Waterford produced a battling display but ultimately fell short in a thrilling Munster Senior Hurling Championship opener as Clare edged a dramatic contest in Ennis.

In a game packed with goals, momentum swings, and late drama, the Déise came up just short on a scoreline of 2-33 to 4-21, despite a sensational individual performance from Stephen Bennett, who was the standout player on the pitch and earned Man of the Match.

Waterford started brightly with Bennett opening the scoring from a free before both sides traded early points. The Ballysaggart sharpshooter quickly made his mark, firing home the game’s first goal after reacting quickest to a rebound, putting Waterford into an early lead.

Clare responded through Tony Kelly and Mark Rodgers’ frees, but Waterford struck again in the 17th minute when Sean Walsh won a penalty. Bennett stepped up and buried it, giving the visitors a strong foothold.

The first half remained finely balanced, with Clare edging in front late on through Rodgers to lead 0-15 to 2-08 at the break.

The second half exploded into life when Bennett completed his hat-trick goal early on, pouncing in the square to fire past Éibhear Quilligan and swing momentum back towards Waterford.

Clare responded with a goal of their own through Peter Duggan and began to build pressure, with Rodgers and Diarmuid Ryan influential from distance. Despite this, Waterford stayed in touch, with scores from Jamie Barron, Dessie Hutchinson, and Austin Gleeson keeping the contest alive.

Sean Walsh’s second-half goal reignited Waterford’s hopes, bringing them within touching distance entering the closing stages. Bennett continued to lead from the front, adding crucial frees and finishing with an outstanding tally that underlined his Man of the Match display.

However, Clare’s composure proved decisive down the stretch. Late points from Tony Kelly and Darragh Lohan pushed them ahead before Shane Meehan struck a decisive injury-time goal on the counterattack to seal the win.

While the result didn’t go their way, Waterford will take plenty of positives from the performance, particularly the form of Stephen Bennett, whose clinical finishing and leadership kept them in contention throughout.

It’s Clare who take the opening points in the Munster Championship, but on another day, Waterford’s scoring power – led by a superb Bennett – could easily have seen them leave Ennis with a victory.

Our Big Match was brought to you by  George Corbett Motors Cupra.

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