AARON CUNNINGHAM SCORED 3-3 in a man of the match performance as Clare continued their march towards a third straight BGE All-Ireland U21 Hurling title against Antrim.
The Banner went into today’s semi-final in Semple Stadium as 1/500 favourites and justified that price, winning by 27 points.
The first of Cunningham’s three goals helped Clare to an early 1-7 before Antrim managed to get their first score on the board, a Seán McAfee goal on 19 minutes.
Cunningham added his second as the one-way traffic continued with Clare leading by 18 points at the break, 2-16 to 1-1.
Banner managers Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney were able to give plenty of their subs a run out and a chance to stake their claim ahead of the final on 13 September.
Cathal ‘Tots’ O’Connell — who has missed most of the campaign through injury — was introduced at the end of the first half and finished with six points (five frees).
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Clare could have been forgiven for easing off the pedal in the second half but they weren’t finished, and a fine strike from captain Tony Kelly and Cunningham’s hat-trick goal wrapped up a comfortable win.
Scorers for Clare: A Cunningham 3-3, T Kelly 1-3, C O’Connell 0-6 (5f), B Duggan 0-5 (3f), D Reidy 0-3, C Galvin, S O’Donnell 0-2 each, E Enright, J Shanahan, N Deasy, S Gleeson 0-1 each.
Scorers for Antrim: Stephen McAfee 0-3, Seán McAfee 1-0, C Clarke, C Burke 0-2 each, D McKernan, S McCaughan, M Bradley 0-1 each.
Clare
1. Keith Hogan
2. Jarlath Colleran
3. Jack Browne
4. Seadna Morey
5. Gearóid O’Connell
6. Alan O’Neill
7. Jamie Shanahan
8. Colm Galvin
9. Eoin Enright
10. Bobby Duggan
11. Tony Kelly
12. Peter Duggan
13. Shane O’Donnell
14. Aaron Cunningham
15. David Reidy
Subs: Cathal O’Connell for Reidy (30+1), Niall Deasy for B Duggan (HT), Shane O’Brien for Morey (46), Shane Gleeson for Galvin (46).
Antrim
1. Ciarán Butler
2. Michael Dudley
3. Paddy Burke
4. Michael Bradley
5. Ryan McCambridge
6. Jackson McGreevy
7. Tomás Ó Ciaráin
8. Eoghan Campbell
9. Niall McKenna
10. Daniel McCloskey
11. Stephen McAfee
12. Darragh McGuinness
13. Daniel McKernan
14. Seán McAfee
15. Ciarán Clarke
Subs: Conor Burke for McGuinness (29), Saul McCaughan for McCloskey (HT), James O’Connell for McKenna (38), Maol Connolly for McCambridge (43), Eamonn McCaughan for Seán McAfee (52).
Can’t be right having Antrim or Galway straight into a semi final, when other teams have to beat two of the best teams in the competition to reach a provincial final. Absolutely pointless game, at least if Dublin, Kilkenny, cork or tipp were playing it would have been competitive
That was a freak result, cork were hopeless and clare played out of their skins. That cork result won’t happen again for 20 years but Antrim or down will regularly get hammered. Clare didn’t annihilate tipp though? Wexford didn’t destroy Dublin or kilkenny? Do you think Antrim would beat cork… Or get within ten points, I very much doubt it
Denial is not just a river in Egypt….Clare played reasonably well and were it not for the Cork back breaking a bone in Shane O Donnell’s hand Clare would have beaten Cork a cricket score….
Tipp did run Clare close but are a far better team than Cork
But it’s not helping Galway or Antrim though Sean? It’s actually making them worse, Galway get straight into the semi finals and play their first competitive game in late august, weeks after the seniors have been eliminated and clare have now absolutely hammered Antrim in a final and a Semi two years running. No excitement in that
Ten I think? Not really seeing your point though, they are straight into the semi every year, wouldn’t they want to be winning an odd one! If Tipperary and Kilkenny were straight into semi’s every year, they would have 20 each at this stage
If the u21 grade is as important a stage in development as many maintain then this farce of Galway and Antrim getting straight to the semi-finals must end. Player burnout at that age is an issue but by just adding two quarter finals whereby Galway and Antrim face the Leinster and Munster runners-up, we’d be left with a much more exciting and equitable All Ireland u21 Championship. Did today’s game (or last year’s final) help Antrim hurling in any way?
