Embrace the novelty factor – Waterford SHC Semi finals preview

Hands up if you predicted that this quartet would make it this far? Not many I guess. It’s unchartered territory for two of them and a tale of the unexpected for Mount Sion given their shaky start.

29 September
De La Salle v Mount Sion (5.00 at Walsh Park)
The quarter finals revealed some chinks in the armour of the two time champions. After only conceding one goal in five group games, Ray Barry and company ran riot with a four goal burst. At the same time, Derek McGrath would have taken solace with the manner they held their nerve. Younger lights like Jake Dillon and Shane McNulty led the attack against Lismore as John Mullane took a back seat but still contributed three points. Nine different players raised a white flag in that game with 18 of their 24 points coming from play. The introduction of Anthony Kirwan at full forward and the switch of Austin Gleeson to midfield nudged an ugly spectacle in Sion’s favour a fortnight ago. Both players must start in those positions again to give Jimmy Meaney’s men a fighting chance. The championship’s top scorer Martin O’Neill will also be required to keep the scoreboard ticking over from frees and chip in with a couple from play. Their defence will also need to replicate their quarter final heroics. Ian O’Regan produced three excellent saves to keep the Gunners at bay. Provided that De La Salle don’t get sucked into a low scoring arm wrestle and shore up their full back line, they should qualify for their fourth county final.

Odds: De La Salle 3/10 Draw 11/1 Mount Sion 11/4
Prediction: De La Salle

30 September
Fourmilewater v Dungarvan (6.00 at Fraher Field)
Fourmile have barely put a foot wrong and they needed to surmount a different sort of challenge from Abbeyside in the quarter finals. The Villagers put up their defensive screen in front of Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron which they had to find a way around. Points came from unlikely sources in Maurice O’Gorman, Liam Lawlor and Brian Wall before their two most potent weapons pitched in towards the end. They have always found a way to win and Dungarvan will offer another type of test. Their pace and youthful exuberance may give Fourmile issues if they have failed to recover properly from their 80 minutes of football last weekend. Dungarvan will certainly stick to their short game through thick and thin but they also require big performances from their key men like Shane Kearney, Jamie Nagle and Gavin Crotty. This should be in the balance right up to the finish and while the possibility of a surprise is greater in this semi final, Fourmile’s superior full forward line may prove the deciding factor.

Odds: Fourmile 4/11 Draw 10/1 Dungarvan 12/5
Prediction: Fourmilewater

A twist in the tale - Waterford SFC Quarter finals in brief

Kilrossanty almost pulled off the surprise of the season when they led by a point entering injury time of extra time in a most enjoyable quarter final on Saturday night. The Nire salvaged a draw and their hopes of a double remain intact. It adds some unexpected spice to the championship given The Nire’s smooth passage before facing up to John Kiely’s men. The other quarter finals went as predicted although Ardmore and An Rinn gave the favourites some nervy moments.

Semi finals
Stradbally v Ballinacourty
Clashmore v The Nire/Kilrossanty

Clashmore 2-11 Rathgormack 2-3
Clashmore took care of 13 man Rathgormack with a degree of comfort on Friday night. They led by 1-8 to 2-1 at the break with Cillian O’Keeffe firing home on seven minutes. Michael Curry and John C Kirwan brought Rathgormack back into contention with goals in rapid succession mid way through the half. John Prendergast’s second half penalty pushed Clashmore six points clear and they never looked back.

Stradbally 1-10 Ardmore 2-4
Ardmore’s late scoring burst couldn’t stop Stradbally from reaching the last four on Saturday afternoon. The Reds led by 1-6 to 1-1 at the break with Robert Ahearne and Clinton Hennessy successful from the penalty spot. They held a seven point advantage early in the second period but the concession of 1-2 without reply (the goal courtesy of Tony Galway) gave them some anxious moments. They amassed 20 wides before Niall Curran fired a late point.

The Nire 1-17 Kilrossanty 2-14
Shane Walsh’s late leveller from a free in extra time sent this gripping quarter final to a replay. Kilrossanty trailed by four points with two minutes remaining in normal time but a Paul Keating goal and a superb Paul Whyte effort brought the game into extra time. Tommy Prendergast inspired Kilrossanty during those two periods of ten minutes and Paul Whyte edged them ahead and brought his tally to ten points in the process. Shane Walsh denied them a famous win with his eighth white flag of the night.

