Flashback Friday - The Great Ken McGrath

League back on track in typical Waterford v Cork fashion

A crowd of somewhere between five and six thousand packed into Fraher Field to watch another absorbing clash between Waterford and Cork. The attendance was so unexpected that the throw in was put back a full 15 minutes. A shot in the arm for a slumbering league campaign to date with an exciting game to boot.

After trailing by only a point at half time and with the advantage of a strong breeze to look forward to, Cork will wonder how they let the points slip. The first half saw Patrick Cronin and Lorcan McLoughlin boss the midfield exchanges with Donal Og Cusack’s immaculate distribution aiding their effort. The inside line also looked lively with Patrick Horgan and Luke O’Farrell firing over four points from play between them. They also weathered a strong Waterford start which saw them lead by three points on three occasions. Despite maintaining a grip at midfield Cork’s forward unit struggled in the second period and by close of business three of their starting sextet left the field. Credit is due to Waterford’s defensive effort here with Wayne Hutchinson overcoming early difficulties to put in a strong second half. Darragh Fives and Noel Connors were equally impressive beside the Ballygunner man in the full back line.

It was a day that Shane Walsh showed the way for those around him up front in probably his best display in a Waterford shirt. Starting in his favoured position of full forward, Walsh was first to almost every ball ahead of his marker Eoin Dillon. Two points inside the opening seven minutes was a sign of things to come. He added three more in the second half at crucial stages to keep the home side in the hunt for victory. That second half saw the sides level on seven occasions and only one point ever separated them at any point. Maurice Shanahan was another to rise to the occasion especially in the second half and he gathered and distributed an amount of possession to his colleagues. Waterford undoubtedly were boosted also by the return of Kevin Moran and John Mullane. With two minutes to go however Jerry O’Connor put the Rebels ahead with a booming score from midfield. The resilience of Davy Fitzgerald’s men was tested and again they passed. Richie Foley stood over a free on his own 65 metre line and nailed it to give his side vital momentum entering the closing minutes and moments later Moran found the winner.

A win based on solid defensive play and hard graft maintains a good recent record over Cork and keeps the league alive with three games remaining. On the minus side Ken McGrath’s return to action at midfield didn’t work as planned with the number nine called ashore early in the second half. Davy admitted afterwards that it may have been a mistake to place him there and clearly at this stage of his career McGrath would be better suited closer to goal. The wides tally of 15 and four yellow cards will also be of concern with some of the cautions due to careless and unnecessary acts. With Clinton Hennessy absent for two league games due to suspension, Adrian Power took the goalkeeping reigns unconvincingly on Sunday. Rather than clearing the ball first time the Ballyduff Upper net minder prefers to take on the man first and then make a big clearance. This ploy directly resulted in a Cork point in the first half and despite keeping a clean sheet there can be improvements made to his game.

News broke on Friday morning of Davy Fitzgerald’s three month suspension after comments made to an official during the Tipperary and Waterford game. The management and county board are determined to fight this hefty ban tooth and nail with the appeal hearing due on Friday. After Sunday’s game Davy affirmed that these matters will not affect or distract the team but only time will tell if this side issue takes centre stage. For now Davy can bask in maintaining hopes for a final spot next month on a positive day for the league overall.

Flashback Friday - 2010 Munster Final Goals

No home comfort for Davy against confident Rebels – Waterford v Cork preview

Waterford and Cork meet this Sunday for the first time in Dungarvan since the 1998 National League. Only three points separated these sides in three league and championship encounters in 2010 and with the league ambitions of both sides in the balance this Sunday’s clash could be another close one.

Cork arrive on the back of a steady campaign with wins over Offaly and Galway and a one point defeat to Kilkenny. That round two game with the Cats in difficult conditions at Nowlan Park has given the Rebels a spring in their step. They gave a rousing second half display and also seemed to settle upon their best fifteen. The Cork running game also returns with Aisake O’hAilpin now off the panel and the Michael Cussen experiment parked to the sidelines. It is a tactic the Cork players find comfort with and the win over Galway was an example with short accurate passes placed into the forward line. After the Tipperary win in last year’s championship Denis Walsh seemed to fall between two stools and the team suffered as a result. The 2010 campaign also highlighted a need to refresh the panel. Paudie O’Sullivan, Cian McCarthy and Luke O’Farrell have brought renewed energy to the forward line with William Egan, Ray Ryan and Conor O’Sullivan impressing in defence thus far. Another new weapon Walsh can call upon is Patrick Cronin’s switch to midfield, a role he fulfilled in UL’s successful Fitzgibbon Cup campaign. While Cork can be pleased with their renovations, the reliables like John Gardiner and Niall McCarthy are still putting their shoulder to the wheel. Gardiner in particular looks in the mood to lead a strong Rebel charge in 2011. All of these factors give them plenty of encouragement ahead of Sunday.

