The win also gives Clare two points on the Electric Ireland Munster Championship table and means that next week’s Round Three contest away to Kerry is a winner take all tie for a spot in the Munster  Final . 

Little separated Joe Hayes’ side and the Déise in an entertaining opening half . Both sides enjoying spells on top but both also guilty of inefficiency infront of goal . Despite plenty of opportunities, it took fourteen minutes for the opening score of night , a right footed kick from the Banner’s talisman Liam Keane. Keane , Clare’s top scorer coming into the tie, was well marshalled by the Waterford defence  but beside him Kildysart’s Robbie Kelly carried a similar threat , slicing through for a point on 25 minutes .

The hosts gradually settled into the game and began to assert themselves, but they were twice denied by Clare goalkeeper Conor Griffin to keep the sides level . Centre forward Aidan McMaugh was influential, kicking two fine points as he traded scores with Clare’s marauding captain Shane Cahill. A close-range free from Dara Gough ensured parity at the break, with the sides deadlocked at 0-03 apiece.

The game opened up significantly after the restart, both teams playing with less nerves and greater composure. Waterford enjoyed their purple patch in the opening ten minutes after resumption , highlighted by a two-pointer from centre half back Liam O’Grady and another converted free from Gough, which helped them establish a three-point lead.

However, Clare responded emphatically midway through the half. Substitute Michael Normoyle made an immediate impact, fisting over a point with his first touch. That score sparked a dominant spell, led by Thomas Dillon, who, just as he did against Tipperary in Phase One , proved the difference-maker. A patient Clare build-up allowed Dillon to overlap and fire home his first goal from the edge of the square on 45 minutes. Just four minutes later, a direct ball over the Waterford defence found the Doonbeg man once more, and he clinically dispatched his second goal.

That quickfire brace swung momentum firmly in Clare’s favour. With five minutes remaining, Cahill surged forward and added two points in quick succession to stretch the lead to six, effectively ending Waterford’s resistance. 

Dillon capped off a superb individual display by converting a late free, bringing his tally to 2-02 and sealing a deserved Clare victory.

After the final whistle, captain Shane Cahill accepted the Daryl Darcy cup which is named in honour of the former Tipperary underage and senior footballer who died following  a car crash in 2008 and paid tribute to a resilient Waterford side, who had defeated Clare five weeks earlier in Quilty during Phase One. 

It’s is Clare’s fourth title as Phase One Champions and for many of the panel makes amends after the extra time loss at the same stage to Tipperary last season . 

Well done to all involved .

CLARE: C Griffin (Ennistymon); G Browne (Cooraclare), S Neenan (Kildysart), T O’Loughlin (St Breckans); J Greene (Corofin), C Killeen (Lissycasey), S O Neill (Éire Og); S Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane), P Neylon (Shannon Gaels); R Cotter (Kilrush Shamrocks), T Bane (The Banner), T Dillon (Doonbeg); Robbie Kelly (Kildysart), L Keane (Lissycasey), S O’Callaghan (St Joseph’s Doora / Barefield) 

Subs: M Normoyle (St Breckans) for O’Callaghan (36); Z O’Shea (Doonbeg) for Bane (42); D Fitzpatrick (St Breckans) for Neylon (45); R Brody (Ennistymon) for Cotter (55); E Soffe (Kilrush Shamrocks) for Killeen (59) 

Scorer: T. Dillon (2-02), S. Cahill (0-03) , L. Keane,  R. Kelly and M Normoyle (0-01 each) . 

All pictures courtesy of John Kelly and The Clare Champion -