Ballinacourty 1-13 An Rinn 2-7
Donie Breathnach’s early penalty got An Rinn off to a flyer but Ballinacourty reeled them in and Mark Ferncombe’s goal put them 1-5 to 1-3 in front by half time. Gary and Patrick Hurney led the way up front for the county champions but they couldn’t put the game to bed and kicked 13 wides. Lorcan O’Cuirrin’s well taken goal brought An Rinn back into contention and Donie Breathnach (who finished with 1-7) levelled up the game with two minutes to go. Three late Courty points saw them get over the line.

Big three plus one? – Waterford SFC Quarter Finals preview

All roads lead to Dungarvan for this weekend’s championship fare but can the football produce a shock like the one witnessed at Walsh Park on Sunday or a cliffhanger like Lismore v De La Salle? After an opening weekend of surprises, a sense of predictability has engulfed the football championship as the group stages spluttered to a conclusion. Can any team disrupt the dominance of the big three? An Rinn look to be best placed to cause an upset, if there is to be one, against a Ballinacourty side yet to fire on all cylinders.

21 September
Clashmore v Rathgormack (8.00 at Fraher Field)
Rathgormack’s short passing style became laboured and predictable as the group stages progressed and they will need to address this aspect of their play to trouble Clashmore. They rely on Edmond Hogan and Gavin Nugent to build a winning total but these two require quicker ball to do the damage. Only a last minute penalty save ended Clashmore’s unbeaten run and they appeared the most capable of breaking into the top four during the group stages. Declan Hickey has only let in one goal so far and the forwards have shared the load equally.
Odds: Clashmore 8/13 Draw 13/2 Rathgormack 13/8
Last meeting: 2008 – Clashmore 1-9 Rathgormack 0-10
Form guide: Clashmore: WWWWL Rathgormack: WWDLL
Prediction: Clashmore

22 September
Stradbally v Ardmore (3.00 at Fraher Field)
A repeat of last year’s quarter final which Stradbally won by four points. While not operating at the same levels of a couple of years ago, they are still a hard team to break down and bring a savage  level of work rate to the table. After losing to Clashmore, they have won four on the spin in methodical, unspectacular fashion. Ardmore suffered heavy defeats to The Nire and Ballinacourty but maintained their standing as regulars in the knock out stages. The Prendergasts and the Hennessys certainly won’t shirk the challenge in front of them and they have also brought through a couple of younger players in this campaign. Ardmore also shocked Stradbally in 2007 at the semi final stage. It may be a low scoring arm wrestle but the Reds know how to grind out these games in their favour.
Odds: Stradbally 1/8 Draw 10/1 Ardmore 11/2
Last meeting: 2011 – Stradbally 0-13 Ardmore 1-6
Form guide: Stradbally: LWWWW Ardmore:WLWWL
Prediction: Stradbally

The Nire v Kilrossanty (6.00 at Fraher Field)
The Nire cruised through the group stages with five victories and an aggregate winning margin of 61 points. They play an attractive brand of football using the kick pass effectively to launch attacks into Liam Lawlor at the edge of the square with Jamie Barron and Shane Ryan picking up the crumbs. At the opposite end of the field, Justin Walsh, Maurice O’Gorman and Thomas O’Gorman form the meanest full back line left in the championship. Kilrossanty got their act together towards the latter part of the group stages with Tommy Prendergast making a welcome return to form and Joey Veale looking sharp in the corner. John Kiely will be hopeful of gaining a foothold at midfield through Prendergast and Paul Whyte but The Nire possess all the experience in other sectors of the field to continue their march.
Odds: The Nire 1/6 Draw 9/1 Kilrossanty 9/2
Last meeting: 2011 – The Nire 2-11 Kilrossanty 0-6
Form guide: The Nire: WWWWW Kilrossanty: WLLWW
Prediction: The Nire

