A stunning comeback by Waterford's hurlers in yesterday's Guinness Munster hurling final against Clare at Thurles has created an administrative headache for the GAA in general.
The replay will be held next week at the same venue, even though E's RTE are already committed to televising the Ulster football final in Clones.
As a consequence of the unresolved Munster final, the GAA have had to defer their draw for the All-Ireland quarter-final which will pit Leinster runners-up Offaly and their eventual counterparts in Munster against either Ulster champions Antrim or Galway, who retained their title against Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park on Saturday night despite a feisty display by the home side.
This was merely the subtext after an enthralling afternoon in Semple Stadium, where, before a crowd of 51,417, Waterford came closer than anyone in recent years to throwing the remorseless Clare machine into chaos.
Trailing by eight points at halftime, they recovered with the help of an early Anthony Kirwan goal, 25 seconds after the restart. Still, they were three points down with two minutes left when Paul Flynn nervelessly drilled a 20-metre free into the net to secure the replay, and still had time to watch his effort from a 100-metre free drift wide in the dying seconds.
