Eight points from Paul Whyte not enough to see Waterford through.

Waterford’s interest in this years All-Ireland Football Championship is over after they went under to Galway at Pearce Stadium on Saturday afternoon last.

Waterford went into this game on the back of a very heavy defeat at the hands of Kerry in the Munster Semi Final, and few if any in the national media gave Niall Carew’s men any hope, and even less of the football experts up and down the country outside of the Déise County gave them much of a chance either.

Waterford went into the game in a confident mood. A week earlier Galway had to fight hard to get the better of Tipperary, a side Waterford have proved to be evenly matched with in recent years, in the first round of the qualifiers.

Galway opened the game brightly as Michael Meehan pointed after he got on the end of an excellent pass from Paul Conroy and moments later the same player put over a ’45 to give the home side a 0-2 to no score lead after six minutes, and when Meehan sent in a high ball which Danny Cummins got on the end of to give Galway a three points lead the signs were not looking good for Waterford.

However, you write Waterford off at your pearl and the visitors came storming back with a Paul Whyte free and then a Tony Grey effort from play to leave just one between the sides with ten minutes played.

Galway extended their lead two minutes later when Danny Cummins pointed, and they could have extended that lead considerably on the quarter of an hour mark as Danny Cummins got inside the Waterford defence, but Stephen Enright did brilliantly to keep the ball out of the Waterford net. 

Three minutes later, Waterford were all square, after Andy Doyle and then Paul Whyte put over crucial scores.

Paul Conroy edged the hosts back in front when he put over a free, and the same player soon had the hosts two points in front when he put over another free eleven minutes from the break. That lead was extended to three when Michael Meehan pointed from the forty-five metre line with nine minutes to play.

Waterford had a good chance to draw the sides level moments later as Andy Doyle broke forward. The Stradbally Clubman had the chance to plant the ball in the Galway net but opted for the safer option to leave two between the sides.

Michael Meehan put three between the sides once more but Paul Whyte put over his fourth of the afternoon to leave two between the sides, but Galway were to go in at the break holding a three point advantage (0-10 to 0-7) after Paul Conroy put over his fourth of the game.

With the wind at their backs for the second thirty five minutes, it was important that Waterford got off to a good start after the restart.

Gary Hurney pointed four minutes after the restart to leave two between the sides. Brian Wall kicked another point on forty two minutes and when Shane Briggs levelled matters on forty seven minutes the signs were starting to look very good for Waterford.

Waterford’s good start to the second half was to get even better. Gary Hurney put Waterford in front when he pointed on forty nine minutes, before Paul Whyte put over another points to give Waterford a 0-12 to 0-10 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Waterford went three points in front on fifty six minutes. If Waterford could now get a goal, then it was looking as though they would be in the draw for the next round of the qualifiers.

Galway had not scored yet in the second half and if they were to have any chance it was important that they would put this unwanted statistic to right. They did that with a Paul Conroy point from twenty metres, and on the hour mark Michael Martin pointed to leave one between the sides in favour of the visitors.

Five minutes from time, Galway struck for the games only goal. Farragher played the ball to Armstrong who laid it off to Michael Meehan who shot low to the back of the Waterford net.

Paul Whyte put over a forty-five for Waterford to leave just one between the sides, but the score that Waterford needed to get something from the game did not come.

GALWAY: M Breathnach; C Forde, F Hanley, J Duane; C Doherty, G O’Donnell, G Sice; P Conroy, G Higgins; J O’Brien; S Armstrong, M Farragher; D Cummins, M Meehan, M Hehir. Subs: K Kelly for Forde (28), M Martin for Hehir (45), T Flynn for Higgins (49), S Denvir for Doherty (52), F O Curraion for O’Brien (60).

Scorers: M Meehan 1-5 (0-1f), P Conroy 0-4 (2f), S Armstrong 0-1 (f), D Cummins 0-1, M Martin 0-1.

WATERFORD: S Enright; N Walsh, T O’Gorman, M O’Gorman; C O’Keeffe, S Briggs, C Phelan; T Prendergast, S Ahearne; T Grey, G Hurney, A Doyle; B Wall, P Whyte, L O Lonáin. Subs: R Ahearne for Wall (60), D Allen for Prendergast (68).

Scorers: P Whyte 0-8 (3f, 1 ’45), G Hurney 0-2, A Doyle 0-2, T Grey 0-1, B Wall 0-1.

Referee: D Fahy (Longford).