T'was a great day to beat Tipp.

 

Any day you beat Tipperary is a Great Day.

When you beat them in a major game, a Munster Final, a League or All-Ireland semi final or a final it’s even better.

Waterford beating our rivals from across the River Suir has become a bit of a habit in the last decade or so.

Waterford beat Tipperary in the Munster Final of 2002, the first Waterford won since 1963. Five years later Waterford beat them in Croke Park in an All-Ireland Quarter Final and twelve months later Waterford beat Tipperary in an All-Ireland semi final to qualify Waterford for a first All-Ireland Final since 1963. And on Sunday afternoon last Waterford beat them again, this time in a League semi final. One point separated the sides. But when you win it does not matter how much is in it at the end, a win is a win.

And in the interest of balance, I know Tipperary had a win a Pairc Ui Chaoimh in 2011 plus another one or two along the way, but we here in Waterford like to put these days to the back of our minds as often as possible.

Tipperary went into Sunday’s game as the favourites. They had come out of a tough Division 1A as group winners, a group where Clare and Kilkenny the All-Ireland Champions of 2013 and 2014 failed to make the quarter finals.

Waterford on the other hand had come through what in all honesty was a weak enough Division 1B. Everyone could have named three of the four sides that reached the quarter finals and the fact that Offaly who were in a relegation/promotion play off last year with Kerry made the quarter finals ahead of Antrim and Laois was also not a major surprise.  

The fact that Waterford beat Galway in the Quarter Finals was not a surprise. Galway are at the best of times ‘Good’, are often a ‘Poor enough side’ and seldom outstanding despite the fact that they have put together some outstanding minor and under 21 teams in the last two decades.

When Waterford play Tipperary there is always a belief within players and supporters that a win is achievable. It does not always happen, but you have to believe it will happen. The same happens against Cork. And following yesterdays win over Tipperary, Waterford have to believe without hyping up the occasion that they can beat Cork in the final.

Against Tipperary the sides were there from an early stage that it was going to be Waterford’s day, even if there was a spell in the first quarter it could well have gone against Waterford.

With two minutes played Paddy Stapleton for some reason played the ball over his own end-line when there was no real reason to do so. From the resulting ’65 Pauric Mahony made no mistake in splitting the posts for the opening score of the game.

The Ballygunner sharp-shooter followed up with another point from a placed ball but by the fifth minute Waterford were behind as Patrick Bonner Maher fired past for the games first goal.

Pauric Mahony pointed again for Waterford for his third point of the game to level matters, but within three minutes Tipperary hit a purple patch as first Niall O’Meara and then Seamus Callanan from a free landed points before Jason Forde and Brendan Maher linked up with John O’Dwyer and the Killenaule man finished to the net to give his side a five point lead.

Things would get better for Tipperary as Seamus Callanan put over a brace of points to give Tipperary a 2-4 to 0-3 lead with just sixteen minutes played and it was not looking good for Waterford.

After this Waterford settled down and thanks to some unerring shooting by Pauric Mahony Waterford soon began to come back into contention.

Pauric Mahony fired over a free on nineteen minutes. Maurice Shanahan who was superb throughout followed up with Waterford’s first score from open play a minute later and soon afterwards he was unlucky not to repeat the act as his shot at the target went wide of the uprights.

Seamus Callanan steadied the ship somewhat for Tipperary by putting over a ’65 and twelve minutes from the break Austin Gleeson danced through the Tipperary but Darren Gleeson was able to keep the Mount Sion’s man effort from hitting the net out.

With the half entering its final ten minutes, James Woodlock and Pauric Mahony traded scores to keep the early brace of goals between the sides, before Colin Dunford and Pauric Mahony landed points for Waterford to leave just four between the sides with just over five minutes of the first half remaining.

Pauric Mahony made it a three point game on the half hour mark and Waterford were unlucky moments later not to make it a two point game when Jamie Barron’s effort fell just short.

Niall O’Meara and John O’Dwyer put Tipperary put Tipperary back in front by five but Waterford before the break added two more points, the first coming from play off the stick of Pauric Mahony and the same player just before the break and the same player added one from a free following a foul on Colin Dunford to leave just three between the sides at the break.

