A look back at Football in Waterford during 2014 – Part 1

With some while now, I don’t buy any of the National Newspapers as regularly as I once did. When I want to see something I usually log onto one of the papers websites to find what I want, The Irish Examiner’s website often proving to be my first port of call followed by the Irish Times website.

However, if I was in town (Dungarvan) and intended to go for a cup of tea or something to eat in one of my favourite haunts in the town Tiffany’s I sometimes buy one of the tabloids, The Irish Sun or Irish Daily Mail seen as I am in already after giving some free advertising to some.

The Monday of this week (Christmas Week) was one of the occasions I did by a paper, The Irish Sun, and headed for Tiffany’s.

Reading a paper, I often start from the back, where the sport is often found. I began at the back of the paper and began to bypass eight pages of soccer and one general page of sport before I got to a double spread on the GAA.

The spread ranked the different counties that played in this year’s senior hurling and football championships. I noticed that Waterford were ranked ninth in hurling, something I would have agreed with behind, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Clare, Dublin, Galway and Wexford.

In football, I knew with no disrespect to the footballers within the county I would be wasting my time looking at the first half of the ratings to see where Waterford was placed.

I expected maybe to find them maybe in the mid twenties and when I did not see them there I was a little disappointed. When I found them and noted they were 31 of 33, with only London and New York behind them I was more than disgusted.

I don’t know how the rating for each team is worked out. I am sure that there is some formula used that is very difficult to follow. But I am constantly trying to work out why the experts are always putting Waterford football down.

As someone that has followed Waterford football with a long time now, I can vouch that there is nothing wrong with football in Waterford. All we need is for it to be given a fair chance and maybe to have a little lady luck along the way.

I was present in Fraher Field in 1988 when Waterford won a championship game againt Tipperary and I was there again in 2010 against Clare having not won any games in the years in between. I was also at many of the games between the two wins.

I was involved with the Waterford Minor Footballers in 2002 and 2003, I have attended a number of games in the last few years for The Munster Express at minor level (as well as senior), I attended many Jim Power Tournament games when I was involved with Bord na nÓg and from the games I have seen over the years I know there is talent in Waterford but it has to be given its fair chance to come to the top, starting with working with the up and coming players in development squads from under 12 and 13 upwards.

2014 was a year where the hopes were that it would be better than 2013. The league twelve months earlier was a disaster, followed by a heavy defeat in the championship against Kerry in Killarney. There was a glimmer of home with an excellent performance against Galway in the qualifiers where the tribesmen playing on their own patch needed a late surge to beat Niall Carew’s charges. At minor level there was also some hope for Waterford as they beat Limerick in the first round of the championship and then an excellent showing against Kerry in the semi finals.

In 2014 there was an improvement for Waterford in fortunes.

With the county not taking part in the McGrath Cup, the sides first competitive game of the year was not till February 2 when Clare were welcomed to Fraher Field in the first round of the league.

Twelve months earlier, Waterford beat Clare in Miltown Malbay and expectations that it would be a case of ‘Tus maith leath na hOibre’ but it was not to be, as the visitors beat Waterford 3-10 to 1-9.

Clare settled quick as Martin O’Leary blasted 1-1 inside eight minutes, but Waterford recovered well and went to the dressing rooms trailing 1-5 to 0-6.

Despite Waterford hitting an early second half point through Paul Whyte going a long period without scoring, while in between Clare added two further goals through Shane McGrath and Michael O’Shea which proved to be the decisive scores in the game.

Game two saw Waterford make the short journey to Clonmel to play Tipperary. Waterford on the day served up a much better performance than they did a week earlier.

Paul Whyte put in an excellent afternoon’s work for Waterford hitting 1-5, the goal coming late in the first half from the penalty spot after Liam Ó Lonáin was fouled, a score that helped Waterford to a 1-4 to 0-5 lead at the break.

Tipperary in the second half proved to be the better of the two sides for much of the game and ran into a 0-11 to 1-5 lead and also lost Dean Crowley with a black card. But Waterford finished the game strong and in the end got what was a deserved share of the spoils.

Game three saw Waterford again on the road, this time making the long journey north to play Antrim.

The home side throughout the game proved to be the better side with CJ McGourty accounting for ten of his side’s tally of 1-17. Waterford were once again best served by Paul Whyte who hit three points while Shane Ahearne, JJ Hutchinson and Oran Keevers all kicked one point each.

