Waterford Bow Out Despite Another Good Performance

          Waterford bowed out of this year’s All-Ireland Football Championship on Saturday afternoon when they lost out to a Derry side who made the long journey to Dungarvan on Friday evening hoping to avoid any slip-up for them which would have been seen as the shock of Championship 2017.

          Waterford went into this game on somewhat of a high after a very good showing against Cork at the same venue three weeks earlier, who pushed the Rebels all the way, but in this game Waterford despite again putting up another good showing had to settle again for second best against a Derry side that lead from first minute till the last.

          Despite an uneasy start for Waterford where Derry came out of the traps fastest racing into a four point lead after just eight minutes, Waterford settled very much so in the second quarter of this game and went in at the break only two points down.

          However Derry would again have an excellent start to the second half and would kick a series of unanswered scores which helped them advance in this game, and while Waterford again came back late on in the game, they had left themselves with too much to do, with the concession of a Danny Heavron goal on fifty one minutes proving to be the decisive score of the game which gave the visitors a 1-14 to 0-9 lead. 

          Niall O’Loughlin opened the scoring inside the first minute of the game and the same player quickly followed up with his second of the game after which Danny Tallon and Ciaran McFaul split the post to give the visitors a dream start.

          Gavin Crotty opened Waterford’s account on ten minutes but it was followed with Ryan Bell’s first of the game. Gavin Crotty and Danny Tallon swapped scores before Tommy Prendergast pointed on fifteen minutes to leave three between the sides, as Waterford began to come into the game.

          Stephen Enright made an excellent save from Heavron and in the subsequent battle for the ball Mayo referee Jerome Henry sent The Nire’s James McGrath to the line on a Black Card and was replaced by Michael O’Halloran. From the follow up free James Kielt made no mistake in splitting the posts.

          Points from Gavin Crotty and the An Rinn pair of Ferghal Ó Cuirrín and Donie Breathnach followed for the home side before the break but Derry responded with efforts from Niall Keenan, Ryan Bell and James Kielt to give their side a 0-11 to 0-9 lead at the interval.

          Derry once more had a dream start after the break and they hit 1-5 in the second half before Waterford hit a first score.

           Emmett McGuckin at the break replaced Niall O’Loughlin who was suffering with a dead leg, and he made his mark within thirty seconds with a point to put his side three up.

          Ciaran McFaul and Christopher McKaigue followed up with points for the visitors before Danny Heavron belt the only goal of the game in fifty minutes.

          Mark Lynch and Danny Tallon pointed again to open up a ten point lead before Donie Breathnach got Waterford’s first score of the second half with ten minutes remaining.

          The Kilrossanty pair of Tommy Prendergast and Paul Whyte tagged on late scores for the hosts, but they proved to be mere consolation scores as the strong start by the Oak Leaf County ensured that they advanced to the second round draw and as we now know a meeting with Mayo in round two of the qualifiers.

DERRY: Ben McKinless; Niall Keenan, Brendan Rogers, Karl McKaigue; Ciaran McFaul, Carlus McWilliams, Danny Heavron; Conor McAtamney, Christopher McKaigue; Ryan Bell, Niall O’Loughlin, Michael McEvoy; Danny Tallon, James Kielt, Benny Heron. Subs: Emmett McGuckin for Niall O’Loughlin (h-t), Mark Lynch for Ryan Bell (45), Shane McGuigan for James Kielt (48), Neill Forrester for Ciaran McFaul (55), Conor Nevin for Conor McAtamney (60), Gavin O’Neill for Danny Heron (64), Gavin Nevin for McAtamney (68).

Scorers: Danny Heavron 1-1, Danny Tallon, James Kielt (2f) 0-3 each, Ciaran McFaul, Niall O’Loughlin (1f), Ryan Bell 0-2 each, Niall Keenan, Emmett McGuckin, Christopher McKaigue, Mark Lynch 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Stephen Enright; Stephen Dalton, Ray Ó Ceallaigh, Thomas O’Gorman, James McGrath, Stephen Prendergast, Aidan Trihy, Tommy Prendergast, Michael Curry, Conor Murray, Paul Whyte, Gavin Crotty, Donie Breathnach, Fergal Ó Cuirrín, Joey Veale. Subs: Michael O’Halloran for James McGrath BC (19), Patrick Hurney for Joey Veale (47), Dylan Guiry for Conor Murray (50), Lorcan Ó Corraoin for Stephen Dalton (55), Frank Galvin for Fergal Ó Cuirrín (61), Kieran Murphy for Tommy Prendergast (70+2).

Scorers: Donie Breathnach 0-5 (3F), Gavin Crotty 0-3, Tommy Prendergast, Fergal Ó Cuirrín, Paul Whyte 0-1.

REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo).