Lady luck and the curse of number three

Relief must have been the overriding emotion in the Waterford dressing room on Sunday evening. John Mullane’s late winner, his 14th in championship hurling, papered over a performance that only merited a replay at best. Limerick will be scratching their heads at how they let this one slip after a tremendous second half effort.

While the first half struggled to spark into life until the closing minutes, the next thirty five minutes thrilled the 15,650 in attendance. This was mainly due to Limerick’s change in game plan by opening up the space and exploiting it at will. Corner forwards Sean Tobin and Graeme Mulcahy moved into deeper areas allowing oceans of space to supply Kevin Downes. The 19 year old who stands at six foot two gave Wayne Hutchinson a nightmare championship debut at full back. His two goals looked to have handed the underdogs the fuel for victory but an alarming wides tally cost them dear. Eoin Kelly’s poor decision to opt for goal didn’t come back to haunt him as his crossfield ball led to that memorable injury time strike.

Aside from the never say die attitude Davy has injected into this team the maturity shown by some of the younger players shone even brighter on Sunday. Pauric Mahony’s two second half points from play came at crucial stages when Limerick looked the most likely victors. If Downes inspired at one end, Mahony steadied the ship at the other. His man of the match award is all the more remarkable as he shot two wides and missed a first half penalty. The courage in his response to those setbacks roused those around him. The O’Sullivan brothers also led the charge. As a late inclusion David worked himself into the ground especially in the first half with Brian terrorising Damien Reale for the afternoon. The experience of Mullane and Michael Walsh also nudged the outcome in the right direction with Stephen Molumphy relishing the midfield exchanges. Shane Walsh’s goal proved a valuable contribution while Shane O’Sullivan and Maurice Shanahan know there is room for improvement in their levels of performance.

For Limerick, Donal O’Grady’s imprint on this team was there for all to see. In a short period of time he has instilled the running and support play associated with his native Cork. In that process however the traditional heart, drive and physical power haven’t been diminished. No one characterised the mixture of the two more than Donal O’Grady. An under rated midfielder in the modern game he once again left his mark with three points from play. In Downes at full forward they now possess a marquee name to shape an attack around. Along with Pauric Mahony he is an early candidate for young hurler of the year. Tom Condon and Niall Moran mixed the sublime with the ridiculous and summed up how close the margins are in championship. If Moran nailed one or two more to add to his four points or if Condon didn’t slip up for two Mullane scores the spoils would be residing on Shannonside.

Davy Fitzgerald didn’t care about the ifs, buts or maybes involved in claiming victory but the big worry waiting down the tracks for this Waterford team remains the defensive set-up. In the second half alarming gaps opened up with the pace of Limerick’s attack causing real difficulty collectively as well as individually. While Hutchinson may be the scapegoat, many of his colleagues in defence were fortunate to last the seventy minutes. Michael Walsh eventually curbed Downes in the closing exchanges but is it a viable long term option? Remember that the Brick is the All Star centre back for two years running and only tasted life at number three for that final quarter. Changing the two central defensive structures mid way through a championship and ahead of a Munster final may do more harm than good. If Walsh moves to full back, Kevin Moran will go to number six but don’t rule out Liam Lawlor to also make a bid for inclusion.

A major decision for July 10 lies in wait for the management team but for now they will be thankful just to be there. The manner of victory was far from convincing but Davy's record of three Munster finals on the trot is hard to argue with.

Flashback Friday - Dan Shanahan v Limerick 07

High expectations of another final appearance - Waterford v Limerick preview

Davy Fitzgerald stands on the brink bringing Waterford to three Munster final appearances in a row, emulating Justin McCarthy’s achievement between 2002 and 2004. First of all however the ever unpredictable Limerick hurdle must be overcome and the favourites tag handled with care.