Waterford’s first real test against Tipperary last weekend was compromised by the two red cards. Davy Fitzgerald seemed pleased in the aftermath however that despite a long absentee list his team responded in a positive manner. No matter what the circumstances his charges won’t go down without a fight. The De La Salle contingent returned to training this week but look unlikely to feature at the weekend. Noel Connor remains a doubt after sustaining ankle ligament damage. The imminent suspensions to be imposed on Shane O’Sullivan and Clinton Hennessy mean two changes to the team will be made for Sunday. The big question is will Ken McGrath finally get the chance to prove himself from the start? He received six minutes against Dublin and four minutes against Tipperary so no judgement can be cast on whether the Mount Sion man is in contention for a championship spot. Adrian Power seems to be the preferred choice for the number one jersey but Stephen O’Keeffe will be pushing hard after his clean sheet in Wexford. Up front Richie Foley and Seamus Prendergast will need help with the scoring burden. Foley has notched 2-27 in three games with Prendergast chipping in with 2-3.

Davy Fitzgerald suggested after last weekend’s game in Thurles that he anticipates a few more defeats in this league campaign. He will be satisfied that competition for places is intense and that there is good spirit instilled in the team. Defeat on Sunday however rules Waterford out of league final contention and that should spur them on. The defence has thrown out doubts over their inexperience so far and if Maurice Shanahan in particular can aid the forward cause a home win is not beyond the bounds of possibility. All that said with this Cork side close to full strength, showing solid form to date and a better spread of scores amongst the forward line they should take the points here.

National Hurling League Division 1
Waterford v Cork
Throw in 2.30 at Fraher Field, Dungarvan
Referee: Barry Kelly

Moral victory despite moments of madness – Tipperary v Waterford analysis

As thirteen man efforts go Waterford fought the good fight on Saturday night but Davy Fitzgerald’s team predictably suffered their first defeat of 2011. The spirit shown in adversity must be encouraging as Tipperary stuttered with two extra men to put them away.

Noel McGrath once again reigned supreme against Michael Walsh in an almost carbon copy of the performance he produced in last year’s All Ireland semi final. Then again not many centre backs in Ireland would have handled the Loughmore Castleiney man on this night. He shot seven points from play, four in the first half and three in the second half, each point better than the one that preceded it. Padraic Maher and Pa Bourke also raised their game to give the All Ireland champions their first league points of the campaign.

Waterford started off brightly with Maurice Shanahan a lively presence in the full forward line. The goal from Paul Kelly, which was of the soft variety, settled the home side and put them into a lead they would never relinquish. Waterford stuck in there through Richie Foley’s free taking and a marvellous effort from play under the Old Stand as Shanahan along with others in the forward line languished. The two dismissals however quickly turned the assignment into a damage limitation exercise.

Uncharacteristic moments from both Shane O’Sullivan and Clinton Hennessy but no complaints could be made about either decision. According to Waterford management the Ballygunner midfielder lost the ball in the lights from Brendan Cummins’ puck out but it was a wild stroke and a late one. After sending Hennessy off for a crazy high tackle referee James Owens didn’t deem it necessary to inflict similar punishment on Paddy Stapleton. His challenge on Thomas Ryan, while not as dangerous as the previous incident, still warranted a red for being head high. The remarkable thing is Tipp’ wilted under the pressure of having two extra men. In fact Waterford with thirteen men won the remainder of the game by seven points to six.