Carriganore was the setting for the game with London in Round Four. When the sides met at Ruislip twelve months earlier, the exiles won the game and the outcome in this game was the same as the visitors wearing the colours of Waterford IT ran out 2-10 to 0-9 winners.

Trailing 1-7 to 0-5 at the break, not for the first time Kilrossanty’s Paul Whyte finished top scorer in this game with six points, three of which came in the opening half. JJ Hutchinson and Shane Ahearne also landed points in the opening thirty five minutes, with the Stradbally Club man kicking another in the second.

Waterford’s first win of the year came at Fraher Field over Saint Patrick’s weekend when they beat a Leitrim side that was up to this point were impressing.

Waterford lead 1-6 to 0-6 at the break, the goal coming from Shane Ahearne with Conor Phelan, Shane Briggs and Paul Whyte also impressing.

Waterford continued to be the better side in the second half, running out 1-13 to 0-11 winners. The question now was could Waterford go on to put a string of results together and maybe make a late push for promotion.

The answer to that question was no, and Waterford’s interest in the league all but ended when they travelled to Aughrim to play Wicklow who ran out 2-14 to 0-12 winners.

Waterford for much of the game gave little or no breathing space to a Wicklow side that are often difficult to play against on their own patch.

Wicklow went to the dressing rooms at the break with a 0-8 to 0-4 lead and in the second half got the home sides advantage down to the minimum.

But two goals from Seanie Furlong with two points from Kevin Murphy sandwiched in between proved decisive as Wicklow kept their hopes of winning promotion alive.

Waterford’s last game of the league was another home game against Carlow and resulted in a 1-9 to 0-9 win for the home side, the goal coming from the impressive Liam O Lonáin.

In the Munster Championship Waterford were drawn against Clare in Ennis.

Heading into the game many were making Waterford the favourites to advance to the Munster semi final, and why wouldn’t they? Clare had beaten Waterford earlier in the year at Fraher Field in the League and won promotion to the third tier of the league a few weeks later, leaving Waterford the only Munster side left in the bottom tier of the league for 2015.

But you write off Waterford at your pearl. Waterford simply loves to be the underdog at times in a two horse race at times.

At the break in this game it looked good for Clare as they held a three point 1-5 to 1-2 advantage on the score board, Enda Coughlan rattling the Déise net with Paul Whyte hitting the Banner net.

Clare started the second half with a brace of points from Gary Brennan and Jamie Malone, but Waterford would hit back with points from Paul Whyte and Michael Curry before Liam Ó Lonáin palmed a Shane Ahearne pass to the net to level matters (1-7 to 2-4).

Tadhg Ó hUallacháin then nudged Waterford in from for the first time with a point. Clare responded by Gary Brennen hitting the Waterford net to give them a 2-8 to 2-5 lead, but Waterford finished strong with a three unanswered points, two from Shane Ahearne and the last from Paul Whyte in added time meant the sides had to head for Fraher Field to find a winner.

In the replay, the visitors proved too strong for Waterford running out winners by eight points (3-11 to 0-12) to set up a semi final against a Kerry side that would go on to win in Croke Park in September.

At the break, while Clare went to the dressing rooms with a 1-6 to 0-6 lead, the goal coming ten minutes from time from the boot of Gary Brennan proving to be the difference between the sides.

Waterford’s cause however was not helped on the day as Shane Ahearne was controversially issued with a black card after just 90 seconds of the game.

Despite the towering Stradbally mans absence, Waterford played well in the first half as Waterford ran into an early 0-5 to 0-3 lead, but as the game went on Shane Ahearn’s absence began to be felt as Gary Brennan began to influence the game. His goal after he was picked out by Shane Hickey levelled matters (0-6 to 1-3) and after that Clare were always on top.

Clare’s second goal came on 48 minutes when Gary Brennan’s effort came off the post and his brother Shane finished on the rebound to give Clare a 2-9 to 0-6 lead.

Waterford went thirty minutes without a score, a drought that was ended when Declan Allen slotted between the posts, but the score failed to ignite Waterford as Clare hit a third goal nine minutes from time when Rory Donnelly finished off an Eoin Cleary pass which ended the game as a contest.

Santa has his rounds done for 2014, but word on the ground has it that some involved with the Waterford senior football panel in 2015 have their letter written to Santa for next year and have asked for an early present, a home draw when Waterford enter the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Over the past few years, the draw has proven to be unkind to Waterford as the side has had to travel to places like Salthill, Navan and Aughrim. The draw for 2014 was a little more favourable, but still not kind, a trip to Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow to play Anthony Rainbow’s charges.

