Tipperary overwhelm footballers
The Waterford Senior Football team travelled to Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday last with high hopes that they could overturn hosts Tipperary in the opening round of the Provincial championship. These hopes were borne from the fact that early in the year the Deise had claimed the McGrath Cup beating Cork in the process. Having won their opening game of the Allianz National league there was even an expectancy that we would be one of the teams fighting for promotion. Unfortunately as the competition progressed Waterford failed to capitalize on their opening round win over Wicklow and Tom McGlinchy and his management team was now looking to a return to form as his charges faced a Tipperary outfit riding high on the confidence of underage performances. Allied to the success attained by their minor footballers the progress has continued and this year the Tipperary under 21 team reached the All-Ireland final only to have their hopes dashed at the final stage. Indeed most pundits believed that they were probably the better team on the day. Such is sport. In the group stages of the Allianz National Football League Tipperary accounted for Munster neighbours Limerick and Clare as well as disposing of Louth and Sligo. Certainly a tall order faced the visitors from the South East.
The opening quarter of this Munster clash saw Tipperary, well on top and they built up a healthy 0-6 to 0-0 lead within twelve minutes. A brace of points from Michael O'Halloran gave Waterford a glimmer of hope. The Premier challenge however was not faltering on this occasion and with Stephen O'Brien dominant in midfield they went thirteen points clear by half time 1-13 to 0-3. Indeed over the course of the game the Tipperary midfielder had a personal tally of six points, a huge contribution in championship football. The goal from Michael Quinlivan who also bagged three points helped ease them clear. JJ Hutchinson had added a third point for Waterford before the break.Tipperary continued to dominate the exchanges in the second half. Shane Briggs added a point for Waterford in the 50th minute but by this time the hosts had scampered away to a 1-18 to 0-4 lead. The final twenty minutes saw just a solitary point from JJ Hutchinson while Tipperary tacked on another half dozen to leave the final score 1-24 to 0-5. No doubt the players and the management will be hugely disappointed with the performance. Waterford are a lot better than they have shown in recent weeks and despite a few upheavals in the camp all the concentration will now have to focus on the All-Ireland qualifiers. Tipperary meanwhile will face reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry who hope to have talisman Colm "Gooch" Cooper available in their starting fifteen. A huge challenge for the Premier county but one which they will relish.
In the Junior game which preceeded the senior encounterWaterford had an ideal start leading by four points in the opening quarter but they could not maintain the challenge. Tipperary led at the break and held the lead throughout the second half. Despite a goal for the Deise from Dylan Guiry to bring the lead back to two points 1-10 to 1-8 it was the Premier who held fast and closed out the win on a 1-12 to 1-9 scoreline.
ANOTHER WATERFORD AND CORK CONFRONTATION
Waterford manager Derek McGrath and his senior hurlers enter the cauldron of Munster Championsahip on Sunday next as they face Cork in Semple Stadium in the Provincial semi-final. Recent games between the counties have produced some of the best games of recent years and no doubt the upcoming match has all the ingredients to be another classic. Recent form in the Allianz National League Final saw Waterford overcome their coastal neighbours with a tremendous display of skill and determination which may well have taken a number of pundits by surprise. The Deise have however been severely hit by injury. Freetaker and talisman Pauric Mahony is on the recuperation bench having suffered a serious leg injury while playing for his club Ballygunner. He will more than likely miss the remainder of the campaign. Maurice Shanahan who had recently come into great form is also carrying a problematic knee which he picked up playing for Lismore in the domestic championship and remains in the 50/50 area. The knockbacks may well react as a catylyst for Waterford to find find extra reserves of intensity and determination facing into this game. While not yet having a finalised team sheet I suspect that Derek McGrath and his fellow selectors will start with a fifteen close to that which played in the league final. With two excellent goalkeepers either Stephen O'Keeffe or Ian O'Regan are solid behind a last line of defence which will include Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan and Noel Connors. The Waterford half back line has been catching the eye all year and here Austin Gleeson and Philip Mahony will flank Tadgh de Burca. No doubt this line is fast becoming the launchpad of attack for the team. In midfield Jamie Barron and Kevin Moran have built up a really solid partnership. There is a huge work ethic which has stood Waterford well over the current campaign while a number of young players like Jake Dillon, Stephen Bennett, Colin Dunford, Gavin O'Brien and Tom Devine along with Shane O'Sullivan will be looking for inclusion beside Michael "Brick" Walsh in the front six. It would of course be a huge boost were Shanahan to make the starting lineup.