I definitely accept your point Caoimhin but there are no Connacht or Ulster championships to speak of at this or any other grade. It’s a glaring anomaly in the u21 championship that Galway and Antrim routinely get to the last four. If you want to keep the knockout aspect of it – and that certainly makes it exciting – throw the whole thing open for a year and see how it goes. If Antrim and Galway can still qualify for the semi finals then good luck to them. It is a massive anomaly though in what is a fantastic competition. I’m from Cork and we’re not at the races but Tipp or Limk would have given Clare a good game today.
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Different gear, hon the banner.
Can’t be right having Antrim or Galway straight into a semi final, when other teams have to beat two of the best teams in the competition to reach a provincial final. Absolutely pointless game, at least if Dublin, Kilkenny, cork or tipp were playing it would have been competitive
Eh Clare annihilated Cork in Munster final.
That was a freak result, cork were hopeless and clare played out of their skins. That cork result won’t happen again for 20 years but Antrim or down will regularly get hammered. Clare didn’t annihilate tipp though? Wexford didn’t destroy Dublin or kilkenny? Do you think Antrim would beat cork… Or get within ten points, I very much doubt it
Denial is not just a river in Egypt….Clare played reasonably well and were it not for the Cork back breaking a bone in Shane O Donnell’s hand Clare would have beaten Cork a cricket score….
Tipp did run Clare close but are a far better team than Cork
Denial – Egypt….. Never heard that before, incredibly original!! God help us
Freak result??. Tipp annihilated Cork in U21 c’ship last year.
Freak result???. Tipp annihilated Cork in U21 c’ship last year.
God Help us was what Cork were saying at Halftime in the Munster U21 Final
No 2nd chance makes u21so exciting. Those other teams had a chance and lost. Not Antrim’s or Galway fault their province is not competitive
But it’s not helping Galway or Antrim though Sean? It’s actually making them worse, Galway get straight into the semi finals and play their first competitive game in late august, weeks after the seniors have been eliminated and clare have now absolutely hammered Antrim in a final and a Semi two years running. No excitement in that
Sean how many All Ireland U21s have Galway won ?
Ten I think? Not really seeing your point though, they are straight into the semi every year, wouldn’t they want to be winning an odd one! If Tipperary and Kilkenny were straight into semi’s every year, they would have 20 each at this stage
By the way, how many have Antrim won?
U21 might just be the perfect grade to trial an open draw format. Would help both Galway and Antrim!!
Careful Deccy, you are talking a lot of sense there. Lots of people here don’t want any changes, just lots of mismatches
If the u21 grade is as important a stage in development as many maintain then this farce of Galway and Antrim getting straight to the semi-finals must end. Player burnout at that age is an issue but by just adding two quarter finals whereby Galway and Antrim face the Leinster and Munster runners-up, we’d be left with a much more exciting and equitable All Ireland u21 Championship. Did today’s game (or last year’s final) help Antrim hurling in any way?
Its the KO system that makes the competition so attractive
I definitely accept your point Caoimhin but there are no Connacht or Ulster championships to speak of at this or any other grade. It’s a glaring anomaly in the u21 championship that Galway and Antrim routinely get to the last four. If you want to keep the knockout aspect of it – and that certainly makes it exciting – throw the whole thing open for a year and see how it goes. If Antrim and Galway can still qualify for the semi finals then good luck to them. It is a massive anomaly though in what is a fantastic competition. I’m from Cork and we’re not at the races but Tipp or Limk would have given Clare a good game today.