Ballinacourty v An Rinn (7.30 at Fraher Field)
Ballinacourty made hard work of emerging from their group and suffered two defeats to The Nire and Rathgormack. An Rinn strung together three wins at the start of the campaign before losing narrowly to Clashmore and Stradbally. Their side consists of talented young footballers like Ray O’Ceallaigh and Donie Breathnach and they always seem to raise their game for the big guns. At the quarter final stages last year they just lost to The Nire by two points. The champions will need to be on alert to come through this test.
Odds: Ballinacourty 2/5 Draw 15/2 An Rinn 9/4
Last meeting: 2008 – Ballinacourty 3-9 An Rinn 2-5
Form guide: Ballinacourty: LWLWW An Rinn: WWWLL
Prediction: Ballinacourty

Salle survive as champions falter - Waterford SHC Quarter finals in brief

 

Championship favourites De La Salle survived a scare over the weekend but Ballygunner didn’t and surrendered their title as their great rivals managed to turn their season around. The semi final draw separated the two Eastern and Western teams which will serve up with a novel final pairing in October.

Semi finals
Mount Sion v De La Salle 29/9/12 @ 5.00 in Walsh Park
Dungarvan v Fourmilewater 30/9/12 @ 6.00 in Fraher Field

Dungarvan 1-16 Tallow 1-10
In an error strewn contest, Jamie Nagle and Gavin Crotty guided Dungarvan to the semi finals for the first time in 61 years. The Blues edged the opening period by 0-8 to 1-4 with William Henley bagging a goal for Tallow. The Bridesiders remained competitive to the finish but sorely missed Paul O’Brien who went off injured. Dungarvan outscored them by six points to two in the closing quarter to get the job done in unconvincing fashion.

De La Salle 0-24 Lismore 4-11
Eddie Barrett clipped over the winner in the third minute of injury time to keep the championship favourites on track after Lismore put up stern resistance on Saturday night. Even without the suspended Maurice Shanahan, Lismore’s attack looked threatening throughout and Dan Shanahan’s first half goal opened up a five point cushion. De La Salle responded with six unanswered points as Shane McNulty made his mark. They held a two point advantage at the break and stepped up a gear on the resumption to cruise into a 0-18 to 1-9 lead on 43 minutes. Goals through Ray Barry and John Prendergast in the space of minute however levelled matters. Again De La Salle found an answer as Jake Dillon popped up with a couple of points to lead by three as the clock ticked into injury time. John Heneghan’s goal on 62 minutes tied it up again but Barrett had the last word.

Mount Sion 0-16 Ballygunner 2-8
The 5/2 outsiders shocked the champions with a stirring second half display on Sunday afternoon. Barry Mullane fired home a fifth minute goal for the Gunners but Sion battled back largely through Martin O’Neill’s accuracy to leave it all square at 1-3 to 0-6 by half time. Tensions spilled over on numerous occasions as Pat Casey issued six yellow cards in all. The introduction of Anthony Kirwan and Austin Gleeson’s presence at midfield saw the Monastery side put together five points without reply in a crucial second half spell.  David O’Sullivan’s late goal couldn’t reel in Sion as Ken McGrath sealed the win.

Ballyduff Upper 1-20 Dunhill 0-18
An early goal from Jamie Kearney gave Ballyduff Upper some breathing space in this relegation battle. They held a 1-10 to 0-10 lead at the interval and eventually managed to extend their stay in the senior ranks to an eighth season despite the best efforts of Eamonn Murphy.

Three clear favourites – Waterford SHC Quarter finals preview

After a rather dull and goalless opening quarter final last weekend, can these three pairings bring some sparkle? Fourmilewater struggled with the mantle of favouritism for large stretches before pulling clear and this weekend sees Dungarvan, De La Salle and Ballygunner all carrying the same tag into their games.

