NIAMH ROCKETT scored 1-11 to keep her dream of completing a junior, intermediate and senior camogie championship grand slam alive.
Although the final margin was harsh on Clare, Waterford could have had three or four goals in the first half.
That they did not was down to the goalkeeping of Rachael Daly, who saved a Beth Carton penalty, while Abby Flynn was denied by some last-ditch defending from Susan Daly and Clare Hehir.
The Dalys were joined in defence by their triplet sibling Lynda, while younger sister Jennifer chipped in with two points.
The Banner’s Áine O’Loughlin pounced for two goals in the opening half, the first an absolute piledriver on 15 minutes.
Eight minutes later, she grabbed a low ball and fired in off the post.
Waterford’s Annie Fitzgerald and Flynn were clinical, while Flynn and Rockett combined well for a couple of scores.
A turnover in injury time created a two-on-one and Fitzgerald made no mistake to give Waterford a 1-11 to 2-5 lead.
O’Loughlin continued to cause problems but Waterford managed to keep the Banner skipper at bay.
Déise captain Lorraine Bray began to exert more influence and put over a couple of points.
Hehir lofted three frees over from distance for the Banner and it was still all to play for when Rockett exchanged passes with sub Maggie Gostl to score in the 55th minute.
Points from Rockett and Fitzgerald, who blazed just over after working her way in from the endline, made it safe as Waterford’s Croke Park experience told.
But the key for boss Mick Boland was sealing a third semi-final appearance in four seasons.
WATERFORD: B O’Regan; R Walsh, K Lynch, V Falconer; B Bowdren, K Corbett Barry, O Hickey; A McNulty, L Bray 0-2, E O’Neill; B Carton 0-2, A Flynn 0-3, N Rockett 1-11, 7f, 1 45; M O’Brien, A Fitzgerald 1-2. Subs: M Gostl for O’Neill 44mins; T Power for Hickey 57; M Comerford for Flynn 59; I Heffernan for Corbett Barry 60; A O’Sullivan for O’Brien 60+2.
CLARE: R Daly; S O’Keeffe, C Hehir 0-3f, S Daly; L Daly, A Walsh, D Griffin; N Mulqueen, A Andersen; A O’Keeffe 0-2, C Cahill 0-1, J Daly 0-2; R Begley, A O’Loughlin 2-0, Z Spillane 0-2. Subs: C Carmody for Spillane 39mins; E Casey for Andersen 42; G Carmody for A O’Keeffe 57; C Grogan for S Daly, A Cooney for J Daly 58; M Scanlon for Hehir b-s 60.
REFEREE: L Dempsey (Kilkenny).
