Munster SFC/ Waterford 1-6 Clare 0-7:Waterford footballers ended a 19- year wait for a championship victory thanks to a well deserved win over Páidí Ó Sé's Clare at Fraher Field yesterday.
A rousing second-half display by the hosts helped to erase the memory of an insipid opening half. A home win looked beyond the Waterford men within just 12 minutes of Maurice Deegan's opening whistle thanks to Clare's confident start as they registered four points without reply.
And it could have been worse for John Kiely's team who conceded a penalty after six minutes after David Russell was hacked down by Paul Ogle. But from the resulting kick Stephen Hickey fired the ball over Tom Wall's crossbar.
After 12 minutes Andy Hubbard finally got Waterford off the mark with a well-struck 45-metre kick. Three minutes later full back Thomas O'Gorman embarked on a terrific upfield surge as he slalomed past several Clare challenges only to shoot tamely into the midriff of goalkeeper Joe Hayes.
A dire, foul-heavy 20 minutes was to follow during which both sides rarely looked like scoring. Yet whatever momentum there was in the closing minutes of the half Waterford found it thanks to a brace of Brian Wall points.
After the interval Clare stretched their lead thanks to points from Rory Donnelly and Russell but Waterford refused to buckle as centre forward Gary Hurney took command and lifted the home crowd with a series of fine catches.
Waterford's growing belief was rewarded by a well-taken point from Liam Ó Lionáin after 57 minutes. Fifty seconds later that belief was turning into expectation thanks to Ger Power's drilled shot which flew low beyond Hayes' lunge.
With eight minutes remaining the energetic Power fisted over another point to leave Waterford supporters chewing their knuckles at the prospect of a historic victory. Despite Laurence Keely's late point Clare never looked capable of mounting a rally in the dying minutes. This was Waterford's day at last.
WATERFORD: T Wall; J Walsh, T O'Gorman, S Briggs; J Phelan, E Rockett, P Ogle; M Ahearne, J Hurney; B Wall (0-3, frees), G Hurney, G Power (1-1); W Hennessy, A Hubbard (0-1, '45), L Ó Lionáin (0-1). Sub: E Walsh for Ogle (70 mins).
CLARE: J Hayes; L Healy (0-1), C Whelan, G Kelly; J Hayes, D Russell (0-2), G Lyons; F O'Dea, G Brennan; D Connole, E Coughlan, M Murphy; E Talty (0-1), S Hickey (0-1, pen), R Donnelly (0-2, one free). Subs: M O'Dwyer for Connole (42 mins), C Lafferty for Murphy (58), D Kelly for Hayes (63), S Daniels for Talty (65).
Referee: M Deegan(Laois).