15 September
Dungarvan v Tallow (4.00 at Fraher Field)
Tallow arrive at this stage after suffering three consecutive defeats but they don’t usually stick to the form book. They make a habit of reversing their fortunes without warning. At this juncture last year they eliminated Lismore and another shock seems just as improbable this time around. Paul O’Brien inflicted serious damage in the first half against Fourmilewater in round 5 but the tide turned completely after the break and Tallow didn’t even register a point from play in the second half. This erratic nature leaves the ball in Dungarvan’s court. If they can stick to their possession game that has served them so well and use the pace dotted throughout the side, they should make the giant leap into the semis.
Odds: Dungarvan 4/7 Draw 9/1 Tallow 13/8
Last meeting: 2011 – Tallow 2-12 Dungarvan 0-11
Form guide: Dungarvan: LWDWW Tallow: WDLLL
Prediction: Dungarvan

De La Salle v Lismore (5.30 at Fraher Field)
No preview for this game would be complete without highlighting the loss of Maurice Shanahan to Lismore. He has averaged nine points a game in championship 2012 but one moment of madness cost him dearly. De La Salle won’t shy away from punishing Lismore if they start feeling sorry for themselves. In the group phase, they registered 17 goals and after slipping up to Fourmilewater, they unleashed their anger on Tallow, Roanmore and Dunhill with a series of landslide wins. This is with John Mullane acting in the role of playmaker; they no longer depend totally on his scoring input. One concession at the other end also displays the strength of their defence.
Odds: De La Salle 1/7 Draw 14/1 Lismore 9/2
Last meeting: 2011 – De La Salle 1-21 Lismore 3-9
Form guide: De La Salle: WLWWW Lismore: WWDDL
Prediction: De La Salle

16 September
Ballygunner v Mount Sion (3.00 at Walsh Park)
Not that long ago clashes between these two ruled the Waterford hurling landscape. Between 1988 and 2006, they met in nine finals which routinely packed out Walsh Park and Fraher Field. Eventually the music died and both sides needed to rebuild. That process has happened a bit quicker in Ballygunner but brings no guarantees coming into this latest clash. Both teams come into it after picking up back to back victories. Mount Sion got their house in order just in time to stumble into the quarters after a hat trick of dispiriting defeats at the start. They shouldn’t be underestimated however as the starting fifteen that lined out against Roanmore consisted of fourteen players who had inter county experience at some level or another. The Gunners meanwhile welcomed back Pauric Mahony and the O’Sullivans as they got back to basics against Lismore. These clashes take on a life of their own and Sion got one over on the Gunners in the last round of the group stages last year. The champions should have the forward power hold out by a score on this occasion.
Odds: Ballygunner 1/3 Draw 10/1 Mount Sion 5/2
Last meeting: 2011 – Mount Sion 2-15 Ballygunner 2-12
Form guide: Ballygunner: WLLWW Mount Sion: LLLWW
Prediction: Ballygunner

Relegation play-off

15 September
Ballyduff Upper v Dunhill (2.30 at Leamybrien)
A potential banana skin here for Ballyduff, if they take their eye off the ball in a play off they didn’t expect to contest at the start of the year. They should have enough in the tank experience wise to shake off Eamonn Murphy and company. Despite putting up a brave fight, Dunhill’s time in the top flight may be short lived.
Prediction: Ballyduff Upper

 

Waterford SHC Top Scorers 2012 (As of September 10)

1. Martin O’Neill (Mount Sion) 3-43

2. Maurice Shanahan (Lismore) 2-40

3. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater) 1-41
4. Eamonn Murphy (Dunhill) 2-36

5. Gavin O’Brien (Roanmore) 0-40

5. Cormac Curran (Dungarvan) 0-40

7. Brendan Hannon (Ballyduff Upper) 1-35

8. Mark Gorman (Abbeyside) 2-31

9. Jake Dillon (De La Salle) 5-20

10. Owen Connors (Passage) 0-33

Saturday round-up from Fraher Field

 

Clashmore 1-17 An Rinn 4-8
A goal in the fifth minute of injury time from substitute Padraig O’Murchu salvaged an unlikely draw for An Rinn in the first of the Western Intermediate hurling semi finals. After 53 minutes, they trailed by nine points but managed to rattle the net three times in the closing stages. Clashmore’s crisp brand of hurling saw them deservedly lead by 1-11 to 1-4 at the break. Tadhg Bourke stood head and shoulders above the rest at centre forward as he accounted for twelve points and they looked poised for a comfortable win. An Rinn made a late charge however and goals courtesy of Liam O’Lonain, Donie Breathnach and O’Murchu gave them a lifeline. The replay will be held next Friday evening at 7.15 in Fraher Field.

