McGrath Cup final Clare.............................2-13 Waterford......................2-11 Extra-time was required to seperate Clare and Waterford in this hard fought McGrath Cup final at Milltown Malbay and when the final whistle was blown it was the home side who were sporting the biggest smiles. Assisted by a gael force win the first half, Waterford raced into a 1-7 to 0-2 half-time lead and they extended that lead when Gary Hurney goaled soon after the resumption. A goal from Michael O'Shea brought the Banner County back into contention and then they were gifted a second when the Decies netminder Paul Houlihan dropped Philip Smith's long range effort into his own goal. A series of frees from Colm Mullen salvaged a draw for Pat Begley's charges who maintained their momentum in the first half of extra-time to go three points ahead at the half-way mark. The only score of the second period of extra-time was a Waterford point while Clare's David Russell was sent off. Clare - E Slattery; P Gallagher, B Considine, P Smith (1-0); M O'Connell, R Gibbons, R Slattery; D O'Sullivan, P Hehir (0-1); M O'Shea, Denis Russell (0-2), T Ryan (0-1); S Hickey, David Russell, C Mullen (0-8). Subs - G Quinlan for O'Sullivan, M Keane (0-1) for O'Shea, P O'Dwyer for Hickey, D Callinan for Ryan, M Considine for Smith. Waterford - P Houlihan; M Crotty, M Fitzgerald, K Coffey; T Dunphy, J Hearne, B Wall; R Power, J Hennessy; G Power (0-1), G Hurney (2-0), F Halpin. Subs - S Walsh for Dalton, D Kirwan for G Power, N Curran for J Hennessy, M Aherne for Dunphy, Richie Hennessy for Aherne, Ray Hennessy for Halpin. Tweet

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