Waterford and Limerick games in the last decade have varied from the wildly entertaining to dour struggles. The 2003 drawn classic escaped live television coverage and featured a Paul Flynn hat trick, Andrew O’Shaughnessy’s debut and a controversial Eoin Foley equaliser. Limerick fans won’t forget the 2001 edition when Ollie Moran and Brian Begley inspired an incredible comeback to win 4-11 to 2-14 and signalled the end of Gerald McCarthy’s tenure. The 2007 All Ireland semi final ambush caught everyone on the hop on a day that O’Shaughnessy and Begley again exposed the full back difficulties in Waterford. Earlier that season Dan Shanahan’s haul of 3-3 in the Munster final paved the way to his hurler of the year award. John Mullane also proved unstoppable in the 2009 replay despite numerous attempts to curb his influence. The 2003 replay and 2009 drawn fixture however rank among the worst ever witnessed at Semple Stadium. The Examiner led with headline “Semple snore draw simply awful” to describe the latter game.

This game may fall between those two extremes. Although emerging from the Division 2 waters the Treaty County, in Seamus Hickey, Damien Reale, Brian Geary, Donal O’Grady and Niall Moran, have players who defeated Waterford at their peak in 2007. The addition of youth and pace provided by Kevin Downes, Seanie Tobin and Graeme Mulcahy also gives rise to the opinion that they won’t go under easily. If they make it a physical battle from an early stage, cope with the step up in intensity and utilise their speed in attack 2/1 will suddenly appear very generous odds. A team coached by Donal O’Grady with the momentum of eight consecutive wins under their belt shouldn’t be underestimated.

Waterford could also be satisfied with a league campaign which saw only two defeats to Tipperary and Kilkenny. Look closely however and you will see that four victories were achieved by no more than a goal. In games where they were expected to win, against Offaly and Wexford in particular, results were achieved with a great degree of difficulty. The question remains whether Davy can bring this team to the level of Kilkenny and Tipperary or remain in third position of the hurling rankings. The Limerick game is a must win in terms of progress and a guaranteed spot in the All Ireland quarter finals at the very least.

The team selection later this week will be awaited with much interest as will the tactical approach. If the management become overly concerned with Limerick’s strengths a low scoring dogfight may come to pass. This means relying on the defensive unit to keep goals at a minimum. In this scenario the two full forwards become crucial figures. Curbing Kevin Downes will be a priority for Wayne Hutchinson who is line for his debut at full back. Downes match winning goal against Clare flagged his promise so expect a good supply in his direction. Likewise Shane Walsh becomes crucial to Waterford’s ability to compile a winning tally. He scored goals in all of the last three league games and along with John Mullane he comes into the game as the most potent weapon of scores from open play. Both full back line combinations are untested and their ability to curtail the influence of either Walsh or Downes will undoubtedly contribute to the result.

Sunday’s clash mirrors that of 12 months ago against Clare in many ways. Despite their Division 2 status the Banner’s youthful outfit kept in contention right up until the last ten minutes when Waterford’s strength in depth and experience proved pivotal. Waterford are tipped to prevail again in similar circumstances with six All Stars in their ranks compared to Limerick’s none. Provided that the forward unit don’t become overly troubled by defensive duties another ambush should be prevented but the margin is likely to be no more than a score. As Davy consistently stated in the build up, he would gratefully accept that outcome.

Blue and White GAA Starting Fifteen: Adrian Power (Ballyduff Upper), Darragh Fives (Tourin), Wayne Hutchinson (Ballygunner), Noel Connors (Passage), Tony Browne (Mount Sion), Michael Walsh (Stradbally), Kevin Moran (De La Salle),Richie Foley (Abbeyside), Stephen Molumphy (Ballyduff Upper), Maurice Shanahan (Lismore), Shane O’Sullivan (Ballygunner), Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner), John Mullane (De La Salle), Shane Walsh (Fourmilewater), Brian O’Sullivan (Ballygunner)

Munster SHC Semi Final
Waterford v Limerick
Throw in 4.00 at Semple Stadium
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath)

Betting:
Waterford 4/9 Draw 10/1 Limerick 2/1

Masterclass leaves Waterford reeling ahead of qualifiers

John Owens and his team endured a torrid Sunday afternoon on Leeside as all plans for a damage limitation exercise went out the window from an early stage. That said few teams would be able to live with the All Ireland champions in the form they exhibited at the start of both halves.

