Déíse leave Ennis empty-handed despite Bennett's brilliance
Stephen Bennett of Waterford scores a goal against Niall O'Farrell and Adam Hogan of Clare
Waterford’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship campaign began with defeat in an incredible game at Cusack Park, where the final scoreline by no means told the tale of the tape itself.
Despite a whopping 3-12 from the simply superb Stephen Bennett, the Déise struggled to live with Clare’s electric forwards of their own. A 72nd-minute save from Eibhear Quilligan denied Patrick Curran the chance to level the scores for an 11th time - Waterford pushed to no avail afterwards, and Shane Meehan found the net with the final action to break Déise hearts.
The Banner led by the minimum at the break, after a frantic first half in which the sides were level on no less than ten occasions.
Waterford got things moving on two minutes when Stephen Bennett was dragged down by Adam Hogan, and the Ballysaggart forward stepped up to point the free, before a close-range free from Mark Rodgers drew the hosts level.
Shane O’Donnell then got in behind the Déise defence to give Clare the lead, as Waterford puckouts were sent route one down on top of Sean Walsh and Michael Kiely. A Bennett free brought about parity again, before the marauding Tony Kelly caught the requisite puckout and beautifully split the posts at the other end.
Jack Fagan emerged from a ruck to tee up Jamie Barron on his 50th Championship appearance, but a superb catch from Rodgers soon set up Sean Rynne as it was nip-and-tuck. That changed dramatically when the Déise struck oil on 10 minutes.
A sweetly-struck sideline cut from Shane Bennett landed to brother Stephen and his initial effort was brilliantly saved by Eibhear Qulligan, but Bennett was live to the breaking ball and was on hand to finish the rebound as Waterford moved 1-3 to 0-4 ahead.
Another trademark strike from Kelly and a Rodgers free had Clare on par again, before an incredible point from way out by Diarmuid Ryan saw them seize initiative again. However, long balls into the big men from the Déise caused havoc - a Billy Nolan free was caught by Sean Walsh on 16 minutes, he was fouled by debutant Niall O’Farrell and Shane Hynes pointed to the penalty spot.
Having scored two goals in the meeting of the sides last year, Stephen Bennett stepped up and was happy to repeat the trick - cracking the sliotar to the bottom-left corner to once again establish a two-point cushion.
The Déise couldn’t live with Tony Kelly in the opening 20 minutes, he wheeled away from Shane Bennett to knock over his third and Jack Fagan was soon instructed to follow the Ballyea man everywhere he went. A well-taken free from Rodgers and a kick over the bar from Peter Duggan saw the lead swing again, before Billy Nolan came to Waterford’s rescue.
On 24 minutes, Ryan Taylor raced in behind and Nolan was on hand to block his initial effort and a follow-up at the near post. Calum Lyons made a superb block on O’Donnell, the ball was recycled down to Dessie Hutchinson, and Waterford were level again.
Another goal chance arrived for the Banner a minute later as Mark Rodgers was played in on the left, and his precise effort toward the bottom right corner was once again denied by Nolan at full-stretch. Rodgers and Bennett then traded dead balls, before O’Donnell found Rynne on the run - again a Bennett free quickly cancelled out that effort.
An inch-perfect pass from Stephen Bennett to Hutchinson was repeated at the other end from Kelly to O’Donnell, before Waterford felt aggrieved when Hynes blew the whistle early as Sean Walsh raced through unaccompanied toward goal.
Bennett pointed that free to bring his tally to 2-5 already, but two more dead balls from the infallible Rodgers had it 0-15 to 2-8 and all to play for going into the second period.
The 2024 All-Ireland champions started the second period like a house on fire. Ryan Taylor scored within seconds of the restart, before a belter from Rynne after a Bennett dead ball. The game turned on its head on 37 minutes, as Clare found a goal of their own.
Mark Rodgers spun away from Ian Kenny and offloaded to Peter Duggan, and the All-Star fired under the onrushing Nolan as the ball bobbled into the bottom left corner. Clare now lead by five.
There was almost an instant reply from the Déise as they worked a goalscoring opportunity for Walsh, but right as the Fourmilewater forward was about to rip the net, Adam Hogan produced a tremendous hook to deny him.