Scorers:- Clashmore: T. Bourke 0-12 (8f), D. Foley 1-2, B. O’Halloran 0-2, P. O’Connor 0-1.
An Rinn: D. Breathnach 1-5 (1-4f, 1 65), L. O’Lonain 1-1, B. Breathnach, P. O’Murchu 1-0 each, R. O’Ceallaigh 0-2.

Cappoquin 0-15 Ardmore 0-13
Cappoquin earned a spot the Western Intermediate hurling final for the second year running after causing an upset in the second part of the double bill. It was a victory built on steely determination in defence and at the other end seven different scorers contributed to the final tally. Ardmore started brightly but leaned too heavily on Seamus Prendergast who finished with ten points to his credit. They led by four points to nil after seven minutes but trailed by nine points to eight at the interval. Conor Murray, Paul Murray and Keith Landers all put in big performances to get Cappoquin over the line in the second half.

Scorers:- Cappoquin: C. Murray 0-7 (4f), K. Landers 0-3, P. Murray, S. O’Rourke, D. Cahillane, K. O’Sullivan, E. McGrath 0-1 each.
Ardmore: S. Prendergast 0-10 (4f, 1 65), D. Prendergast, J. O’Donnell, P. Gleeson 0-1 each.

Fourmilewater 0-12 Abbeyside 0-8
In a tight, tense and tactical senior quarter final, Fourmilewater came good in the second half to advance to the last four for the first time in nine years. The sides were level on three occasions in the opening half as they went in level at six points apiece. Abbeyside used corner forward Shane O’Donovan as a sweeper in front of Shane Walsh and it gave them a platform to dominate the early stages. Jamie Barron and Gary Hurney exchanged points on the restart to tie it up for the fourth time. Fourmile hit the next four white flags however as Abbeyside hit a barren spell of 22 minutes without a score. This included a superb solo effort from Barron who finished up as top scorer on the night. A Mark Ferncombe free brought it back to within a score but another Barron free settled a disappointing contest overall.

Scorers:- Fourmilewater: J. Barron 0-6 (4f, 1 65), R. Fenton, C. Guiry, L. Lawlor, Maurice O’Gorman, S. Walsh, B. Wall 0-1 each.
Abbeyside: M. Gorman 0-3 (3f), G. Hurney 0-2, M. Fives, P. Hurney, M. Ferncombe (f) 0-1 each.

 

Another stepping stone – Fourmilewater v Abbeyside preview

8 September
Waterford SHC Quarter Final
Fourmilewater v Abbeyside (6.00 at Fraher Field)

Back in 2008, Abbeyside were a force to be reckoned with in the race for The News & Star cup. After making the semis in 2007, they came up two points short in the county final twelve months later. They appeared to be on the right track but it didn’t work out as planned and they only have one quarter final appearance to boast about since then.

Fourmilewater have now overtaken them as the team most likely to break the dominance of Ballygunner and De La Salle. In fact, they have dumped Abbeyside out of the championship in the last two seasons. Will it become three wins on the bounce on Saturday night or can Abbeyside arrest the slide?

First of all which Abbeyside will turn up? They mixed the sublime with the ridiculous last weekend. Their first half display was reminiscent of their best form of a couple of years ago as they posted 2-12. Mark Gorman, Gary Hurney and Patrick Hurney all stepped up in attack and contributed 2-7 from play between them on the night. Worryingly they fell away on the resumption and almost allowed a fifteen point lead turn into a one point defeat. The pace of Kevin Casey troubled their full back line and he scored two goals and earned two penalties as a result.

Fourmile hold no such concerns over their form. After a laboured start against Tallow, they got up to speed after the break to outscore their opponents by fourteen points to two. In their five wins, no team have come closer than five points. They will look to expose the Abbeyside inside line by leaving space in front of Shane Ryan, Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron. If two of these three catch fire, Fourmile will be on their way to the final four. They are also a physically powerful team all over the field and Abbeyside will need to match this to stay in the hunt. If they hold any weakness it is in their last line of defence but that hasn’t been tested severely in the games to date. Their greater consistency so far and a wider range of scorers makes them the more reliable pick but they won’t get away without a fight.