By the 18 minute mark Waterford found themselves 3-7 to 0-2 adrift. John Miskella’s opener owed to a great deal of good fortune but there was no doubting the class of the approach work for Daniel Goulding’s goal or Paul Kerrigan’s clinical finish. Defensively Waterford were opened up at will with Miskella in particular darting forward from centre back. Surprisingly no sweeper was employed in front of the full back line to stop the flow of ball to Goulding, Donncha O’Connor and Kerrigan who ran riot in the opening quarter. Tommy Prendergast also remained at corner forward instead of helping the midfield effort.

Things improved after Cork’s awesome scoring blitz and suddenly Waterford found a foothold in the game as the home side became sloppy in possession. Gary Hurney looked threatening in attack against Michael Shields and by half time the arrears reduced from 14 points to eight. Brian Phelan, Shane Briggs, Tommy Prendergast and Brian Wall all struck points from play before Hurney’s coolly taken penalty in first half injury time.

Any lingering comeback hopes were extinguished within eighteen seconds of the restart when Goulding rattled home his second goal. Cork could afford to rest Aidan Walsh, Ciaran Sheehan, Goulding, Miskella and Michael Shields well before the finish. Their substitutes’ bench contributed 1-4 and included a fearsome strike from Fintan Goold that found the top corner. Their midfield lorded proceedings with Hurney frustrated up front from a lack of supply while at the other end Kieran Cotter did well to prevent certain goals from Goulding and Goold.

It took Waterford thirty minutes to register their opening second half score even with the aid of the elements. This statistic reflects the disappointing manner of a performance that fell short of expectations given the level of experience in the starting fifteen. They now face a round 2 qualifier on July 9 where a home draw would provide a welcome bonus. Liam O’Lionain and Mark Ferncombe may be ready in time for that to add to the return of Gary Hurney and Robert Ahearne. With only two wins in eight competitive outings and a chastening championship opener, the challenge will be to keep the players upbeat to attempt a first win in the qualifier system.

The junior team also fell to a heavy defeat of 3-16 to 1-8 but the scoreboard doesn’t do justice to their efforts. After trailing by 0-11 to 0-2 on 20 minutes they rallied admirably to get within three points entering the final quarter with a goal from Edmond Hogan. Missed goal opportunities proved their undoing in the final analysis. Hogan saw his second half penalty saved, Darren Guiry blazed a shot just past the post and Craig Guiry also had a green flag ruled out for a square ball. Three late goals for the home side in the final five minutes gave them a flattering 14 point victory. In a similar way to the senior team their full forward line of Mark Cronin, Andrew O’Brien and Catrach Keane did the damage. Mark Prendergast, Eddie Rockett, Edmond Hogan and Eoghan Walsh were Waterford’s stand out performers.

Flashback Friday - Davy Fitzgerald interview

Mission impossible at Páirc Uí Chaoimh – Cork v Waterford Munster SFC semi final preview

Last weekend in Ruislip showed that some magic remains in the provincial championships and the odds can be overturned in unlikely circumstances. While miracles in a transitional Connacht championship are possible where the big two have dropped their standards, in Munster the underdog is usually put in its place. Waterford enter the home of the All Ireland champions this weekend as 28/1 no hopers and not a sniff of an upset on the cards.

Despite the battling qualities of Limerick and the breakthrough of Clare in 1992 the Munster championship at senior level severely lacks the novelty factor. The fact that Cork received two home ties against Division 4 and Division 3 opposition in the lead up to a likely Munster final also reveals a problem with the system. To freshen up a predictable championship Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford should all be granted home ties when paired against the top two. This would benefit gate receipts, promote football in the weaker counties and increase competiveness. Alas only a couple of thousand will attend Sunday’s clash in a largely vacant Páirc Uí Chaoimh after a mere 4,186 turned up for the first round game with Clare.