Rodgers remained faultless from frees as the gap grew to six. When Waterford needed inspiration, who better than Bennett to provide it. A long ball from Nolan again caused havoc on 40 minutes - it broke to the Ballysaggart ace, he sprinted toward goal before firing to the roof of the net to bring up his hattrick.
Another superb stop from Nolan ensured Clare couldn’t immediately cancel it out - as the Roanmore man again went full-stretch to deny O’Donnell one-handed. Rodgers made no mistake with the 65, before Hutchinson and O’Donnell found the radar in a game that constantly ebbed and flowed.
Austin Gleeson’s 46-minute introduction drew applause from all quarters, as a Bennett free brought Waterford back within three again. While focus was on one Hurler of the Year, another was showing glimpses of his best, as the imperious Kelly evaded Fagan to yield another score.
A beauty from Gleeson on the left-hand sideline would’ve presumably pumped Waterford up even more, but six unanswered points from the Banner left the Déise perplexed.
The impressive Rynne got away from Paddy Leavey to point, before Darragh Lohan caught Peter Hogan unaware. Two Rodgers’ frees followed that, before Diarmuid Ryan teed up O’Donnell and substitute Diarmuid Stritch also got his name on the scoreboard.
Fine strikes from Barron and Gleeson temporarily stopped the rot, before Rynne and Stritch traded blows with Bennett and Hutchinson. Hogan and Rodgers were next to step up and score in a flow of one-upmanship, before goal number four breathed new life into the Déise challenge on 63 minutes.
A burst from midfield by Calum Lyons allowed him to send Walsh racing through, and the youngster batted past Quilligan with all the time in the world to make it a four-point affair. Bennett’s next was met by roars, but Stritch was on hand to calm Clare's nerves as additional time loomed.
Two expertly taken frees from Bennett made it a two-point affair as four minutes were announced, but another from Lohan made Waterford’s mountain an even bigger climb with time ticking.
With 72 minutes on the clock, goal number five would’ve brought Waterford level. Kevin Mahony won the ball, and he seemingly teed up Patrick Curran to provide it - but the Dungarvan man’s drive was denied by Quilligan as heads found themselves in hands.
A stunner from Kelly rubbed salt in the wounds, and Waterford had to pour forward. Conor Leen emerged with the sliotar and found Ian Galvin. He had the freedom of Ennis to tee up Meehan; the Banner forward showed no remorse as he smashed the sliotar past Nolan, and that was all she wrote.
Mark Rodgers (0-12; 0-10f; 0-2 ‘65); Sean Rynne (0-5); Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell (0-4 each); Peter Duggan (1-1); Shane Meehan (1-0); Diarmuid Stritch (0-3); Darragh Lohan (0-2); Diarmuid Ryan and Ryan Taylor (0-1 each)
Stephen Bennett (3-12; 1-0pen; 0-12f); Dessie Hutchinson (0-4); Sean Walsh (1-0); Jamie Barron and Austin Gleeson (0-2 each); Peter Hogan (0-1)
Eibhear Quilligan; Rory Hayes, Conor Cleary, Adam Hogan; Diarmuid Ryan, Niall O’Farrell, Cathal Malone; Darragh Lohan, Tony Kelly; Peter Duggan, Ryan Taylor, Sean Rynne; Shane O’Donnell, Mark Rodgers, David Reidy.
Conor Leen for Adam Hogan (21; blood); Adam Hogan for Conor Leen (27); Diarmuid Stritch for David Reidy (50); Conor Leen for Rory Hayes (57); Shane Meehan for Shane O’Donnell (62); Ian Galvin for Sean Rynne (66); Ronan Kilroy for Adam Hogan (68)
Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Mark Fitzgerald, Aaron O’Neill; Calum Lyons, Paddy Leavey, Shane Bennett; Darragh Lyons, Jack Prendergast; Jack Fagan, Stephen Bennett, Jamie Barron; Dessie Hutchinson, Sean Walsh, Michael Kiely.
Peter Hogan for Shane Bennett (40); Austin Gleeson for Michael Kiely (46); Kevin Mahony for Darragh Lyons (53); Patrick Curran for Jamie Barron (66)
Shane Hynes (Galway)
18,338.