Odds: Fourmilewater 2/5 Draw 10/1 Abbeyside 2/1
Last meeting: 2011 - Fourmilewater 1-14 Abbeyside 2-7
Form guide: Fourmilewater: WWWWW Abbeyside: LWDDD
Prediction: Fourmilewater

Credits roll on a career that never ceased to thrill

It was a fairly standard rapid fire round during TG4’s Seo Sport last year which featured Eoin Kelly as the interviewee. The questions surrounded career highlights, hobbies and so on. “Favourite band?” was one of them. “Pavarotti!” Kelly replied without hesitation.

There was no element of surprise last week however when word of his retirement filtered through. In a high octane career, no explosive ending could be found. He finished up as an unused substitute against Cork on a July day at Semple Stadium. He usually lit up such occasions. This time little ink would be used to describe his impact on a knockout championship match.

A couple of factors entered the equation. On a practical level, he was going head to head with Shane Walsh for the full forward slot and, with the Fourmilewater man in the form of his life, he found it difficult to fit in elsewhere. He also never fully adjusted to the role of impact sub. Before the 2011 Munster final, he conceded that he didn’t pay close attention to events on the field before he entered the fray against Limerick. “I kind of got caught up in the game a bit. I wasn’t really thinking about what I was going to do when I came on. I kind of switched off a bit that way.”

Kelly needed to start and get a run of games under his belt in order to make a meaningful contribution. When he felt that his grip on a permanent berth was slipping, he decided the time was right. On WLR FM last week he said: “It’s time for the younger lads to come through. I probably have enough done now just to leave these lads a chance. There’s no point in me hanging around and taking someone’s place. Looking back at the last couple of years, I have only been a bit player. It was time to call it a day. Maybe I’m taking a younger lad’s place on the panel that might have more to offer.”

Since he burst onto the scene, great expectations have been placed on his shoulders. At the age of 20, a Munster title and an All Star came along in quick succession and it took time to come down from that early high and reach those peaks on a consistent basis. Under such intense scrutiny, Kelly managed to get a handle on the pressure cooker of championship hurling and matured to become a leader of the team especially during Davy Fitzgerald’s tenure. It’s easy to forget Kelly’s spectacular scoring returns in 2008 given how the year ended up. In a nervy qualifier against Offaly, Kelly scored 2-13 out of 2-18. He followed that up with 1-8 in the quarter final and 1-10 in the last four. In the build up to that September Sunday, he was the leading contender for hurler of the year. On 7-43, he streaked away in the championship scoring charts. David O’Callaghan and Joe Canning finished in joint second spot all of 25 points adrift. Despite adopting an unusual free taking stance, he took on that responsibility from the tail end of 2006 right through to 2010.

Long distance points also became a signature score. During a spell spent around midfield, he profited from that extra bit of space. His four white flags in the 2002 All Ireland semi final convinced the All Star selectors to put Kelly in the end of year fifteen. In the 19 point demolition job inflicted on Clare two years later, Kelly hit four from play along with four frees. 37 minutes into the 2005 Munster semi final against Cork (the forgotten game in the list of classics), he had accounted for six from play.

Waterford will also miss his goals. After ten barren games, Kelly broke his duck in memorable fashion in the 2004 Munster final. He averaged a goal every three games after that and they often came at crucial junctures. He showed a poacher’s instinct in the 2006 semi final to put Waterford in a good position before Cork rallied. The following June, his second half effort settled an eight goal belter. His 21 metre free before the break eased a few jittery nerves in the 2008 quarter final with Wexford. That net buster during the 2010 Munster final must go down as his best however and it came at Waterford’s hour of need.

In hindsight, the tide began to turn after he was substituted against Tipperary in the 2010 All Ireland semi final on 51 minutes. His four year old son also received verbal abuse from supporters about his performance that day. His comments afterwards make for interesting reading. “You'd have to ask yourself whether it's worth carrying on playing for Waterford, if this is the kind of thing you have to deal with.” Doubts began to creep in at that stage. He only made three championship starts thereafter. That criticism received from the stands and terraces and also from internet forums was something he addressed once more last week. Speaking to WLR FM he said: “Some things leave a sour taste in your mouth. The Waterford supporters, the majority of them, are fantastic but there’s always one or two that were saying things that they might regret and if I caught them they would definitely regret it.”

