Waterford March On

I stand to be corrected on this and no doubt if I am wrong someone will tell me that I am and will put me right. I think it was former England International Soccer Player Jimmy Greaves that once said “Football (referring to soccer) is a funny old game”.

Well in 2013, it could well be argued that “Hurling is a funny old game”. The way some results have worked out in this year’s championship is amazing.

Waterford loosing to Clare may not be the biggest shock of the year, but to some it was. Having disposed of Waterford Clare was then expected to beat Cork. After all Davy Fitzgerald and his Clare charges had beaten Cork after extra time in a relegation play off at the end of the league and they were expected to do the same in the championship.

Tipperary loosing to Limerick in the championship was defiantly a shock as was Dublin beating Kilkenny. At the start of the year most hurling supporters would have said that Tipperary would win the Munster Hurling Championship and that Kilkenny would have win the Leinster Championship. In fact most would have boldly predicted that the two would be contesting the All-Ireland Final in September.

We are not yet out of the month of June, and both are out of their Provincial championships. The draws for the second phase of the All-Ireland qualifiers is already made and the two are pitted against each other, meaning as I ready somewhere on twitter earlier this year that one of these sides will be out of the championship before Waterford which is amazing.

Waterford could just as easily have been like Tipperary or Kilkenny and be out of the championship before the provincial finals were played.    

Against Westmeath in the first half, Waterford were not the side that we know the side they are capable of being.

Westmeath were always going to be a tough act to beat. Like many other teams, while they are a long way off playing in Croke Park on All-Ireland Final day they are a side that are able to mix it with the stronger sides.

In 2012, they put it up to Galway in the quarter finals of the Leinster Championship. While Galway won the game hitting 5-19, an impressive score to put up any day of the week in any grade of hurling, but they conceded 4-12 on the day as well.

The fact that this happened is not a surprise. Galway at times reminds me of a Nursery Rhyme, the name of which I cannot remember right now. Most will know the rhyme that I am referring to:

There was a little girl,

Who had a little curl,

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good,

She was very good,

But when she was bad, she was horrid.

When Galway is good, they can be like that little girl. As we saw last year when they won the Leinster Final and when they went so close to winning the All-Ireland Final, they can be very good, but we have also seen then play poor, and when they do, they can be shocking.

In the first half of the game with Waterford, Westmeath were well up for the game. They matched Waterford in every department, and for long periods of the first half they lead, and it looked as though a result which Waterford were at the end of twenty years ago could well be on the cards.

However in truth, that was never going to happen. I don’t think too many could seriously have seen anything but a Waterford win in this game and a good win at that. In the second half, while they disappointed somewhat in the opening thirty five minutes, in the second half, Waterford showed themselves to be the team they are.

At the break, the sides were locked 0-10 to 1-7 with wing forwards Brendan Murtagh and Derek McNicholas doing the most of the damage on the Waterford defence. At the opposite end of the field, many of the Waterford players were not performing as they are capable and had Maurice Shanahan not been on the field, Waterford could halve found themselves in a lot of trouble.

Playing with the breeze at their backs in the first half, Westmeath started well. Derek McNicholas hit an early point for Waterford which Maurice Shanahan cancelled out with a free. The big Lismore man pointed against shortly after wards to give Waterford the lead and it was expected that Waterford would plough on from here and go on to win the game as easily as most were expecting.

However this was not to be the case and Westmeath enjoyed a period of dominance.

Derek McNicholas pointed for Westmeath to draw the sides level, before Aonghus Clarke, Brendan Murtagh and Derek McNicholas all hit points to give Westmeath a surprise three point advantage after sixteen minutes.

Waterford hit back with points from Maurice Shanahan firstly from a free and then play before Kevin Moran put over his first of the evening to tie the scoring at five points each after twenty minutes.

Westmeath still refused to lie down and roll over. The Midlanders hit the next three points in a row. Derek McNicholas was first off the mark. Eoin Price, a player highly regarded of in Westmeath was next of the mark and then Brendan Murtagh scored again to give his side a 0-8 to 0-5 lead with twenty seven minutes played.

Waterford now knew they were in a game and they needed to get more than Maurice Shanahan scoring in the forwards. The big Lismore man pointed again to leave two between the sides. John Shaw restored a three point cushion for Westmeath once more before Brian O’Sullivan following some good work by Seamus Prendergast hit the first major score of the game three minutes from the break to level matters for the fourth time in the half.

Westmeath went back into the lead with a point from Derek McNicholas but the sides would retire to the dressing rooms all square after Shane O’Sullivan hit a point just before the break.

What ever was said in the dressing room at the break worked for Waterford. They came out a much different side for the second thirty five minutes and took the game to the home side.

Seamus Prendergast, Brian O’Sullivan and Maurice Shanahan all hit early scores to give Waterford a 1-10 to 0-10 lead six minutes after the restart.

Tommy Doyle a second half substitute for John Shaw pulled a point back for Westmeath but three points from Maurice Shanahan, two from Seamus Prendergast followed to give Waterford a 1-15 to 0-11 lead with forty-eight minutes on the clock.

Waterford were now well on top and changes were begun to be made. Gavin O’Brien was sent on for Pauric Mahony and within seconds of coming on he helped set up Brian O’Sullivan for his second major score of the game.

Jake Dillon and then Darragh Fives both landed points to extend Waterford’s lead to 2-17 to 0-11.