Waterford at the break held a 1-6 to 0-6 lead, the goal coming from Liam Ó Lonáin just before the break after he intercepted a Richard Mahon pass out of defence. For much of the game Waterford looked to have the upper hand over the home side and would be advancing to the next phase of the competition, as they held a five point lead at one stage, but with the wind at their backs, lead by Daniel St. Ledger, Benny Kavanagh and Darragh Foley, the home side began a fight back which spurred them on to a 0-17 to 1-13 win.

That defeat means its just one win in thirteen years in the qualifiers for Waterford, most of the games in this time were played away from home, so if letters were written to Santa who can as we know fix everything, well almost everything, asking for a favourable draw at Fraher Field you could not blame them.

On the underage scene it was more of the same for Waterford.

Nobody can fault the effort put in by the Waterford players when it comes to football. However questions have to be asked elsewhere. Ok things have improved in recent years, but we are playing catchup in Waterford for work that was not done in years gone by.

In the Minor championship this year, Waterford welcomed Tipperary to Fraher Field for the first round of the championship.

Waterford got off to a great start in this game as Young Footballer of the Year – Conor Gleeson finished to the Tipperary net with seven minutes played, but that score was powerless to them retiring at the break trailing 1-8 to 1-4, the Tipperary goal coming sixteen minutes in when Jamie Bergin struck for the first of his two goals in this game.

Conor Gleeson would hit a second goal for Waterford in the second half which was followed with points from the Stradbally pair Jack Mullaney and Michael Sweeney which gave Waterford a 2-7 to 1-9 lead, but the visitors would finish the stronger and when Jamie Bergin hit his sides second goal five minutes from time it proved to be the game changer score as Tipperary went on to win 2-11 to 2-7.

Waterford played Clare in the qualifiers at Fraher Field and what a game it proved to be, as no fewer than ten green flags were raised, six for the home side.

Waterford lead 4-4 to 1-4 at the break, with goals coming from Joe Allen after just 12 seconds, Dylan Guiry, Aaron Donnelly and Conor Prunty.

Clare fought back to level matters (4-5 to 2-8), but a Conor Prunty goal broke the visitors momentum on 42 minutes.

Two Joe Allen points followed but goals from Keelan Sexton and Evan Courtney inside sixty seconds leveled matters again.

Joe Allen would strike a sixth Waterford goal a minute from time to give Waterford a semi final spot in the competition against Cork after a 6-9 to 4-12 win.

Winning against Cork was always going to be a big task and some expected the visitors to Fraher Field to put up a cricket score, but they had to pull out all to stops to beat Waterford.

The Rebels lead 1-6 to 0-4 at the break, the goal coming from Sean O’Donoghue on seven minutes, but Waterford were unlucky to be five behind at the break as Conor Gleeson had a 23 minute penalty saved by Colm O’Driscoll.

Cork in the second half would move eight clear of Waterford but points from Joe Allen and Conor Gleeson and a Jack Mullaney goal gave the side plenty of hope.

Cork would go on to win 1-14 to 1-8 but it was a good performance from Waterford showing that there is material there to be worked with going into the future.

In the Under 21 championship, Tipperary with nine of the side that helped them to win a Minor All-Ireland in 2011 proved too strong for Waterford at Fraher Field.

The Premier men lead 0-9 to 1-0 at the break, the Waterford goal coming from David Hallahan on 23 minutes.

Ryan Donnelly added a second Waterford goal on 34 minutes getting onto the end of a Seamus Keating pass. Kevin Sheehan (2) and Gavin Nugent would also hit  points in the second half but Waterford were powerless at stopping Tipperary coasting to a 0-19 to 2-3 win.

In Junior football there was heartbreak for Waterford in Ennis. Two points each from Mark Ferncombe and Joey Veale as well as singles from Michael O’Halloran and Darren Guiry gave Waterford a 0-6 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Eoin Hanrahan gave Clare a 1-4 to 0-6 lead on 32 minutes, but Gavin Crotty cancelled out the score three minutes later.

Man of the Match Darren O’Neill hit a second Clare goal on forty minutes and it looked as though the game would end in stalemate till the same player from a free pointed on sixty minutes to give his side a 2-9 to 1-11 win.

Overall it was a disappointing year results wise for Waterford, but the material is there for Waterford to work with going into the future.

Should Waterford be ranked as low as they are in the piece referred to at the start of this piece? I don’t think it is right myself.