Tipperary shade National Hurling League Opener in Thurles

Many of Waterford’s old habits came back to haunt them at Thurles on Saturday evening when they let a half time lead slip against Tipperary in the opening round of games in this years National Hurling League.

Not for the first time, Waterford relied on scores from frees to keep the score board ticking over in the course of this game, while hitting thirteen wides (eight in the first half) at this level of hurling again proved costly.

It was also interesting to note that over the course of the seventy minutes, Waterford created no real goal scoring opportunities. In the past to score a goal against Brendan Cummins always proved to be a difficult task when playing against Tipperary but with the Ballybacon-Grange club man now retired from the game sides facing the Premier County would be expected to attempt to have a green flag waved more often.

It may not be a popular thing to say, but unless we can get more of our players scoring from play and reduce hitting the amount of wide’s that we are in recent times and to a lesser extend if we don’t work on our puck out’s which cannot be always be blamed on a goalkeeper who is only playing to instructions in a game plan, 2014 could see Waterford’s interest in hurling could be over very early this year as this years competitions could prove ultra competitive. However in saying that, we are still only in February and there is still plenty of time to put things right.

At the break Waterford were 0-8 to 0-5 in front and were full value for the lead. Pauric Mahony was hitting his scores crisply albeit he hit as many wide’s as he did scores from frees, while the half back line of Jamie Nagle, Michael Walsh and Philip Mahony were on top of what always threatened to be a dangerous Tipperary centre forward line, while behind them Shane Fives proved to be Waterford’s best player over the course of the seventy minutes, while Kevin Moran and Shane O’Sullivan in the middle of the field were also playing well.

By the fifth minute of the second half Waterford had added points from Maurice Shanahan and Jake Dillon to give the side a double score lead, but it was here that the game began to fall apart for Waterford.

Seven minutes later, the sides were all square after Seamus Callanan in what appeared to be acres of space beat Stephen O’Keeffe from close range after he was picked out by Noel McGrath.

At the three quarter stage mark Waterford were a point in front after Pauric Mahony put over a free on fifty two minutes but it was followed by a hat-trick of white flags from Seamus Callinan.

Waterford were never really out of the game to be fair after Tipperary took the lead and it was only when a Darren Gleeson free from his own 45 metre line and out near the side line went all the way to the Waterford net on seventy minutes that the game was put beyond the grasp of Waterford. 

Next up for Waterford is a game in Walsh Park against Galway. The outcome of that game in the last two years have saved Waterford from a relegation battle and denied Waterford a place in the semi finals of the league and this years result could well prove just as crucial while Tipperary have an away game against Kilkenny who have won the last two big meetings between the sides and will be looking for that recent trend to be reversed at Nolan Park.

TIPPERARY: D Gleeson; C Barrett, C O’Mahony, M Cahill; S McGrath, P Maher, C O’Brien; B Maher, J Woodlock; S Callanan, N McGrath, K Bergin; J Forde, P Murphy, J O’Dwyer. Subs: L McGrath for J Forde, D Maher for J O’Dwyer, S Bourke for P Murphy, R Maher for J Woodlock.

Scorers: S Callanan 1-4 (2f), J O’Dwyer 0-4 (4f), D Gleeson 1-0 (1-0f), N McGrath 0-2, J Woodlock, K Bergin & D Maher 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; B Coughlan, S Fives, N Connors; J Nagle, M Walsh, Philip Mahony; K Moran, S O’Sullivan; J Barron, Pauric Mahony, J Dillon; M Shanahan, S Walsh, B O’Sullivan. Subs: S Molumphy for S Walsh, S Prendergast for J Dillon, E Barrett for Shanahan, S Roche for S Prendergast.

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-10 (9f), Philip Mahony 0-2, Kevin Moran, J Dillon, M Shanahan & B O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Referee: C Lyons (Cork).