Clare and Waterford to do it all again after thrilling draw

Clare 0-22 Waterford 0-22 [after extra time]

The Allianz Hurling League final went to a replay for the first time in 23 years after the crown princes of the current game fought out a tactically labyrinthine – Clare manager David Fitzgerald said that he reckoned the teams changed formations four times each – but ultimately inconclusive engagement in Semple Stadium.

For all the avant-garde strategies this was a thoroughly exciting match according to more conventional criteria.

Clare and Waterford were level on 12 occasions and each county dashed the trophy from the other’s hands with late frees to equalise at the end of both normal and extra time.

The teams were both happy enough with the shared honours even though their championship meeting on June 5th will now be a week closer to the resolution of this year’s league title.

With the summer in mind and prospective contests against championship kingdoms each side will be aware that they are unlikely to be able to afford as many wides – they shared 39 almost evenly – in a match if they hope to prosper this summer. Few seconds There was irony in Waterford saving the day with a free from around 90 metres as the match clock ticked away the last few seconds of extra time.

Replacement Maurice Shanahan, returning from injury, had a brilliant championship last year from the placed ball and his shot navigated both distance and direction to send the final spinning into a replay next Sunday afternoon at the same venue.

It’s safe to speculate that had Shanahan been around for the 70 minutes of normal time there would have been no need of the additional time.

Fitzgerald credited his players with forcing their opponents’ wides’ count in the first half – a substantial 12 – by crowding the middle and making them shoot from distance.

The problem though for Waterford was more to do with their dead-ball striking than poor shot selection although that latter factor played a part.

Three of the most promising young players to have emerged in the county had responsibility for frees – Shane Bennett after Patrick Curran had missed three in the first half and Austin Gleeson's five first-half wides included a couple of frees. Terrific match Bennett appeared to have steadied the ship but missed three himself at the start of the second half before recovering his radar. He also played a terrific match in general play and his two points at the end of normal time – one a free for a foul he earned after Pat O'Connor pulled him down as he tried to get a shot on goal and the other an injury-time score form play – looked to have retained the title for Waterford.

Relieved as Waterford were with their ultimate escape, Clare will feel that they can take a good deal from the match. Unlike their opponents, they were below-strength and conceded a lot of the contest in terms of possession and platform.

But they still managed to keep pace on the scoreboard, exhibiting a far more clinical finish – especially in the first half as exemplified by Conor McGrath’s five from five.

After half-time they and McGrath appeared to have contracted the inaccuracy virus and all but caught up with their opponents on the wides’ count.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath pointed out that his team had opened up Clare for goal chances, which although not taken had been encouraging. Replacement Tom Devine, who has demonstrated his talent for getting goals off the bench, had a couple of good chances in extra time but Patrick Kelly saved both. Clare could argue that McGrath and Shane O’Donnell also had chances which drew good saves from Stephen O’Keeffe.

Clare also got the full 90 minutes out of Tony Kelly in his first full match back after injury and if he wasn’t at full throttle, no-one scored more from play.

He was lucky though not to have incurred more serious reprimand than a yellow card for a head-high challenge on Colin Dunford in the 28th minute. A point At half-time there was only a point in it, Clare leading 0-7 to 0-6 having had a three-point advantage at one stage during the half, a margin they repeated after the break. The second half of normal time saw Waterford again have much of the play and eventually it told.

On the hour Austin Gleeson nailed a free from beyond 65 metre to give the holders the lead for the first time.

Clare responded with points from a McGrath free and Podge Collins, looking in promising form as his comeback from serious injury continued.

Jamie Barron, another dynamic afternoon in his catalogue, pointed before Bennett’s scores looked to have decided the matter. Kelly fired a wide in injury-time (he contested the call) but somehow Clare conjured a response and won a free wide on the left, which McGrath converted.

The sides couldn’t finish each other off in extra time. Waterford started quickly, shooting three points from replacements Brian O’Halloran and Tommy Ryan and a free by Bennett. Clare responded in kind but Waterford earned kudos in the second half of extra time, having to equalise on four occasions, the last through Shanahan’s nerveless huge free.

Next Sunday the teams return to Thurles for the replay, the first since the Cork-Wexford epic of 1993, and with the Munster semi-final to come in just under five weeks this has almost become a residency as well as a rivalry.

WATERFORD: S O'Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; T de Búrca, A Gleeson (0-2, frees), P Mahony (0-1); J Barron (0-1), D Fives; K Moran, S Bennett (0-9, six frees), M Walsh; P Curran (0-4, two frees), J Dillon, C Dunford (0-1). Subs: T Devine for Dunford (46 mins). M Shanahan (0-1, free) for Dillon (57 mins), B O'Halloran (0-1) for Gleeson (63 mins), C Gleeson for S Fives (66 mins), T Ryan (0-2) for Curran (66 mins), C Dunford for Bennett (87 mins), Pauric Mahony for Walsh (88 mins).

CLARE: P Kelly; O O'Brien, C Dillon, P O'Connor; B Bugler, C Cleary, D Fitzgerald; D Reidy (0-1), C Galvin (0-2); P Duggan (0-1), T Kelly (0-3), A Cunningham; P Collins (0-1), D Honan, C McGrath (0-13, 10 frees). Subs: S O'Donnell for Duggan (45 mins), C O'Connell for Honan (49 mins), C Ryan (0-1) for Cunningham (54 mins), A Shanagher for Galvin (62 mins), J Browne for Cleary (76 mins), C Galvin for Collins (80 mins), S Morey for Bugler (84 mins).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).

The replay will take place in Semple Stadium next Sunday (May 8th) at 3.30pm.