A rumour circulated in the press box beforehand that the throw in could be delayed due to the heavy volume of traffic around Salthill. Now not everyone caught in those jams sought an afternoon at Pearse Stadium as the prom and the beach proved popular attractions on a day of glorious sunshine. The game itself will hardly live long in the memory but it may mark a turning point in Waterford’s fortunes as summer time edges nearer.
Inside five minutes Waterford had created five scoring chances and dictated the terms to the Tribesmen all over the field. They used their short game effectively and this contrasted greatly with some of the aimless deliveries directed into the forward line in previous games. The hunger and drive missing seven days ago was restored and Galway struggled to match it. John Mullane also looked sharp and eager to contribute which lured Declan Connolly into fouls that would cost him later. Seven wides threatened to undo much of the good work completed in that opening half and a gap of three points at the interval scarcely reflected Waterford’s superiority. By that stage both sides were reduced to fourteen men as Anthony Stapleton put his stamp on the game. Two yellow cards in two minutes ended Shane O’Sullivan’s afternoon and he could have no complaint with the decision as he chopped down Joseph Cooney when he was heading goalwards and then committed a foot trip on Barry Daly. Three minutes later Declan Connolly also received his second booking for what appeared to be persistent fouling although his second offence seemed minor. Justifiably the Galway faithful voiced their displeasure with the match official as they needed to work twice as hard than their opponents to earn frees. Connolly’s red card offered Waterford the slice of luck that had evaded them in earlier rounds and the fact that it happened so quickly after O’Sullivan’s dismissal calmed any uneasy feelings.
Galway launched a mini revival at the start of the second half but Pauric Mahony’s assured free taking kept them at bay and then Shane Walsh finished off a wonderful move. Gavin O’Brien delivered a delightful cross field ball towards Mullane who proceeded to skip past David Collins into space. An easy point was on offer but Mullane sensed a goal opportunity and slipped a pass for Shane Walsh to flick to the net. Waterford cruised into a six point lead thereafter but couldn’t put the issue to bed. Galway desperately struggled to put the pieces together up front all afternoon as a solid Waterford rearguard broke up their inter play. Philip Mahony and Darragh Fives shone but crucially they all played well as unit.
In the final ten minutes however, Anthony Cunningham’s side bossed possession and they slowly began to find their feet in attack. Waterford tired visibly, began shooting poor wides and taking wrong options. The changes at midfield also didn’t work as planned and this allowed David Burke the time to orchestrate a comeback that resulted in five points on the bounce. An unthinkable draw looked on the cards but there was one big play left in the tank. Eoin Kelly won a crucial ball and dished off for Walsh to unleash the strike under pressure to tie up the points. Those nervy ten minutes almost gave the home side a lifeline but Waterford had shown more than enough to keep their survival hopes alive.
But just when you thought the door was closed on an eventful week and you could enjoy the sunny drive home, word filtered through about Brother Philip Ryan’s departure. Brother Philip was present on the sideline during Sunday’s game and broke the news to the players in the dressing room after securing the victory. He was invited by Davy Fitzgerald to come on board in 2011 and he worked closely on defensive matters. This year he took on a greater responsibility as regards coaching the team but after four league games he has now left Michael Ryan’s management team. A bizarre end to a bizarre week and the story continues next weekend at Fraher Field where matters on and off the field will again come under close scrutiny. You can’t take your eyes off it.
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