All signs suggest a long afternoon for John Owens’ side against a Rebel outfit getting tuned in for another crack at Kerry. Waterford’s winless away record during the league doesn’t instil confidence in the rank outsiders for a start. In their last three meetings Cork’s average winning margin has hit 19 points. They warmed up for Sunday by dispatching Clare a fortnight ago. Nine different scorers registered in a 15 point win over the Banner. They are displaying all the poise and class of champions at this moment in time with Graham Canty restored to the defence to further aid their cause. Patrick Kelly at centre forward directs all the play into the ever lethal duo of Donnacha O’Connor and Daniel Goulding who were both overlooked for All Stars in 2010. Even with six changes in personnel from the Clare game, Conor Counihan calls on 12 of last year’s All Ireland winning team for this game.

Owens will try to stress the positives however with the return of Liam O’Lionain, Gary Hurney and Robert Aherne a welcome boost to the panel. Despite their relegation to Division 4, Waterford remained competitive throughout and lost three of their games by a goal or less. They will aim to stay in touch for as long as is possible. Clare were only six points adrift with twenty minutes left last time out which will be seen as a target to reach for. Unfortunately Cork outscored their opponents 0-11 to 0-2 in the remaining minutes. Rory Donnelly with five points from play exposed some frailties in the Rebel full back line which the two Hurneys and goal threat Mark Ferncombe will hope to reinforce. A lack of a prolific goal scorer in the ranks of their opponents also gives Waterford a glimmer of hope.

They will cling to every glimmer and fight for every break and maybe inject some of the London spirit to keep themselves in the slipstream of the league and All Ireland champions. Realistically, Waterford will hope to gather momentum ahead of a qualifier campaign that is likely to begin on July 9. The handicap betting is placed at 12 points which provides an accurate barometer of a moral victory on Leeside.

Munster SFC Semi Final
Cork v Waterford
Throw in 3.30 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Referee: Pat Fox (Westmeath)

Betting:
Cork 1/500 Draw 40/1 Waterford 28/1

Handicap
Cork (-12) 10/11 Handicap Draw (-12) 11/1 Waterford (+12) Evens

Tipperary 4-12 Waterford 1-16 – Munster Under 21 Quarter Final

Referee Diarmuid Kirwan was booed from the Semple Stadium pitch on Wednesday night as Tipperary saw off a late rally from fourteen man Waterford to advance to a Munster semi final meeting with Cork. The anger and disappointment from Waterford supporters was understandable given a considerable number of Tipperary fouls that went unpunished particularly late on as Fergal Hartley’s side searched for a goal to force extra time. In the final analysis however the home side just about deserved their victory even with the rub of the green in their favour.

Their hurling in the opening half was of a vastly superior standard to a disjointed Waterford side who also suffered in the physical stakes. Spurred on by the majestic Noel McGrath at midfield, Tipp picked off their scores at will. By half time all of the Premier attack were on the board from play with Waterford’s full back line, which included Noel Connors and Darragh Fives, on the back foot.

The game began in bizarre fashion with a melee involving several players ending up with yellow cards for Sean Curran and Darragh Fives. Noel McGrath’s goal from a penalty on three minutes gave Tipp the ideal platform when things settled down with Sean Curran batting home a second on 13 minutes. Waterford struggled around midfield but recovered late in the half using the pace in their forward line. Maurice Shanahan, on his return to inter county action, fired three points from play with Pauric Mahony nailing three frees. Seven first half wides however in comparison to the sharp shooting of Tipperary’s Adrian Ryan and John O’Neill gave them a 2-9 to 0-7 lead by the interval.