Richie Foley again stood above everyone else in a blue and white jersey. After a shaky display against Wexford, he resumed the free taking duties and struck over nine out of ten. He also added three fine points from play. Foley’s move to midfield for the second period reaped dividends and he looks far more comfortable in that area of the field. Seamus Prendergast also continued his upward curve with a hard working display capped off with two points from play. The Ardmore man looks to have regained the form he seemed to have lost for the past couple of seasons. Apart from Foley and Prendergast however none of the other forwards have stepped up during the league. Pauric Mahony is developing well but this year could be too soon for him and the same applies to Eamonn Murphy. Maurice Shanahan, Shane Casey and Thomas Ryan however are in their third season on the panel and none of this trio have nailed down a place based on league form thus far. The full back line of Darragh Fives, Shane Fives and Jerome Maher proved a solid unit despite their inexperience. Indeed the majority of Tipp’s scores came against the half back line where Michael Walsh had a game to forget.

Another note on a strange night’s work at Semple Stadium was the small attendance of 4,947. With Setanta Ireland not exactly available to the majority of households staying at home in front of the television could not be used as a reasonable excuse. People are clearly voting with their feet on the idea of night time hurling and indeed the league in general. It’s Waterford v Cork next Sunday and if that doesn’t bring out a bumper crowd in Dungarvan the GAA will seriously need to reflect on the structure, marketing and maybe even the ticket pricing for its secondary competition.

Flashback Friday - Waterford v Kilkenny League Final 2007

Tipp to shine under the Semple spotlight? – Tipperary v Waterford preview

Saturday night’s televised clash in Semple Stadium offers a barometer of progress for both Davy Fitzgerald and Declan Ryan. Waterford’s young players will look to perform in their test with the All Ireland champions while Tipp badly need a win on the board or else an unthinkable relegation scrap will emerge on the horizon.

Let’s park the game itself for a moment however and examine the merits of these floodlit fixtures. While the success to date of the Dublin Spring Series cannot be argued, on the hurling side the idea doesn’t seem to have caught the imagination. A stark reflection of this was the attendance at last year’s replayed Munster Final. Even the Tipperary and Kilkenny league game a number of weeks ago failed to lure the crowds. The quality of the hurling also seems to suffer as a result, with the lights often making the sliotar difficult to pick out. This Saturday’s clash will provide another test of the success or otherwise of hurling under lights. Another low turn out or a disappointing game could result in a rethink.

Declan Ryan was quick to wield the axe to his panel after Dublin inflicted a second defeat of the campaign. Timmy Hammersley, Conor O’Brien, Paddy Fanning and Hugh Maloney, who were all members of last September’s triumphant panel, were forced to bite the dust. The transition from Sheedy to Ryan is still a work in progress but a third loss on the trot would immediately place the new bainsteoir under the microscope. Eoin Kelly’s second half introduction against Dublin showed small signs of panic already creeping in. On the plus side Ryan can pick an experienced side to see him through this early battle on Saturday night. Brendan Cummins may return in goal with Padraic Maher, Paddy Stapleton and Michael Cahill all likely to start in defence. Shane McGrath and Brendan Maher will form the midfield combination while John O’Neill and Pa Bourke have shown up well in the forward line. Lar Corbett recently returned to training with Eoin Kelly also available if required.

Davy Fitzgerald will be quietly pleased with progress to date but he recognises that Tipperary in Thurles is a different obstacle to either Dublin or Wexford. Davy’s record against Tipp in league and championship also needs to be improved with one win (2008 All Ireland semi final), one draw and three defeats in a total of five games. Last weekend Waterford played Clare under lights at Sixmilebridge to adjust to the conditions they will face on Saturday. Ken McGrath, Eoin Murphy and Eoin Kelly all saw game time in a narrow 1-19 to 2-15 defeat. The management will be reluctant to make many alterations to the team that claimed full points in Wexford. Clinton Hennessy looks favoured to take his turn in goal after Adrian Power and Stephen O’Keeffe featured in the previous two fixtures. The only other changes could be in attack with Maurice Shanahan and Ken McGrath both in contention. Shane Casey or Tomás Ryan could be under threat if either player is promoted. McGrath is eager for more league action in 2011 after admitting in a recent interview that he felt he returned too late to the panel last year.

Waterford undoubtedly enter this game the more confident outfit after their solid start. Tipp still seem to be adjusting to the Declan Ryan influence and the rotation of players within the panel may also be creating an unsettling effect. They do hold the aces in experience however and this may tell in defence if Davy remains loyal to his youthful forward line. With the nucleus of the All Ireland winning side to pick from and two points desperately required, the home side may have the edge this weekend and steady the new ship.

National Hurling League Division 1
Tipperary v Waterford
Throw in 7.30 at Semple Stadium, Thurles
Referee: James Owens