He dropped other subtle hints along the way. After the Clare victory he said: “There’s brilliant players coming through for Waterford. Like I could be gone next year I don’t know like or Mullane could be gone next year. These young fellas have to get a chance.” His exclusion from the panel at the start of the year was also put forward as a possible reason for his retirement. His reaction to that news at the time and subsequent recall suggested that he was willing to build bridges and not burn them. “A misunderstanding between two fools” is how Kelly put it when questioned by Marty Morrissey after the final round of the league. The jubilation shown after the Munster semi final success also suggests that Kelly was prepared to brush off any early season tensions.

But has he left his seat and gone for the exit door too soon? Later this month, Eoin will turn 30. 11 seasons at senior level takes a toll but with the advances in sports science he may yet have one or two more years to offer. It’s also an area of the field where Waterford can ill afford to lose players from given their low scoring returns and goals shortage. Michael Ryan requires cutting edge forwards and Kelly’s won’t help to stop the slippage in the hurling rankings. Four of the six starting forwards from the 2002 Munster final have now said their farewells. Before he picked up that thumb injury, he also made Passage tick in the club championship. He scored 6-9 in four games and looked particularly sharp against Lismore when they salvaged an unlikely draw.

Opinion diverges any time Kelly’s name enters the conversation. With his talents came a level of expectation. The bar was raised. He thrived in the rollercoaster ride under Justin and continued in that vein with Davy. Waterford will have to get along without his spark and imagination. There was always buzz of anticipation when he gained possession as supporters waited for something wonderful. More often than not, Kelly didn’t leave them disappointed.

Twelve reduced to eight - Waterford SHC Round 5 in brief

After a busy weekend of action, Dungarvan, Ballygunner, Abbeyside, Mount Sion and Tallow all progressed to the quarter finals. Ballyduff and Dunhill will contest the relegation play off.

Quarter finals
Fourmilewater v Abbeyside 8/9/12 @ 6.00 in Fraher Field
Dungarvan v Tallow 15/9/12 @ 4.00 in Fraher Field
De La Salle v Lismore 15/9/12 @ 5.30 in Fraher Field
Ballygunner v Mount Sion 16/9/12 @ 3.00 in Walsh Park

Dungarvan 0-19 Passage 0-15
The Blues finished top of Group 1 after claiming their third victory on Saturday evening. They led by 0-11 to 0-6 at the interval and withstood a second half fightback from Passage to hold out for a four point victory.

Abbeyside 2-19 Ballyduff 4-13
The game of the weekend unfolded in Cappoquin as Abbeyside squandered a fifteen point cushion and needed a late Mark Gorman free to secure a draw. Goals from Gorman and Gary Hurney helped to establish that healthy lead but a Ballyduff side shorn of several big names launched a stunning comeback. Kevin Casey netted two goals on the night with Jamie Kearney and Brendan Hannon also chipping in. They snuck one point ahead before Gorman pegged them back.

Ballygunner 3-22 Lismore 1-11
A brace of goals from Barry Mullane and one from Stephen Power in the second half gave the Gunners a comprehensive win over Lismore. Pauric Mahony also swung over thirteen points as they ran riot after leading by 0-14 to 1-6 at half time. Maurice Shanahan’s dismissal completed a miserable night for Lismore.

Fourmilewater 0-22 Tallow 2-7
Fifteen points from the stick of Jamie Barron helped maintain Fourmile’s unblemished record on Sunday afternoon. Tallow started strongly and held a 2-5 to 0-8 lead at the break with Paul Kearney and Thomas Ryan on target but they faded from view on the restart.

De La Salle 5-28 Dunhill 0-13
For the third game in succession, De La Salle showed no mercy as they powered to a thirty point destruction of Dunhill at Carraiganore. They held a 2-14 to 0-8 lead by the break and kept the pedal to the metal thereafter.

Mount Sion 1-19 Roanmore 0-15
Martin O’Neill’s goal just before the break gave Sion the necessary breathing space to get the better of the Sky Blues at Walsh Park. The inter county forward contributed 1-11 in total.