Waterford 4-17 Limerick 3-15 (AET) - Munster Minor Semi Final

An extraordinary game of hurling unfolded in Walsh Park on Saturday as Waterford made it to a July 10 Munster final meeting against Clare. The 3,208 who witnessed it will do well to see a better one this year after an 80 minute shootout to remember.

The home side produced a whirlwind opening with the aid of the breeze blowing from left to right. 3-3 to 0-0 ahead after ten minutes doesn’t do justice to the term ‘dream start’. Darragh Flynn billowed the roof of the net after just 49 seconds with Adam O’Sullivan providing the assist. Three minutes later Stephen Bennett began his personal goal scoring spree as he skipped past his marker from a Shane McNulty delivery and shortened the grip to flick it past PJ Hall in the Limerick goal. Gavin O’Brien landed a monster free and Bennett added a peach of a point over his shoulder. Then the Lismore youngster bagged goal number three after he collected Cein Chester’s delivery and fired home a low bullet. A Jake Dillon point completed ten minutes of total hurling rarely seen at any level.

This sizeable lead didn’t reflect how closely these teams were matched and Limerick picked themselves up from the early blitz by putting an extra man into defence. Kevin O’Brien scrambled a goal after Shane Dowling’s effort was blocked by Paddy Cooke. Mark Carmody also took up the challenge and if the visitors didn’t clock up five wides they would have made more inroads by half time as they trailed 3-7 to 1-4. The intensity and work rate alone from the Waterford side did justice to that scoreboard however. Gavin O’Brien added two glorious points from play before the interval to underline their superiority.

With the elements in their favour and a reworked formation, Limerick chipped away at the lead. David Reidy switched from wing forward to centre back and suddenly the supply to the Waterford forwards dried up. The Limerick corner forwards now came to the fore and used their pace to great effect. When fouled Shane Dowling was there to convert the frees. Stephen Bennett managed to stop the rot with a point on 39 minutes but the men in green shirts hit a purple patch striking 1-4 in the next eight minutes. Kevin O’Brien grabbed his second goal again from a rebound and the sides were level. Against the run of play Bennett gave Waterford renewed hope to claim his hat trick. Again he raced past his man and finished with aplomb. Two minutes later the ever dangerous Mark Carmody sliced through at the other end to strike to the bottom corner. Momentum swung back to Limerick with Carmody, Dowling and O’Brien on the mark to hit the front by three.

A fifteen point turnaround in their favour they looked destined for the final but Waterford dug deep. With a strong bench to call upon they stayed in the hunt. Dillon pointed a free from centre field, Ray Barry struck a point and then substitute Cormac Heffernan came up with the score of the evening. Collecting the sliotar in a ruck of players 50 metres from goal he set out on a mazy solo run before striking straight off the hurley and over the bar. Two late Limerick efforts tailed wide and the drama continued into extra time.

Liam O’Connor’s side were grateful for the second chance after looking dead and buried in normal time. In the two periods of ten minutes their strength in depth told. Outstanding full back Damien Ahern retired injured late in the second half but his replacement Jim Power coped well in his absence. Cormac Heffernan starred in the opening half of extra time earning two frees that Jake Dillon pointed. Leading 4-16 to 3-14 going into the second period the tide again turned towards the home side in this epic tussle. Another substitute Donal Breathnach extended the lead with a white flag and missed a glorious chance to raise a green one moments later. Limerick didn’t lie down and accept their fate despite the deficit and the loss of Shane Dowling. Kevin O’Brien and Mark Carmody were both denied goals to revive their challenge as the Waterford rearguard only conceded a single point in extra time. The final whistle sounded and as the clock approached half nine on a Saturday evening nobody was in any hurry to leave the scene just to talk about the spectacle they had just witnessed.

Scorers:- Waterford: S. Bennett 3-2, J. Dillon 0-8 (5f, 1 65), D. Flynn 1-0, G. O’Brien 0-3 (1f), R. Barry 0-1, S. McNulty 0-1, C. Heffernan 0-1, D. Breathnach 0-1.
Limerick: K. O’Brien 2-2, M. Carmody 1-4 (1f), S. Dowling 0-7 (7f), J. Aherne 0-2.

