Waterford finished strongly to claim a quarter-final berth by beating Munster rivals Clare on a 2-21 to 1-22 scoreline at sunny Ennis.

This repeat of last year's league final - which the Banner won by a point after a replay - was almost as close and the prize was again substantial as the winners would book a place in the last eight and the losers would tumble into the relegation decider. As it is, the holders will meet Dublin next Sunday to see who slips into Division 1B.

Na Deise, meanwhile, who outscored their hosts by 1-5 to 0-2 in the last 15 minutes, will square up to Galway in a mouth-watering quarter-final in seven days.

The Banner led by 1-13 to 1-11 at the break and by 1-20 to 1-16 with 55 minutes played but the Suirsiders - playing into the wind - rolled up their sleeves to take the spoils, with substitute Tom Devine netting the decisive three-pointer on 64 minutes.

Shane Bennett registered the victors' opening major in the fifth minute as they assumed a commanding 1-4 to 0-1 advantage after eleven but Podge Collins' pearler helped the hosts lead by three points at the midway stage in the first half. This was the kind of game in which anything could have happened and - with both sides straining every sinew - it remained in the melting pot right down to the last blast of Wicklow referee John Keenan's whistle.

Waterford - S O'Keeffe; S McNulty, B Coughlan, S Fives; S Daniels, T de Burca, C Gleeson; A Gleeson (0-2), K Moran; Shane Bennett (1-1), M Walsh, P Mahony (0-10, 8f); B O'Halloran (0-2), Stephen Bennett (0-3), P Curran (0-1). Subs: T Devine (1-1) for P Curran, M Kearney for A Gleeson, T Ryan (0-1) for B O'Halloran, C Dunford for Shane Bennett, S Roche for B Coughlan.

Clare - A Fahey; D McInerney (0-1), C Dillon, S Morey; J McCarthy (0-1), C Cleary, D Fitzgerald (0-1); J Shanahan (0-1), T Kelly (0-7, 5f); C Malone, P Collins (1-3), J Conlon (0-2); A Shanagher (0-2), C McInerney (0-2), I Galvin (0-1). Subs: A Cunningham for I Galvin, P Donnellan for J McCarthy, C Galvin for C Malone, B Duggan (0-1) for C McInerney, P Flanagan for D McInerney.

Referee - J Keenan.

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