Brave Déise Fall Just Short

A week on from playing out the game of the year in this year’s All-Ireland Hurling Championship, Waterford and Kilkenny played out another pulsating battle at Thurles on Saturday evening.

Like the game played at Croke Park on the previous Sunday afternoon, this game right to the wire.

Two All-Ireland Senior Camogie Semi Final’s were played before this game at the home of hurling and both went to extra time before Cork and Kilkenny advanced to next months All-Ireland Final and had this game needed another two ten minute periods to find a winner, nobody would have complained about having to hang around Thurles for another half hour or so.

In fact the game could have ended in a draw. Going into the closing moments of the game, Waterford trailed by a point when they won a free under the shadow of the New Stand with Waterford playing into the two end of the ground.

But alas for Waterford it was not to be as Pauric Mahony’s fine long distance effort fell just short and Kilkenny net minder Eoin Murphy was able to pluck the ball from going over the crossbar and in doing so he prevented the game from going to extra time as the full time whistle would surly have followed on the resumption. Moments later Kilkenny secured their place in next months decider against either Tipperary or Galway when Richie Hogan shot over from distance to give his side a two point win and also give Brian Cody’s side the chance of winning a three in a row of titles.

This game had a rip roaring start.

Debutant Liam Blanchfield opened the scoring in the first minute of the game with a point. The Bennetsbridge Club Man had a Championship Debut to remember for Brian Cody’s side hitting three points and will have done his chances of winning a place in the side from the start next time out hitting three points, and with Michael Fennelly expected to miss the September 4 date, maybe with the team being reshaped to fill his expected void, Blanchfield could well be again included from the start.

But Kilkenny were not long in front after Blanchfield’s early was cancelled out four minutes later when Austin Gleeson who again impressed in the White and Blue shirt shot past Eoin Murphy for the first of four first half goals shared by the two sides in this game. In the built up to the goal Waterford’s oldest player Michael Walsh played a huge part showing his many years of experience, something that is hugely important in what is a young Waterford side.

Kilkenny however were not too long behind and in a three minute spell they hit a brace of goals, both from Colin Fennelly, both set up by Walter Walsh to give Kilkenny a 2-1 to 1-1 lead with just over ten minutes played.

In the next ten minutes of the game Waterford showed some great character and out scored the Cat’s 1-4 to 0-1.

Pauric Mahony hit the first of his nine points before TJ Reid got his first of the evening a minute later.

Pauric Mahony from a free and Jamie Barron landed further scores, before Jake Dillon hit his sides second goal of the game and the fourth of the game by the two sides on twenty minutes, and when Shane Bennett pointed soon afterwards things were looking good for Waterford, and only a second ever championship win over Kilkenny looked to be on the cards for the side south of the River Suir divide between the two counties.

But you right of Kilkenny at your pearl and Brian Cody’s men put in a strong finish to the first half to go in at the break leading 2-10 to 2-7 as Blanchfield (2), Hogan, Reid (2) Walsh and Michael Fennelly landed points for the eventual winners with Waterford’s sole response in this time coming from Pauric Mahony.

Kilkenny often do much of their damage to win games early in the second half and while they played well in the opening minutes of the third quarter of this game, Waterford refused to let them pull away as often other sides do.

TJ Reid, Padraig Walsh and Richie Hogan hit points for Kilkenny in the third quarter but Pauric Mahony kept Waterford in touch with some impressive shooting.

Nine minutes into the second half it did look as it was going to be Kilkenny’s day as they held a 2-14 to 2-9 lead and you could not feel that the next score should it fall to Kilkenny would he the final nail in the Waterford coffin, but it was Waterford who would score next and a further nine minutes later they had the Kilkenny lead down to three (2-16 to 2-13).

Waterford proved to be the better of the two sides in the final quarter and after Jamie Barron and Maurice Shanahan split the posts late in the game it left just one between the sides and extra time loomed.

And when Waterford won a late free it looked as if those inside Semple Stadium from early in the day would see a third game go to extra time, but it was not to be.

Kilkenny marched on to another first Sunday of September date in Croke Park, and while Waterford’s senior team will end the year without silverware, reaching a National League Final which went to a replay, a Munster Final and an All-Ireland Semi Final which like in the National League needed a replay to find a winner, things appear to be going in the right direction for Waterford and surly it wont be too long when Waterford will be in Croke Park again in September and where hopefully the hoodoo Kilkenny have over Waterford will be broken.

Scorers: TJ Reid 0-7 (0-6f), Colin Fennelly 2-0, Richie Hogan 0-4, Liam Blanchfield 0-3, Padraig Walsh 0-2, Michael Fennelly, Walter Walsh, Eoin Larkin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: Pauric Mahony 0-9 (0-7f), Austin Gleeson 1-2, Jake Dillon 1-0, Jamie Barron, Shane Bennett, Maurice Shanahan 0-2 each.

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Shane Prendergast; Padraig Walsh, Conor Fogarty, Cillian Buckley; Michael Fennelly, Richie Hogan; Walter Walsh, TJ Reid, Eoin Larkin; Mark Bergin, Colin Fennelly, Liam Blanchfield. Subs: Lester Ryan for Michael Fennelly (inj) (59), Jonjo Farrell for Mark Bergin (60), John Power for Walter Walsh (blood) (61-66), Kevin Kelly for Liam Blanchfield (72).

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Noel Connors, Barry Coughlan, Shane Fives; Philip Mahony, Tadhg de Búrca, Conor Gleeson; Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran; Michael Walsh, Austin Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; Stephen Bennett, Shane Bennett, Jake Dillon. Subs: Maurice Shanahan for Stephen Bennett (47), Patrick Curran for Shane Bennett (54), Tom Devine for Jake Dillon (61)

Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath)