Croke Park next stop for Déise Hurlers

If anybody told you on New Years Day of this year that Waterford would still be involved in the Championship in August you would probably have laughed.

A number of changes were going to be made to the panel for the year ahead and the feeling was that the new faces coming into the panel, none of whose ability was questioned would need a little time to settle into playing hurling at the highest level before Waterford would be serious contenders for All-Ireland Glory again.

Well, we are now just days away from August and Waterford are one of just four sides in with a chance of winning this year’s All-Ireland Championship.

And of the three other sides that are remaining in the championship, there is not much for Waterford’s young side to fear.

Galway are a side that will always blow hot and cold. When they played Waterford in the league quarter finals earlier this year they were awful. Today against Cork they looked very good, but we have to ask ourselves how good are this present Cork side?

Tipperary is a side that Waterford know that they can beat.

Waterford won the League semi final clash between the two and the Premier County side might have won the Munster Final Clash between the two recently, but Waterford that day did not play up to the standards they can play. Should the sides get the chance to meet again this year, I for one would be very confident that the Munster Final result could be reversed.

And what of Kilkenny. This may prove to be a commentators curse, but I don’t believe that are as good as they used to. They have lost a lot of experienced players over the past year or two. And while history will favour the Cats going into the All-Ireland semi final clash against Waterford, I believe Waterford are better off getting Brian Cody’s side in the semi finals rather than in the All-Ireland Final.

All last week I felt that Waterford had the upper hand on Dublin, especially if they could exploit possible weaknesses that can from time to time in their full back line.

When I woke this morning for some reason I was not as confident as I was all along, but I need not have any such fears.

There were some worries going into the game. The return from play from the forwards in the Munster Final was the one, but today things were much different as the forwards were in fine form from play hitting a very impressive tally with five of the six forwards getting their name on the score sheet from play.

Another was how would the side react to the defeat to Tipperary in the Munster Final and the subsequent defeat to Clare in the Under 21 Championship where a number of the panel was also involved. However there would be no fears as the mentality of the players going into the game was excellent.  

The first half of this game proved to be a very tight affair with Dublin turning around with the smallest of advantage on the score board at the end of thirty five minutes hurling, in which the sides were tied together eight times.

In the second half however, it was much different, as Waterford put in an excellent thirty five minutes hurling, hitting two goals, one at either end of the half.

Maurice Shanahan again lead the charge for Waterford in this game hitting 1-12 of Waterford’s tally on the score board and also played a major roll in helping to set up Shane Bennett for the crucial first goal of the game very early in the game.

The towering Lismore man is one of a number of Waterford players who would be in with a serious shout of an All-Star if the team was announced now, Tadhg Bourke, Kevin Moran and Noel Connors the others in with the biggest shout.

The latter went off injured in this game with what appeared to be a leg injury, but he is expected to be back for the clash with Kilkenny on August 9 in Croke Park. The loss of the Passage man on another day would have been a big blow to Waterford but Derek McGrath was able to call on fellow De La Salle Club man Stephen Daniels who is returning to the scene after picking up a serious injury in 2013 and the he did not put a foot wrong in this game. His return to hurling at this level has to be seen as a major plus for Waterford for the remainder of the year and going into the future.

Waterford went into this game as favourites, a tag that does not always sit well on the shoulders of Waterford sides. They needed a good start in this game and they got it, even if the Leinster side were first to score.

An early Chris Crummy point was cancelled out with a brace from Maurice Shanahan, the first from a free and the latter, the first of his two points from play.

Waterford went two up on three minutes when Colin Dunford split the posts for his first of the game but Dublin would hit back with a point from Mark Schutte.

The sides level for the second time on seven minutes when Paul Ryan put over the first of his five points.

Maurice Shanahan edged Waterford back in from on eight minutes when he put over a ’65 but it was followed with a brace of Dublin points, the first from Niall McMorrow and then Ryan O’Dwyer to give the Sky Blues the lead for the second time.

Maurice Shanahan from a free and Dotsy O’Callaghan exchanged scores before Austin Gleeson landed his first of the afternoon to level matters at six points each after thirteen minutes.

Another Colin Dunford score put Waterford back in front after which Maurice Shanahan landed a free to put Waterford two up at the end of the first quarter.

The impressive Danny Sutcliffe pulled a point back for Dublin, but it was followed by another Maurice Shanahan free that split the posts on twenty minutes.

Points from Paul Ryan and Dotsy O’Callaghan followed to tie the scoring for the sixth time with thirteen minutes of the first half still to play.