Within ten second half minutes the deficit was reeled in to four points. Pauric Mahony, Brian O’Sullivan and Shanahan led the charge with Stephen Roche improving at midfield to counter Noel McGrath. The recovery effort hit the rocks however when substitute Owen Whelan received two yellow cards and his marching orders from Diarmuid Kirwan. The Mount Sion man was only introduced at half time but seconds after the throw in he saw his first yellow for a wild pull. Ten minutes later after a poor first touch, he lost possession and tripped his opponent to give Kirwan little option. John O’Dwyer added further misery as he rounded Stephen O’Keeffe minutes later for Tipp’s third goal. Waterford rallied again with Brian O’Sullivan a consistent threat and he picked off some vital points from play. The gap remained six points heading into injury time but then O’Sullivan popped up to bury a low shot and provide the goal Waterford’s challenge desperately needed. An unlikely comeback was nearly completed when Pauric Mahony found himself one on one with the goalkeeper only for his ground shot to be smothered by Paul Ryan. Lively substitute Owen Connors followed up with a white flag to make it a two point game. Kirwan frustrated Waterford followers further by ignoring claims for late frees particularly on Maurice Shanahan. John O’Neill’s clinical top corner finish in the fourth minute of an action packed injury time extinguished any lingering Deise hopes.

Brian O’Sullivan with 1-4 from play was Waterford’s outstanding player on the night particularly when leadership was required in the second half. Pauric Mahony from frees and Maurice Shanahan also showed up well in the forward division. Jake Dillon when moved around midfield in the second half improved that sector of the field along with the hard working Stephen Roche. Jamie Barron and Philip Mahony were the pick of a back line that too often allowed the Tipperary forwards time and space. Fergal Hartley and his management team will look back with frustration at the performance of the officials but also with regret that their first half performance wasn’t sharper and also that they completed a valiant second half effort with 14 men.

All of Tipperary’s forward unit led by John O’Neill displayed their class at various stages with seven different names contributing. Kevin O’Gorman in defence stood out by making a magnificent intervention in the first half when Eamonn Murphy was through on goal. Noel McGrath showed all of his ability in the first half but vanished from the game like many of his colleagues towards the end. Overall while they faded late in the second half their touch all over the field was crisper and they took their goal chances ruthlessly when presented with the opportunities. Ultimately these factors kept Tipperary’s All Ireland crown intact.

Scorers:- Tipperary: J. O’Neill 2-2, A. Ryan 0-3, N. McGrath 1-1 (1-0 pen), S. Curran 1-0, J. O’Dwyer 0-2(1f), P. Murphy 0-1, M. Sheedy 0-1, B Stapleton 0-1, B.O’Meara 0-1.
Waterford: B. O’Sullivan 1-4, P.Mahony 0-6 (6f), M. Shanahan 0-4, O. Connors 0-1, J. Dillon 0-1.

Tipperary: Paul Ryan, Ciaran Hough, Kevin O’Gorman, Stephen Maher, Brian Stapleton, James Barry, Padraig Heffernan, Noel McGrath, Joe Gallagher, Sean Curran, Paddy Murphy, Adrian Ryan, John O’Dwyer, Brian O’Meara, John O’Neill.
Subs: Sean O’Brien for Barry (H-T), Aidan McCormack for Gallagher (39 mins), Michael Sheedy for Curran (56 mins).

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe, Jamie Barron, Darragh Fives, Noel Connors, Paudie Prendergast, Philip Mahony, Stephen Daniels, Stephen Roche, Adam Brophy, Martin O’Neill, Eamonn Murphy, Pauric Mahony, Brian O’Sullivan, Maurice Shanahan, Jake Dillon.
Subs: Owen Whelan for O’Neill (H-T), Owen Connors for Brophy (47 mins), Eoin Madigan for Murphy (56 mins inj)

Wides – Tipperary: 12 Waterford: 9

Man of the match: John O’Neill (Tipperary)

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)

Attendance: 4,392