Jake Dillon landed his second score of the game thirteen minutes from time which was followed by a Brendan Murtagh point.

Brian O’Sullivan and Kevin Moran helped extend Waterford’s lead to fourteen points, before Shane Fives got in on the act and hit a point for Waterford.

 Eoin Price and Jamie Barron swapped scores to before Maurice Shanahan who is in impressive form for Waterford of late hit a third Waterford goal late in the game.

Waterford could have added a forth goal late on but Peter Collins did well to keep out Brian O’Sullivan’s attempt to complete his hat-trick.

Waterford made life tough for themselves in the first half of this game, but they pulled out all the stops in the second half to run out convincing winners.

Next up for Waterford is a meeting with the winners of one of next weekend’s second round games, between Laois and Clare or Kilkenny and Tipperary.

Most Waterford and hurling supporters in general are of the opinion that Clare will be too strong for Laois and as Waterford have played Clare already this year the sides cannot meet again till later in the year, which means a game most likely against Tipperary or Kilkenny.

If this is how things work out, Waterford will go into the game as the rank outsiders. Those previewing the game will be quick to point out that in the first thirty-five minutes against Westmeath Waterford found it hard to get the better of them. Previewers of the game will be quick to point out that Waterford’s leading scorer in the championship is Maurice Shanahan and that if the opposition were to keep him quiet, then Waterford are going to be in trouble.

This is exactly what Waterford will want to happen. Let’s take all the pressure off Waterford. Let it be all heaped most likely on Tipperary or Kilkenny. Let’s tell them that Waterford are not the side they once were and that either of them should be beating them out the gate by half time and then beating them back in. Waterford will love this. The pressure will all be off us as a county. If we were to put up a decent performance against one of our neighbours, the previewers of the games will be happy with that.

I feel that there is more to come from this Waterford side. I believe that there is one very big performance in Waterford. If that is in the next game it could well mean that the two teams most favoured to be in Croke Park in September would be out of the Championship and if that was to happen, anything could happen.

Waterford has a settled team. Jamie Nagle missed the game against Westmeath. He will strengthen the team on our next outing. In the second half we saw some of the pressure taken off Maurice Shanahan when it comes to scoring. That is a good thing. Waterford hit three goals against Westmeath. Again that is a good thing. It will give the side confidence in their next game as they will know that they can hit goals.

Waterford kept a clean sheet against Westmeath, another plus. People might say it was only Westmeath, but remember I have told you already Galway who won last years Leinster Final and came within a whiskers length of winning the All-Ireland allowed them to hit four against them twelve months ago.

Coming off the bench, Waterford have some very good players. Gavin O’Brien, Eddie Barrett, Dean Twomey, and Jamie Barron all came on against Westmeath and could if called upon start in Waterford’s next game and do a job.

Paudie Prendergast has impressed a lot this year. He missed the game against Westmeath with illness and he would be expected to be in with a shout again at starting in a forth-nights time.

Shane Walsh is a player that has suffered his fair share of injuries in recent years. Hopefully he will be in contention for a place in the starting team and if not to be one of the first players to be sprung from the bench.

In naming those sent on against Westmeath, I deliberately till now left out one name. Tony Browne, what a man. On the eve of his 40^th birthday, he received the biggest cheer of the night when he came on for the last ten minutes of the night. When he tried his luck for a score, every hurling supporter was willing the ball to between the posts. Had he managed it, I’m sure he would have received a standing ovation.

What a player. What a man. In an era when many players are calling a day to their inter county careers in their late twenties or early thirties, he is like the Duracell Bunny, he goes on an on.

In this year of surprise results, wouldn’t it be great if the brilliant Mount Sion Clubman, who is playing with Waterford since October 1991, was to win the Celtic Cross Medal that he and many others would love to see him add to his collection. I am sure if he did, there would not be a dry eye in Waterford. And in this year of surprise results, you never know, it could well happen.   

WATERFORD: Stephen O'Keeffe; Shane Fives, Liam Lawlor, Noel Connors; Darragh Fives, Michael Walsh, Ray Barry; Richie Foley, Kevin Moran; Maurice Shanahan, Pauric Mahony, Shane O'Sullivan; Jake Dillon, Seamus Prendergast, Brian O'Sullivan. Subs: Gavin O'Brien for Mahony (53 mins), Eddie Barrett for D Fives (55), Dean Twomey for Foley (57), Tony Browne for Barry (60), Jamie Barron for Dillon (63).

Scorers: Maurice Shanahan 1-9(4fs); Brian O’Sullivan 2-2; Seamus Prendergast 0-3; Kevin Moran, Jake Dillon 0-2 each; Shane Fives, Darragh Fives, Shane O’Sullivan, Jamie Barron 0-1 each
WESTMEATH: Peter Collins; Liam Varley, Tommy Gallagher, Paul Fennell; David Fennell, Alan McGrath, Adam Price; Eoin Price, Robbie Greville; Brendan Murtagh, John Shaw, Derek McNicholas; Niall O'Brien, Joey Boyle, Aonghus Clarke. Subs: Tommy Doyle for Shaw (38 mins), Gary Greville for Gallagher (49), Aaron Craig for O'Brien (65), Shane Power for R Greville (65), Thomas Egan for Varley (66).

Scorers: Derek McNicholas 0-6(4fs); Brendan Murtagh 0-3; Eoin Price 0-2; Aonghus Clarke, John Shaw, Tommy Doyle 0-1 each
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)