Waterford Captain Kevin Moran get his name on the score sheet on twenty six minutes following good work by Shane Bennett and Colin Dunford. Ryan O’Dwyer levelled matters once more eight minutes from the break but Maurice Shanahan put Waterford back in front just before the half hour mark when he put over his second ’65 of the game.

Another Maurice Shanahan point from a free three minutes from the end of normal time in the first half gave Waterford a 0-12 to 0-10 advantage on the score board but it would be Dublin that would finish the half the stronger as Paul Ryan and Danny Sutcliffe put over points before the latter gave Dublin an advantage heading to the dressing rooms with a point from last attack of the half.

Whatever was said in the Waterford dressing room at the break worked as the side came out going from one point down to six in front in the first twelve minutes of the half.

Kevin Moran got the ball rolling with an early point before eighteen year old Shane Bennett in his first Championship start gave Gary Maguire no chance with a magnificent goal striking off the ground high into the Dublin net having got a very favourable bounce of the ball.

Austin Gleeson and Mark Schutte swapped scores to keep Waterford three in front which was followed by a brace of Maurice Shanahan scores, the first from a free and then play to put Waterford 1-16 to 0-14 in front and the lead was extended on forty seven minutes when Jake Dillon split the posts.

Paul Ryan pulled a point back for Dublin but it was followed with efforts from Maurice Shanahan and Austin Gleeson which gave Waterford a 1-19 to 0-15 lead.

Dublin pulled a goal back on 53 minutes, as Mark Schutte’s effort beat Stephen O’Keeffe but the Ballygunner man was unlucky not to have kept the ball out, as he got a touch on the ball but it dipped just under the crossbar.

The goal however failed to ignite Dublin. Austin Gleeson put over a trademark sideline cup but it was cancelled out with a Dotsy O’Callaghan effort just before the hour mark.

Maurice Shanahan hit his twelfth point of the game nine minutes from time and a minute later Waterford were unlucky not to have added a second goal when Shane Bennett miskicked an effort along the ground.

Paul Ryan brought Dublin to within four of Waterford’s tally on sixty four minutes but for his rewards he was replaced by David Treacy straight away.

Waterford wrapped up the win three minutes from the end of normal time when Maurice Shanahan rounded off an excellent afternoons work when he smashed the ball to the net after a good build up.

Dublin finished with a brace of points from David Tracey, the first from a free and the second from a ’65 resulting from a close in free he struck but which Austin Gleeson superbly turned out over his own end line.

Dublin ended the game with fourteen men as Liam Rushe was ordered off by Tipperary referee Johnny Ryan following an ugly blow to the head of Maurice Shanahan.

Waterford will be happy to get over this test and are back in winning ways.

Its Kilkenny next for Waterford where the Déise side will be once again be the underdog, something that Waterford will not argue about.

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Darragh Fives, Tadhg de Búrca, Philip Mahony; Kevin Moran, Jamie Barron; Shane Bennett, Austin Gleeson, Jake Dillon; Maurice Shanahan, Michael Walsh, Colin Dunford. Subs: Stephen Daniels for Noel Connors (30), Patrick Curran for Colin Dunford (55), Tom Devine for Jake Dillon (68), Stephen Bennett for Shane Bennett (71), Eddie Barrett for Austin Gleeson (71).

Scorers: Maurice Shanahan 1-12 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65), Austin Gleeson 0-4 (0-1 sideline), Shane Bennett 1-0, Kevin Moran, Colin Dunford 0-2 each, Jake Dillon 0-1.

Dublin: Gary Maguire; Shane Barrett, Cian O’Callaghan, Paul Schutte; Chris Crummy, Liam Rushe, Joey Boland; Johnny McCaffrey, Niall McMorrow, Paul Ryan, Danny Sutcliffe, Ryan O’Dwyer; David O’Callaghan, Conal Keaney, Mark Schutte. Subs: Peter Kelly for Shane Barrett (47), Cian Boland for Niall McMorrow (54), David Treacy for Paul Ryan (63), Eamon Dillon for Conal Keaney (66), Oisin O’Rourke for Danny Sutcliffe (71).

Scorers: Paul Ryan 0-5 (0-5f), Mark Schutte 1-2, Danny Sutcliffe, David O’Callaghan 0-3 each, Ryan O’Dwyer, David Treacy (0-1f, 0-1 ’65) 0-2 each, Chris Crummy, Niall McMorrow 0-1 each.

Referee: Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)