*Conor Fennell palms the ball to the net. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Clare recorded a runaway win over Waterford in the opening round of the Munster minor football championship in Shannon this Thursday evening.
Clare 4-18
Waterford 0-4
Venue: Shannon
The outcome of this contest was clear long before the final whistle and the winners would not have been flattered by a much bigger winning margin such was their dominance.
The home side burst out of the blocks and they could have had a brace of goals before Cathal Talty opened their account in the fifth minute with a lovely point.
Talty had a goal disallowed at the mid point of the half when he was adjudged to have been in the square when he finished a Conor Fennell delivery.
For all of their dominance the home side were only three points clear after the first quarter, full forward Fennell having added a brace to Talty’s opening score.
A foul on Talty in the twentieth minute resulted in a penalty and while Fennell’s effort was saved, the Kilrush teenager was following up and he dispatched the rebound to the net.
Three minutes after he struck again finding the net after the Waterford goalie Conor Moore had saved well from Darren Keane. Keane followed with a brace of points and Clare led 2-6 to 0-0 as the game drifted into injury time when Jack Power converted a free to give the visitors their only score of the half. Clare finished the half with a Talty point to lead 2-7 to 0-1 at the interval.
The winners continued where they had left off when the second half got underway and they landed points from Colm Meaney and a brace from team captain Sean McMahon within five minutes of the restart.. Talty then added 1-2, the goal coming after a tremendous run forward by full back Daire Hill and Clare led 3-12 to 0-1 at the three quarter stage.
With such a commanding lead, Clare emptied the bench and they made five chances between here and the final whistle.
Five minutes from the end, Conor Fennell completed his hat trick of goals for the evening when he flicked a cross from substitute Gavin O’Shea to the net.
Michael Kelly, Daire Hill, Sean McMahon, Conor Fennell and Cathal Dalty stood out for a dominant Clare team on the evening.
Next week Clare travel to Rathkeale to play Limerick and the Shannonsiders will need to get something from this tie having lost to Tipperary in this Thursday’s first round.
Scorers Clare; Cathal Talty. (1-8, 0-3 f); Conor Fennell (3-2); Sean McMahon (1 free), Darren Keane (0-2) each; Tadgh Lysaght, Evan Cahill, Colm Meaney, Colin Riordan(O-1) each
Scorers Waterford: Jake Power (0-3, f) Daryl Harty (0-1)
1: Cian Howard (Eire Og);
2: Michael Kelly (Lissycasey),
3: Daire Hill (Lissycasey),
4: Niall Fitzgerald(Wolfe Tones)
5: Sean McMahon (Banner) Captain
6: Paddy Nagle (St. Josephs, Doora- Barefield)
7: Jake Garry (Cooraclare)
8: Evan Cahill (Kilmurry-Ibrickane)
9: Tadhg Lysaght (Kilrush)
10: Colm Meaney (Clondegad)
11: Darren Keane(Lissycasey)
12: Mark Kelleher (Ennistymon)
13: Dara Killeen (Lissycasey)
14: Conor Fennell (Kilrush)
15: Cathal Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
Subs:
17: Gavin O’Shea (Doonbeg) for Kelleher (47)
18: Paudie Considine (Ennistymon) for Cahill (47)
19: Colin Riordan (Wolfe Tones) for Keane (47)
22: Ronan Kilroy (Banner) for Garry (50)
20: Calum Deegan Herlihy for Meaney (50)
Waterford: Conor Moore; Darragh Murphy, Adam Murray, Brian Curran; Tadhg Leane, Shane Power Seamie Wall; Ollie Buck, Kyle Moloney; Darragh O’Neill, Cathal Sweeney, Jack Power; Daryl Harty, Seanie Flavin (Capt), Kyle Flynn;
Subs: Aaron Quinn for O’Neill (half time); Darragh Jacob for BNuck (35); Tom Gardner for S. Wall (40); Fergal O’Brien for Moloney (44); Charlie Power for Flynn (53)
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan, Kerry
