Limerick prove too strong for Waterford.

 

Waterford bowed out of this year’s Munster Senior Football Championship at the first hurdle at the Gaelic Grounds where they suffered an eleven point defeat to Limerick.

Trailing by just one at the break, things looked good for John Owens men but they never got going in the second thirty five minutes and failed to hit the range with any effort they had at goal.

In truth, the difference between the sides on the scoreboard gives a false indication to the gap between the sides. On the day the home side were the better side and deserved their victory, but few if any could have predicted the gulf between the sides on the score-board.

Questions will be asked in some quarters after this game and rightly so. The result will give fuel to those who believe for whatever reason that Waterford should forget about football. These people however should be taken with a grain of salt, as we all have to accept that Waterford is a duel county, even if on the inter-county scene hurling is considerably stronger than football, but on the club scene we can as we have seen on more than one occasion in the last twenty plus years, we can hold out own with some of the best.

Most of the questions that are to be asked will be directed towards our county board, or at least sections of it. While they had no control over the fact that there was a long lay off between Waterford’s last game in the league in April, meaning there was no competitive games for the players to play together collectively, and the game with Limerick today (May 20), what happened in between they had full control over.

After the game with London, two rounds of the senior football championship were played followed by two rounds of hurling at a county and divisional level leading up to the Limerick game.

While few would or should suggest that the games should be called off, you have to seriously wonder why the Bord’s (County and Divisional) did not play the two rounds of hurling first and then the two rounds of football, which would have meant that those selected to travel to the Ennis Road venue would have done so having played football right up to the time of the game which while maybe not ideal, it would have been of some help to the selectors and the players.

Waterford began this game well. Points from JJ Hutchinson and Mark Ferncombe were hit in the first three minutes of the game commencing to put Waterford two points up.

Limerick hit back with a brace of points from Ian Ryan, both from frees to leave the sides all square after eight minutes.

Tony Grey and another Ian Ryan effort from another free for their respective sides had the sides all square once more at the end of the opening quarter.

The games crucial score came on nineteen minutes. A mistake by Kieran Cotter in the Waterford goal was capitalised upon by Seamus O’Carroll who hit the games first goal which gave Limerick a 1-3 to 0-3 lead, one they never lost.

JJ Hutchinson and Tony Grey hit points for Waterford to leave just one between the sides with twenty-seven minutes played.

On the half hour mark, Ian Ryan hit his first from play reacting quickest after Thomas Lee hit the Waterford post.

Mark Ferncombe and Seamus O’Carroll hit points for both sides before Shane Ahearne hit a point for Waterford in first half added time to leave one between the sides (1-5 to 0-7) heading into the break.

Waterford began the second half looking sharp. The introduction of Liam Ó Lionáin looked a good move by the selectors.

Within two minutes of entering the game he put Tony Grey through on goal but was pulled down for a penalty for Waterford.

With regular free taker Gary Hurney not playing because of injury, Mark Ferncombe was the one who took responsibility to kick from twelve metres, but his effort was saved.

From here on in, there was only one team really in the game.

Ian Ryan hit three points on the trot all from frees to extend Limerick’s lead (1-8 to 0-7) with fifty-five minutes played.

Stephen Kelly put five between the sides on sixty-two minutes and three minutes later Ger Collins ensured the victory was going to be Limerick’s when he kicked his first score of the game to extend his sides lead to six. Ian Ryan soon put seven between the sides when he kicked another free.

With a minute to play John Cooke put ten between the sides when he netted Limerick’s second major score and in added time Ger Collins closed the scoring in this game when he pointed for Limerick.

Waterford now have some time before the qualifiers begin.

A round of the senior hurling championship is down for decision next weekend followed by another round of football.

After this defeat some questions are going to be asked by players, mentors and supporters and possibly some officials. Will answers follow – we will see.

LIMERICK: B Scanlon; J McCarthy, P Browne, L O'Dwyer; S Lavin, J Riordan, P Ranahan; T Lee, P Kinnerk; E Barry, E O'Connor, S Buckley; G Collins, S O'Carroll, I Ryan. Subs: I Corbett for Barry, J O'Meara for Kinnerk, S Kelly for O'Carroll J Cooke for Lee, S Lucey for Ranahan.

Scorers: I Ryan 1-08 (0-07f), S O'Carroll 1-00, G Collins 0-02, S Kelly, J Cooke 0-01 each

WATERFORD: K Cotter; M O'Gorman, T O'Gorman, K Connery; W Hennessy, T Grey, S Briggs; S Ahearne, S O'Hare; P Hurney, S Dempsey, C O'Keeffe; T Prendergast, JJ Hutchinson, M Ferncombe. Subs used: L O Lionáin for T Prendergast, J Veale for Ferncombe, P Whyte for Dempsey, S Fleming for Hutchinson.

Scorers: JJ Hutchinson, T Grey, M Ferncombe 0-02 each, S Ahearne 0-1

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)