Derek McGrath compared it to a rugby match. “There’s no rocket science to it. Every team is trying to keep their backs as condensed as possible and then open it up. It becomes a war around the middle third. We just wanted bodies where the ball was and that’s what every team is doing. We are happy with the set-up of the lads and more happy that they stuck to it because it can be frustrating to watch and can lead to rucks.” TG4 analyst John Allen likened it to Tyrone in Gaelic football. As the game entered injury time, he praised a “technical and tactical” performance from Waterford.
A phenomenal collective effort completely suffocated an out of sorts Wexford side. Waterford made 45 tackles, ten blocks and two hooks over the seventy minutes plus. Seven of those blocks were made in the first half including three by Shane Fives, two by Noel Connors and one each from Austin Gleeson and Pauric Mahony. The team is clearly fitter than last year and need to be to carry out this counter attacking plan. At times, thirteen Waterford players were behind the ball but once they won it back, they broke out at speed. This willingness to hunt in packs means sacrificing personal gain for the good of the team. Michael Walsh and Brian O’Halloran were the only two forwards who failed to score but worked unselfishly for others. Walsh had 23 possessions and made each of them count. He tackled, earned primary ball and always played the simple pass. O’Halloran forced Wexford into the concession of frees and had a hand in four points. Both midfielders played box to box as they were responsible for bringing possession up the field when Wexford attacks fizzled out. Kevin Moran handled the ball 18 times with partner Jamie Barron making 13 plays. Jake Dillon also clocked in for a busy seventy. He was involved in the play on 16 occasions, recorded three points, had one wide and an assist.
The half back line cleaned up during that second quarter spurt of six unanswered points. Austin Gleeson was the most active member with 17 plays including that uplifting score straight from Mark Fanning’s puckout. Tadhg De Burca won many new admirers with another flawless outing as he produced four clean catches. Philip Mahony dispatched plenty of clearances in the first half. Even by the end of March, numbers one to seven appear locked down for championship. They have only conceded one goal in open play. Noel Connors had a ding dong battle with Liam Óg McGovern especially in the first half. Although the corner forward scored two points, Connors had two blocks and two tackles to his credit. His persistent hassling of McGovern close to the stand sideline followed by a diving block was corner back play at its best.
Liam Dunne conceded that they couldn’t deal with the white and blue swarms. “It’s hard to say but they wanted it much more than us, that’s difficult to accept given that so much rode on the result. They showed that in winning practically every ruck ball. They continually came out with the ball once it broke on the ground, while they were also always available to pick up the breaking ball once our half backs batted it down.”
The Model outfit looked rattled and nowhere near as sharp as their opponents. Andrew Shore’s spillage over the sideline following a short puckout by Mark Fanning was one of many forgettable moments. The player in possession had to fend off one or two tacklers to make any headway. They were sucked down the field by a deep lying Déise midfield and half forward line and left space at the opposite side for Brian O’Halloran and Stephen Bennett. Colin Dunford drifted out to midfield at the start but also spent time in the corner.
When Waterford inevitably forced the turnover through force of numbers, a midfielder or half forward was able to initiate an attack. These five players did most of the scavenging and covered significant ground. Given the scarce options at the other end, this involved the likes of Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran and Michael Walsh acting as ball carriers. This forced Wexford into needless fouling. The other choice was taking on a long distance shot. Jake Dillon, Colin Dunford and Austin Gleeson all claimed scores of this type during the first half. On the flip side, this ambitious shooting contributed to a first half tally of ten wides. It also diminishes goal scoring possibilities with only Stephen Bennett getting a good sight in the second half. Interestingly in the two key games against Limerick and Wexford, Waterford finished on 22 points without troubling the opposition goalkeeper on a regular basis. Will the trend continue on Sunday?
Reaching that peak again is the challenge for all concerned. Galway didn’t show much stomach for battle last year but Joe Canning was tied up with Portumna at that stage. The returns from Jason Flynn and Cathal Mannion suggest that Canning will have more support than usual this season. Flynn shot the winner against Clare and has 29 points to his name across four league starts. Mannion scored 1-2 against Dublin among a total of 2-11. Jonathon Glynn gave Barry Coughlan plenty of bother when lining out for UL in the Waterford Crystal last year and he is sure to spend some time at number fourteen.
Waterford will be ready for war again and aim to protect an unblemished Walsh Park record under Derek McGrath comprising four wins in all competitions. If the real Galway stand up however, the Déise defence will have much more to worry about than last weekend.