Waterford: Paddy Cooke, Jamie Barron, Damien Ahern, Colin Walsh, Stephen O’Neill, Darren Foley, Shane Roche, Shane McNulty, Ray Barry, Darragh Flynn, Jake Dillon, Gavin O’Brien, Adam O’Sullivan, Stephen Bennett, Cein Chester.
Subs: Cormac Heffernan for Chester (42), Micheal Harney for Flynn (50), Ian Kenny for Roche (53), Jim Power for Ahern (60), Colin Dunford for O’Neill (71), Donal Breathnach for O’Sullivan (71), Chris Kervick for McNulty (79).

Limerick: PJ Hall, Shane Irwin, Barry O’Connell, Brian Murphy, Liam Ryan, Ciaran Keogh, Barry Lynch, Dan Morrissey, Diarmuid Dee, David Reidy, Shane Dowling, Mike Fitzgibbon, Kevin O’Brien, Mark Carmody, Jack Aherne.
Subs: Patrick Carroll for Keogh (26), Stephen O’Riordan for Fitzgibbon (59), Chris O’Riordan for Murphy (67), Mike Fitzgibbon for S. O’Riordan (70), Eoin O’Farrell for Dowling (72).

Wides – Waterford: 6 Limerick: 12

Man of the match: Stephen Bennett (Waterford)

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)

Eyes on three finals in a row – Waterford v Limerick minor preview

On Saturday evening Liam ‘Chuck’ O’Connor will seek to guide his Waterford minor hurlers to a third Munster final in succession for the first time since the mid nineties. Given the fact that the county only hold four titles in this grade it would mark a considerable achievement.

If Waterford’s victory over Tipperary signalled intent, then Limerick’s eight point success over Cork was equally impressive. Shane Dowling at number eleven in particular is central to the visitors’ hopes of a first final appearance since 2005. He was part of the Árd Scoil Rís team so narrowly denied an All Ireland colleges title by St Kierans two months ago. Four more members of that talented side will be on show for the Shannonsiders this weekend. Jack Aherne and David Reidy are also attacking threats worth noting. Aherne’s sideline cuts will need watching while the work rate of the forward division overall is also a feature of their play.

Jake Dillon carries the scoring responsibilities for the home side after a powerful display against Tipperary. That burden will be eased however by the return of Gavin O’Brien who fired ten points for his club last weekend. The side shows two changes from the one that defeated the Premier county with O’Brien replacing Jim Power and Shane McNulty in for Chris Kervick. Jamie Barron scored 1-8 for Fourmilewater a week ago but he remains posted at corner back. Big displays will also be expected from Ray Barry at midfield while Cein Chester and Adam O’Sullivan combined for 1-5 from play in the quarter final. The substitutes bench is also significantly strong with Cathal Curran and Donal Breathnach returning from injury while Michael Harney and Cormac Heffernan made telling contributions last time out when introduced.

Form lines are always difficult to follow at minor level. The last competitive game either side played fell at the tail end of April. The bookies make Limerick close to 2/1 outsiders which gives scant credit to the work put into the team and the talent available. Indeed looking at both line ups an entertaining tussle could be in store here with the influence of both centre forwards (Dillon and Dowling) pivotal in deciding the outcome. If Waterford can match their display against Tipperary, capitalise on the returning players and home advantage, a third Munster final in a row lies in wait on July 10 ahead of the senior decider.

Munster Minor Hurling Semi Final
Waterford v Limerick
7.30 at Walsh Park
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
Odds: Waterford 8/15 Draw 9/1 Limerick 7/4

