Stephen Bennett is wintering well. 3-6 in the Western final, 1-12 in the county final and 1-11 in a Munster quarter final. This latest solo mission matched his stratospheric standards. Grenagh were powerless to stop him.
With the scores tied at 1-9 each, he sorted out a sticky patch for Saggart. A scooped point off the hurley, a routine free and an incredible overhead effort dodged a Cork comeback. That final high wire act will be hard to replicate. With his back to goal and surrounded by defenders, he flipped the sliotar up in the air and over the bar in an audacious piece of improvisation that brought the house down.
They had sailed close to the wind after clutching a six point lead at one point. Selector Pat Bennett was out of breath but not out of words to express the pride he felt afterwards. "Our side have come back from the dead all this year. That Grenagh side have never been led in Cork, no team ever led at any stage of this championship all year. We led from the word go. When they came back our lads showed their mettle and showed their hurling. I’m so proud of those guys because not alone did they show their hurling and their skill, they showed their work rate and commitment and that’s what you want."
As Pat Bennett describes, Saggart led right from the first blast. Stephen Bennett thieved a goal in the fifth minute. Shane Bennett’s point attempt was collected by goalkeeper Mark Kenny but Stephen blocked him down and wasted no time in belting the sliotar home. They departed to the dressing rooms four in front (1-5 to 0-4) after Grenagh clocked up 12 stray shots. That soon swelled to six as Bennett piled on three more points. The last of those came out on the far side of the ground where he cheekily flicked over the head of the full back and retrieved to score.
The eight minute delay to treat Grenagh midfielder Niall Doherty (who was stretchered off with a serious knee injury) appeared to unsettle the Waterford champions. On 47 minutes, Seamus Coleman snuck in a daisy cutter after Ballysaggart initially dealt with the danger. Points through Ultan Duggan, Tom Kenny (free), Martin Barry and DD Dorgan tied them on 65 minutes. A ground shot also rattled the side netting in the middle of that. The boisterous away following started to believe in the comeback effort. Stephen Bennett also backed himself to go for goal from a 21 metre free and saw his stinger saved. In the almost never ending injury time (fourteen minutes in all), Bennett had three more tricks up his sleeve. Grenagh raided at the death but Matty Meagher rose highest and they were through.
The Cork side will reflect on 15 wides and the first half dozen that cost them dearly. Saggart’s brave defending also played a part. Barry Murphy’s block led to a point for Shane Bennett while Daniel Devine and Caileain O’Gorman starred down the right flank. Tom Kenny was held scoreless from play by Eugene O’Brien. Matty Meagher stopped from point blank range when Sean Bourke was favourite to score.
It's the first win for a Déise team over the Cork winners at this grade and a first win of any description for six years. They will need that bravery and more Bennett magic next Sunday as Another Fraher Field tie against Knockshegowna from Tipperary is the obstacle in the way of Waterford’s second appearance in a junior final. Pat Bennett doesn't want this adventure to end. "It’s brilliant for Waterford to get another home one. We got savage support in Dungarvan and we will be hoping for more again next Sunday. It’s a Munster semi final and it’s a huge chapter in our club. Today must have been the greatest day for our club. If you are going to get to a Munster final you have to beat Cork and Tipperary and that’s no mean feat. "
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