Waterford are through to the last four of the Munster U20 football championship after battling to a 1-10 to 1-9 victory over Clare at Fraher Field.

The reward for Gavin Whelan’s charges is a clash with Cork on Friday week.

The sides landed 1-6 apiece in the first half. Cillian Rouine’s 18th-second goal helped the visitors get off to a flying start as they registered an unanswered 1-2 inside the opening seven minutes but Na Deise hit back, top scorer Darragh Corcoran brilliantly plundering their goal in the 13th minute as they reeled off 1-3 to creep ahead.

Corcoran restored the hosts’ lead with an excellent point from the right on 20 minutes and the St Saviour’s ace doubled the difference from a free before his third successive point flew over as the Suirsiders led by 1-6 to 1-3 with five minutes left before the break.

Full forward Diarmuid O’Donnell converted two frees either side of one from his Kildysart clubmate Seamus Casey as the sides went in level at the break.

Substitute Dermot Coughlan – returning from injury – fired over the lead point upon the restart but O’Keeffe had them level for the fourth time with 39 minutes played. O’Donnell and Corcoran swapped frees as the sides remained deadlocked at the three-quarters stage.

Clare expected a penalty when Coughlan went over as he bore down on goal but there was no further score until Corcoran hammered over the lead point from play on 56 minutes before Coughlan’s 58th-minute free brought the scores level for the sixth time.

Tom Barron struck the winner a minute from the end of the regulation hour and O’Donnell missed a Clare free with the last kick of the game five minutes into added time as Seamus Clancy’s charges bowed out.

Waterford - J Coffey; R Power, R Stringer, L Fennell; M Twomey, T Barron (0-1), S Fitzgerald; D Booth, B Lynch; S Whelan Barrett, S Curry, B Power (0-1); D O’Keeffe (0-1), L Walsh, D Corcoran (1-7, 0-4f). Subs: J Walsh for L Walsh, D Beresford for D O’Keeffe.

Clare - R Callinan; D Conneely, J O’Sullivan, I Uguaru; T Hogan, S Rouine, C McNeilis; D Griffin, D Keating; C McDonough, C Rouine (1-0), S O’Brien; C O’Brien, D O’Donnell (0-5, 4f), S Casey (0-2, 1f). Subs: C DeLoughrey for J O’Sullivan (BC), D Coughlan (0-2, 1f) for S O’Brien, C Shannon for C McDonough, P Talty for D Keating, C Downes for S Casey, M Garry for C O’Brien.

Referee - S Lonergan.

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