It's the All-Ireland qualifier route for Waterford in the 2021 Championship.
There will be no Munster Championship on the cards for Liam Cahill's team who succumbed to Clare's intensity and work rate in Semple Stadium.
The full-time score from "The Field of Legends" was Waterford 0-21 v 1-22 Clare.
A remarkable late surge from the Deise looked like setting up one of the great Munster Championship comeback stories, but too little too late in Thurles.
The opening quarter was worrying from a Waterford point of view. Clare were up to the needed pitch much quicker and despite only leading by 4 points at the water break, they could have been 10 points to the good if their aimless shooting was curtailed.
Waterford's opening score didn't come until the 10th minute when Austin Gleeson drilled one over the bar - at that point, Clare had scored through Tony Kelly, Ryan Taylor, David Reidy and Diarmuid Ryan. John Conlon was immense from the first whistle until the final one.
Approaching half-time, Shane FIves was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin for his challenge on Aaron Shanagher, with Tony Kelly dutifully putting the penalty into the bottom left corner, giving Billy Nolan no chance. Nolan didn't really put a foot wrong all day, stepping up with some crucial saves throughout. His high take while under pressure from David McInnerney stopped a near-certain goal chance for Clare.
The gap at halftime was nine points and looked impossible to reduce for Waterford. No Waterford forward had scored from play at that point.
The sin-binning of Five had a huge effect on proceedings with Clare finding space easily and Waterford players spread thin trying to cover their men.
It wasn't until after the second-half water break that Waterford got their first proper foothold in the game.
Austin Gleeson came to life in the final quarter, scoring three from play.
27 June 2021; Austin Gleeson of Waterford in action against Cathal Malone of Clare during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Waterford and Clare at Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Inside the last ten minutes, Patrick Curran, Kieran Bennett and Neil Montgomery all scored after coming on which will certainly provide food for thought for Liam Cahill on who starts next time out.
27 June 2021; Neil Montgomery of Waterford is tackled by Clare players David Fitzgerald, left, and Cathal Malone late in the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Waterford and Clare at Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
When the full-time whistle sounded, the complexion of the game had changed drastically. Waterford were in the ascendency and if intercounty hurling was a 75-minute affair, the result might have been different.
Having been down by ten points at one point, Waterford brought it back to four by the final whistle. As always Stephen Bennett was a stand out performer, scoring 12 to keep Waterford within reaching distance of the banner throughout the afternoon.
27 June 2021; Stephen Bennett of Waterford during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Waterford and Clare at Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The missing players (Prunty, Barron, De Burca) were all missed in Thurles. Not many teams would be able to survive if three or four All-Star quality players were taken from the starting lineup.
After a league campaign that was up and down, the Championship stage was set for Liam Cahill's side to replicate last year's endeavor, but they will now have to regroup and plan for an All-Ireland qualifier, hopefully taking the scenic route to Croke Park.
Full-Time Score from Thurles: Waterford 0-21 v Clare 1-22
