins (1-1), B.Stapelton (0-3), T.O'Brien, M. Boran, T.Heffernan (1-8,6f's ). Subs: J.Forde (0-1) for M.Boran, M.O'Neill for C.Malone, M.Ryan (0-1) for T.O'Brien, K.O'Brien for B.Stapelton.
WIT: K.Hammersley, G.Tehan, P. Gahan, J.Maher, T.Hammill (0-1), J.O'Dwyer, S. Murphy, C.Kenny (0-3), J. Langton, J. Hayes (1-2), H.Kehoe (0-8,7f's), A.Kenny (0-1), L.McGrath (0-3), M. Gaffney (0-1), M.Power (0-1). Subs: C.Heffernan for L.McGrath, T.Fox for M.Gaffney, A.McGrath for J.Langton, L.O'Loughlin for B.Hammill, L.Hickey for J.Maher.
Referee: John Sexton (Cork).


Tipperary 2-16 Kerry 0-8

Youthful Kerry put up a brave battle before finally succumbing to a superior Tipperary side in this Waterford Crystal Cup quarterfinal, played in a deluge and on a heavy sod, at the Austin Stack Park, on Sunday, and both sides will take positives from a game that lucky to go ahead.

This was a most encouraging display from the home side, under new manager Eamonn Kelly, a Tipperary native, who opted to go with youth, playing seven debutants and only using three players over 25. It was only in the final minutes that Tipperary’s class told, albeit in near impossible conditions, with Noel McGrath and Padraic Maher coming off the bench. It also took a 50th minute goal from the impressive Michael Cahill and 1-2 in injury time, with top gun, Eoin Kelly rifling a second goal, to give a flattering look to the scoreboard.

For Kerry Tommy Casey was a colossus at fullback, while Dougie Fitzelle and Kevin Orpen, were tenacious in denying the Tipp inside line any space, with wing back Sean Weir driving forward despite being on no less an opponent that Patrick Bonar Maher.

Kerry led 0-2 to 0-0 after five minutes thanks to points from Shane Nolan and Padraig Boyle and Tipperary did not hit the front until the 21st minute, when Eoin Kelly converted a free, and when Michael Cahill added two from play, Kelly brought his first half tally to 0-5, Tipperary led 0-9 to 0-3 at the interval.

The expected floodgates never opened the second half as Kerry fought tenaciously and took the game to Tipp, as three unanswered points, one from Philip Lucid, and two Nolan frees, closed the gap to three.

However once Tipperary’s Michael Cahill drilled a low ball to the Kerry net in the 50th minute, and with Noel and Shane McGrath, along with Cahill, substitute Padraic Maher excelling, Tipperary advanced to the semi finals, but they were given an honest and searching test by the home side, without a shock ever looking on the cards.

Scorers – Tipperary: E Kelly 1-8 (0-4 f), M Cahill 1-2, D Collins 0-2, D Maher, N McGrath, R Maher, C O Riordan 0-1 each. Kerry: S Nolan 0-5 f, P Lucid, M Boyle and P Boyle 0-1 each

TIPPERARY: D Egan, C Bartlett, C O Mahony, J Peters, S McGrath, B Maher, C O Brien, M Cahill, J Woodlock ( Padraic Maher 48) , D Maher, D Collins ( C O Riordan 69) , Patrick B Maher ( R Maher 52) , E Kelly, P Murphy ( N McGrath h/t) , C Kenny.
KERRY: T Flynn, D Fitzelle, T Casey ( D Dineen 29) , K Orpen, S Weir, J Leahy, Brendan O Leary, P Lucid ( Brian O Leary 65) , D Collins, M Boyle, S Nolan, C O Brien ( P O Connor 48) , PJ Connolly, P Boyle, P McGrath ( R Heffernan 35) : additional sub: K Dineen for R Heffernan ( 50).
Referee: D O Driscoll (Limerick)