In front of 24,646, the Banner men simply had no answer to Justin McCarthy's side as they went from 2-7 to 1-4 in front at the break, to eventual 19-point winners.

Lismore attacker Shanahan had never scored a championship goal in his senior career but his threesome - two of which came in a first half of which Clare went 27 minutes without a score - certainly settled a hungry looking Waterford side.

Fiery corner forward John Mullane roused the rafters with a point just 20 seconds in.

Dave Bennett, another to perform well, pointed nine minutes later from a midfield free and midfielder Eoin Kelly, the designated free taker, soon crashed over from 40 metres for a 0-03 to no score lead.

Shanahan, who made his inter-county debut nine years ago in Thurles, got in beyond his marker in the fifteenth minute on a long Tony Browne ball to control and find Davey Fitzgerald's net, with a low sweeping drive to the Clare 'keeper's right.

Bennett added a '65, Mullane another silky point and a second from Kelly saw the Decies effectively killing off the game. Clare struck some early wides, six in total, but got off the mark in the 27th minute when Colin Lynch powered over.

After Shanahan had cracked home a second from a loose ball round the Clare square two minutes later, Niall Gilligan and Frank Lohan replied quickly with points.

A potential turning point went the Banner men's way on 31 minutes when Fitzgerald's saved penalty was scooped into the Waterford net by Griffin to close the gap to seven.

Clare indeed went in just two goals behind at 2-07 to 1-04 thanks to Gilligan's 30-metre free.

The same player pointed two minutes after the break to cut it down to five but that's the closest it came for Clare.

A quiet Paul Flynn, Shanahan and Kelly (free) stretched Waterford's legs again and the canter soon built up as Seamus Prendergast, Kelly (0-02, 1f), Bennett (0-03, 2f) and Mullane were all on target.

Mullane's effort on 61 minutes put Waterford 2-17 to 1-07 in front and from another loose ball, this time a rebound off Fitzgerald's post Shanahan struck home a third goal with seven minutes remaining.

Kelly and Prendergast traded consolation scores with Frank Lohan as the game petered out as a contest.

"No one gave us a chance," said 27-year-old Shanahan in the aftermath, refering to media reports earlier this week. "Everyone cut us up badly but that victory means a lot to those 30-40 guys in the panel.

I'm delighted for the Waterford support too," he continued, "when we got in front, we could really hear them and the players loved it."

"I think we realised we had a great chance today, after losing to Galway last weekend. And we proved a lot of people wrong."

Waterford face Tipperary in the Munster semi final.

Referee: G Harrington (Cork)

HT: Clare 1-4 Waterford 2-7