Clare come from behind to beat Deise

Clare ended Waterford’s 100% start to Allianz NHL Division 1A as they came from behind to beat their Munster rivals 1-13 to 0-09 at Cusack Park.

Wind-backed Waterford took a 0-06 to 0-05 lead into the break thanks to a late burst which included two Eoin Kelly frees and a Ken McGrath '65'.

But Clare, who had Frank Lohan making a welcome return, took control in the second half with points from Bernard Gaffney, Barry Nugent, Tony Carmody and Kevin Dilleen helping them lead 0-12 to 0-09.

Newmarket clubman Gaffney then rammed home 1-01 in the last three minutes to provide the ideal cushion for Tony Considine's men to see out the win.

Playing through wind, rain and hailstones at times, both teams defied the conditions to play some high quality hurling, particularly in the second half.

Alan Markham, who was playing at wing-back for the Banner, and Waterford centre forward Seamus Prendergast both registered wides before Niall Gilligan, fed by Fergal Lynch, fired over a fourth-minute point to nudge Clare in front.

During a heavy rain shower, Dan Shanahan replied for the Deise but Clare cantered into a 0-03 to 0-01 lead when Lynch pointed on the run and Gilligan bisected the posts with a free.

The Deise managed to level the game by the quarter-hour mark – Stephen Molumphy grabbed a well-taken point and Prendergast opened his account.

The nip-and-tuck nature of the tie continued and Waterford 'keeper Clinton Hennessy did excellently to get down low and bat corner forward Gaffney's shot away to safety.

Kelly, February's Vodafone GAA All-Star Player of the Month, chopped over two frees on 17 and 22 minutes to put the visitors into a lead they held onto until early in the second half.

Nugent and Gilligan raised white flags, sandwiching McGrath's powerful placed ball score, and Clare's defenders were quick to thank their net minder Philip Brennan when he pulled out a great save from a Kelly snapshot.

Gaffney traded points with Waterford's Nicky Jacob on the restart but Clare, now with the wind behind them, lifted their game with Nugent, Carmody and Dilleen all finding their range.

Not even a burst of hailstones could put Considine's players off their stride and the last ten minutes belonged to Gaffney, the former St. Flannan’s schoolboy star.

Taking over the free-taking duties, the 20-year-old attack flung over a free and then in the 68th-minute, he got on the end of a long delivery before turning off his left and smacking a goal-bound shot past Hennessy.

He followed up with another free as Clare bounced back strongly from their defeat to Wexford last time out in the league.