Waterford SHC Round 3 in brief

Fourmilewater delivered on their promising early season form to capture their second win in three and the scalp of the 2007 champions Ballyduff Upper on Saturday evening. Jamie Barron’s goal on 21 minutes gave them a 1-8 to 0-5 interval advantage. Although Ballyduff reduced the deficit early in the second half, a goal from Shane Walsh clinched victory. In Sunday’s double header at Fraher Field Mount Sion and Tallow opened with a thrilling draw. Thomas Ryan’s superb goal looked to have sealed a one point victory for Tallow but Owen Whelan grabbed a late point to give Sion a share of the spoils. Sean Ryan struck for Mount Sion’s goal while Evan Sheehan, Eoin Condon and Thomas Ryan all found the back of the net for the Bridesiders. In the second game De La Salle underlined their intentions for back to back titles by shaking off Lismore despite a contribution of 2-6 from Maurice Shanahan. In the curtain raiser at Walsh Park Dungarvan eased their relegation fears after a tough battle with Roanmore. The Eastern outfit with a goal from Daniel Murphy and seven points from Gavin O’Brien opened up a 1-10 to 1-8 lead at half time. Karl Duggan struck for Dungarvan’s goal. The second half was a tight affair with O’Brien’s influence muted and late points from Cormac Curran, Colm Curran and Karl Duggan gave Jimmy Healy’s side the crucial two points. Despite being without Pauric Mahony, who suffered a hamstring strain, Ballygunner blew away a disappointing Passage effort in the second game. Goals from Brian O’Sullivan and Shane O’Sullivan gave the Gunners a 2-6 to 1-6 half time lead with Liam Flynn firing a green flag for Passage. Despite the best efforts of Owen Connors, last year’s runners up went into overdrive in the second half with Brian O’Sullivan helping himself to his second goal. Stephen Power finished with 0-11 and Brian O’Sullivan won his duel with Noel Connors firing 2-3 from play. In the final game of the round on Sunday evening at Fraher Field, Patrick Hurney and Laurence Hurney were among the goals as Abbeyside minus Richie Foley eased past Stradbally.

Round 3 Results
Fourmilewater 2-15 Ballyduff Upper 1-10
Dungarvan 1-16 Roanmore 1-14
Mount Sion 1-20 Tallow 3-14
Ballygunner 3-19 Passage 1-9
De La Salle 1-21 Lismore 3-9
Abbeyside 3-14 Stradbally 0-10

Hurling championship round 3 previews

June 18
Ballyduff Upper v Fourmilewater (7.30 at Fraher Field)
The Reds go into this encounter as favourites but a surprise could be on the cards. Fourmile’ are improving steadily under Fintan O’Connor with the sufficient firepower in Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron to make it two wins from three.
Odds: Ballyduff 2/7 Draw 11/1 Fourmilewater 5/2
Prediction: Fourmilewater

June 19
Dungarvan v Roanmore (2.00 at Walsh Park)
After Brian Flannery’s departure as Dungarvan manager, Jimmy Healy takes charge for this relegation battle. Both teams remain pointless after two games in Group 2 so this one is a must win. Roanmore should welcome back Gavin O’Brien and despite Dungarvan’s favouritism the city venue and a more settled preparation may see them over the line.
Odds: Dungarvan 8/13 Draw 9/1 Roanmore 11/8
Prediction: Roanmore

Mount Sion v Tallow (2.00 at Fraher Field)
Tallow shocked the same opposition in 2010 but with Paul O’Brien absent the city outfit should make amends on this occasion. Sion picked up two unconvincing wins over Roanmore and Passage and will seek to copper fasten a knock spot with another win here.
Odds: Mount Sion 8/15 Draw 10/1 Tallow 6/4
Prediction: Mount Sion

Ballygunner v Passage (3.30 at Walsh Park)
The Gunners won both of their opening games against the weaker opposition in the group and looked keen to make amends for 2010. In spite of limited resources Passage again are proving sticky opponents after losing out by a single point to Mount Sion in the last round. Ballygunners’ county experience and strength in depth should prove decisive in this one even if Eoin Kelly hits form.
Odds: Ballygunner 2/7 Draw 11/1 Passage 5/2
Prediction: Ballygunner

De La Salle v Lismore (3.30 at Fraher Field)
Two of the top four teams in the county title race meet in Dungarvan on Sunday.
Lismore’s dismantling of Ballyduff in round two, minus Maurice Shanahan, marked the performance of the championship to date. The reigning champions however won’t lack motivation after a surprise draw to Abbeyside and a Sargent Cup final defeat to Lismore recently. With ten De La Salle players called for inter county duty in various grades in the last fortnight the task for a youthful Lismore may prove too steep.
Odds: De La Salle 4/9 Draw 10/1 Lismore 7/4
Prediction: De La Salle

Stradbally v Abbeyside (7.00 at Fraher Field)
On the evidence of Abbeyside’s draw with De La Salle there can only be one outcome to the concluding fixture of round 3. With Shane Briggs, Mark Ferncombe and Richie Foley all expected to miss out however Stradbally may fancy their chances. After two double digit defeats they should be more competitive here but the Hurneys and Mark Gorman can still find a path to victory.
Odds: Stradbally 11/2 Draw 14/1 Abbeyside 1/12
Prediction: Abbeyside

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