Waterford opened the scoring in the second half with a Pauric Mahony free only for it to be cancelled out by a Seamus Callanan point from a placed ball but Waterford moved to within two again when Jake Dillon found the range seven minutes after the restart.

Seamus Callanan put Tipperary 2-10 to 0-13 in front nine minutes into the second half but Waterford were within one of the Premier County two minutes later when Jamie Barron and Maurice Shanahan put over scores.

Jason Forde and Maurice Shanahan swapped scores to leave one between the sides in Tipperary’s favour, but Waterford would end the third quarter in front after Colin Dunford finished to the net to give Waterford an advantage heading into the all important final quarter.

A brace of Pauric Mahony points gave Waterford a 1-18 to 2-11 advantage heading into the final quarter of an hour, but Waterford would go another fifteen minutes without scouring, which on another day could well have cost the side, but not in this game.

Thirteen minutes fro time Seamus Callanan saw an effort fall into the hand of Stephen O’Keeffe and two minutes later substitute Conor Kenny pointed to leave three between the sides to set up a ‘Grand-Stand Finish’.

A Seamus Callanan free nine minutes from time left two between the sides and when the same player put over another free two minutes later it was ‘squeaky bum time’.

Tipperary began to put pressure on the Waterford backs who defended like a pack of hounds and from the efforts that did go past them, the sliotar often went wide of the uprights.

Four minutes from time Padraic Maher pointed to level matters (2-15 to 1-18) and while neutrals in for the first game may have been leaving Nolan Park early to try and beat the traffic, nobody from Tipperary or Waterford were leaving as Extra time looked to see who would play Cork in the final on May 3.

On Seventy minutes Kevin Moran won a free for Waterford after he was fouled by Gearoid Ryan and from the resulting stroke Pauric Mahony edged Waterford 1-19 to 2-15 in front.

To win big games at times you need a degree of luck and in this game in the closing seconds Waterford had it in bucket loads.

Shane Fives attempted to clear the sliotar towards the corner of the field to kill time in added time at the end of the seventy. The ball struck the corner flag showing the end-line and side line. The Umpire on that side of the field ran to the corner to indicate a ’65 but referee Barry Buckley overruled the call of the umpire and awarded a sideline instead.

Had the flags been placed an inch or two outside the lines (which is allowed), the umpires call would be a correct one, and Seamus Callanan would be brought out to the sixty five metre line and on the sideline to strike from a difficult angle to level the matters. The Drom and Inch player like his Waterford counterpart Pauric Mahony is a fine striker of a placed ball and even though he would be shooting under pressure from a tight angle you would have to think the ball would have gone between the uprights and the game would have gone to extra time.

However, all Waterford supporters will for now not argue with Barry Kelly and the call he made. The full time whistle followed soon after the sideline was struck. Waterford advanced to the League Final where they will be looking for a third final win on May 3

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Tadhg De Búrca, Austin Gleeson, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Stephen Bennett; Kevin Moran, Pauric Mahony, Jake Dillon; Maurice Shanahan, Michael Walsh, Colin Dunford. Subs: Brian O’Halloran for Stephen Bennett (50), Tom Devine for Jake Dillon (56), Shane O’Sullivan for Michael Walsh (63), Eddie Barrett for Kevin Moran (70+1).

Scorers: Pauric Mahoney 0-13 (11f, 1 65), Colin Dunford 1-1, Maurice Shanahan 0-3, Jamie Barron, Jake Dillon 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Darren Gleeson; Paddy Stapleton, Conor O’Mahony, Paul Curran; Michael Breen, Padraic Maher, Ronan Maher; James Woodlock, Shane McGrath; John O’Dwyer, Brendan Maher, Jason Forde; Seamus Callanan, Patrick Maher, Niall O’Meara. Subs: James Barry for Paddy Stapleton (43), Shane Bourke for John O’Dwyer (45), Conor Kenny for Jason Forde (53), Gearóid Ryan for Shane McGrath (58), John Meagher for Paul Curran (66).

Scorers: Seamus Callanan 0-8 (3f, 1 65), John O’Dwyer 1-1, Patrick Maher 1-0, Niall O’Meara 0-2, James Woodlock, Jason Forde, Conor Kenny, Padraic Maher 0-1 each.

Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath)