Waterford begin with a win

Few gave Waterford any chance of winning their opening round game of this year’s Allianz National Hurling League against Clare on Sunday.

John Fogarty in today’s Irish Examiners opened his report by stating that ‘Jubilant Waterford manager Michael Ryan couldn’t help putting it to the press that they had got it wrong in their assessment of his team’s chances in Cusack Park yesterday’, adding ‘First question from me,” he asked jokingly of the congregated journalists. “Did any of ye get a prediction right?”

I was not one of those to meet Michael Ryan after the game, but if I did, I might have responded by asking him if he read what I had to say on a posting on my blog early on Friday afternoon. Here is how I finished up my preview of the game.

With many completely writing off Waterford’s year before it has started, I for one would not be too surprised to see the team return from Ennis with a brace of points in the bag, but it won’t be easy

The game may be played in late February and no cups were handed out for it, but this was a game that Waterford needed to win and they did not disappoint.

There were few fears for the side at the back but at the other end of the field things were slightly different.

A number of key players were missing from the attack, but the six players picked to fill the positions from ten to fifteen did not disappoint.

Brian O’Halloran brought his Fitzgibbon Cup form into this game and ended it with four points, a just reward for his contribution. Jake Dillon took his scores well and Seamus Prendergast seemed to revel in his role as the side’s most senior player, while Brian O’Sullivan also impressed.

In their own end of the field, Stephen O’Keeffe made some good saves. The half back line of Jamie Nagle, Michael Walsh and Kevin Moran were solid with Moran and more over Nagle partially impressive and that full back line of Stephen Daniels, Shane Fives and Noel Connors also impressing.

This was a game that could have gone either way. The sides were level on eleven occasions and with the seventy minutes played it looked as if that was how the game would end as the sides were locked at 2-14 to 1-17 and if the game did end that way few could have complained.

Waterford got off to a dream start in this game. After hitting some poor wide’s Clashmore’s Brian O’Halloran opened the scoring on six minutes, but Clare hit back with a brace of Colin Ryan frees to lead 0-2 to 0-1 after twelve minutes.

Pauric Mahony drew the side’s level for the second time a minute later when he put over a free and moments later Seamus Prendergast had the sliotar in the Clare net having beaten Kelly in the home sides’ goal from close range.

Brian O’Halloran rifled over his second on eighteen minutes just before the Clare net rattled for the second time, this time Jake Dillon beating Kelly with an excellent ground stoke.

Colin Ryan put over a brace of points inside two minutes before Tony Kelly found the net having been set up by John Conlon to leave three between the sides.

The closing twelve minutes of the half proved to be an even contest as Pauric Mahony and Fergal Lynch first swapped scores before Seamus Prendergast and Seadna Morey did like wise.

Tony Kelly hit the last score of the opening half four minutes from the interval to leave one between the sides at the interval despite Waterford’s great start to the game.

The second half proved to be as equally a close as thirty five minutes hurling as the first half was.

Jake Dillon opened the second half scoring inside twenty seconds of the restart, but a brace of Colin Ryan points quickly had the sides all square.

Brian O’Halloran, Seadna Morey, Shane O’Donnell and Brian O’Halloran all swapped scores inside four minutes to keep the sides on level terms.

Colin Ryan put over a sixty five and half time substitute Darragh Fives swapped scores before Tony Kelly and Brian O’Sullivan sis like wise.

Clare went back in front thanks to a Colin Ryan effort, but it was a short lived lead as Pauric Mahony quickly had the sides’ level once more.

Colin Ryan edged Clare in front (1-15 to 2-11) but a brace of points from Jake Dillon who took over from the substituted Pauric Mahony had Waterford in front with just over five minutes of the seventy to play.

The game continued to ebb and flow as Colm Gavin and Jake Dillon swapped scores to keep Waterford one point in front with just over two minutes to play, but it was not to be for very long as Tony Kelly pointed for Clare in the last minute of normal time to draw the sides’ level for the eleventh time.

Referee John Sexton indicated to the fourth and sideline officials that at least two extra minutes would be played at the end of the seventy, a figure which could well have proven to be longer as there were some lengthy stoppages in the second period.

After 120 seconds the sides were still level but the Cork man did not blow his full time whistle.

Two and a half minutes past the end of the normal seventy, the Cork man blew Brendan Bugler for a high tackle on Brian O’Sullivan. Knowing that there could not be much time remaining Jake Dillon remained cool under pressure and from inside fifty metres and almost dead straight in front of the goal he made no mistake in sending the ball over the cross bar to help register a crucially important win for Waterford.

With big games to come against Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Galway, the importance of this win cannot be underestimated. Hopefully, in the next few weeks Waterford will be able to get some of the players that missed out on the game against Clare back into the side. If we can, then while Waterford may not win the All-Ireland, the year may not end as disappointing as some are predicting with some while now.

WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; S Daniels, S Fives, N Connors; J Nagle, M Walsh, K Moran; S O’Sullivan, D Twomey; B O’Halloran, S Prendergast, P Mahony; G O’Brien, J Dillon, B O’Sullivan. Subs: D Fives for Twomey (h-t); J Barron for O’Brien (43); R Barry for Mahony (57).

Scorers: J Dillon 1-5 (0-3f); S Prendergast 1-1; B O’Halloran 0-4; P Mahony 0-3 (all frees); D Fives, B O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

CLARE: P Kelly; D O’Donovan, J McInerney, D McInerney; B Bugler, P Donnellan, P O’Connor; C Ryan, S Morey; F Lynch, T Kelly, E Barrett; J Conlan, S O’Donnell, P Collins. Subs: N O’Connell for O’Connor, C Galvin for Barrett (both h-t); A Cunningham for Collins (54); S Collins for Lynch (58); J Clancy for Cunningham (64).

Scorers: C Ryan 0-9 (5f, 1 65); T Kelly 1-3; S Morey 0-2; F Lynch, S O’Donnell, C Galvin 0-1 each.
Referee J Sexton (Cork).