Tipp Top Division 1A After Two Round’s

There was no joy for Waterford at Walsh Park on Sunday afternoon as they went under to All-Ireland Champions Tipperary who had six points to spare at the end of seventy minutes in the second round of games in this year’s National Hurling League.  

Just as many in Waterford won’t get over excited about beating Kilkenny a week earlier playing them at Nowlan Park, few will get too excited about losing to the Munster and All-Ireland Champions at Walsh Park.

Both sides started without several players that provided they are injury or suspension free as well as not carrying a run of poor form will be in their championship sides come the summer.

We saw over the course of the seventy minutes that Tipperary will not give up their Munster and All-Ireland titles without a real fight this year as players that were brought in to replace some regulars, coped more than adequately whether the big guns are in the team or not, they have plenty of talent and when they did introduce some of the big guns as the game went on they showed the hunger to steer them to victory.

We also saw on Sunday that Stephen O’Keeffe might not automatically be the number one goalkeeper for Derek McGrath as for the second week running Ian O’Regan impressed when called upon.

The Mount Sion man saved a fifty-second minute penalty struck by John O’Dwyer after Tadhg de Búrca pulled down Stephen O’Brien as he made his way to the Waterford goal.

The one on one for penalties in hurling is something that was brought in in recent years to make it easier for the striker to rattle the net after a number of penalties were saved meaning players were having to go inside the twenty metre line to try and gain an advantage when it was three against one.

But as we have seen already in this year’s league, goalkeepers are winning the one on ones, which beggars the question is the problem more with the striking of the sliotar is the problem and if so, what sort of coaching is taking place when players can’t score from twenty metres.

Ian O’Regan was not at fault either when it came to the only goal of the game, as he had saved brilliantly from Noel McGrath but he was powerless to keep younger brother John’s effort from the rebound out after he doubled on a ball above head high with the Mount Sion man trying to regain his footing after making the initial save.

Waterford will be disappointed that they did not raise a green flag or two of their own over the course of the seventy minutes.

Shane Bennett saw a chance from the bank side of the field as he attacked the city end goal zip just wide of the far post on eighteen minutes.

The same player drew a great save from Darragh Mooney seven minutes from time and when the ball fell to older brother Stephen on the rebound he was found guilty of wasting time picking the ball rather than strike along the ground, but in defence of the Ballysaggart man he possibly took the right option as the height of the grass was not contusive to ground hurling.

The first half of this game proved to be a very even affair with the sides level on ten occasions.

John McGrath opened the scoring with a free in the first minute, only for the score to be cancelled out two minutes later when Tom Devine put over from play.

McGrath edged the visitors back in front when he pointed again from a free on five minutes only for Pauric Mahony to cancel it out a minute later with the first of his scores from a free.

The same player gave Waterford the lead for the first time when he pointed on eight minutes only for John McGrath to level matters once more on ten minutes, this time from play.

With the wind at his back Pauric Mahony hit a massive free from his own sixty-five metre line to put Waterford back in front after twelve minutes, the first of two scores that the Ballygunner Club man would hit from this range.

Niall O’Meara and Mikey Kearney were next to trade scores as the ball went from end to end, before Brendan Maher and Gavin O’Brien with one of the scores of the games gave Waterford a 0-6 to 0-5 lead with nineteen minutes on the clock.

John McGrath and Pauric Mahony swapped scores from frees before Jason Forde levelled matters for the seventh time with ten minutes of the half remaining.

A minute later Pauric Mahony put over another massive long range free to give Waterford the lead once more, after which Stephen O’Brien, Mahony this time from play and John McGrath raised white flags to level the game nine points each with three minutes of the half remaining.

John O’Dwyer and Pauric Mahony swapped scores from frees in the final minute of normal time in the first half and with the last attack of the half Jason Forde gave the visitors the lead as the sides made their way to the dressing rooms.

Playing against the wind, Waterford needed a good start after the restart and the first goal was always going to be crucial.

Stephen O’Brien opened up a two point lead in the first minute of the second half but it was soon brought back down to one with a good score from Austin Gleeson.

Kieran Bergin with the aid of the post put Tipperary two up once more on forty minutes, after which John O’Dwyer landed a brace of points for the Premier County to put them 0-15 to 0-11 in front after forty six minutes.

Pauric Mahony made it a three point game as the third quarter was about to reach its conclusion which was followed with points from John O’Dwyer and Pauric Mahony both from frees.

The only goal of the game came on fifty seven minutes which put Tipperary 1-16 to 0-13 in front which all but secured the points on offer for Michael Ryan’s side and keep them as the only unbeaten side in Division 1A.

Brian O’Halloran pointed with six minutes left after which John O’Dwyer showed that he could do what Pauric Mahony could do as he pointed from just outside his own forty-five metre line from a free to put his side 1-17 to 0-14 in front.

With results going they are in Division 1A this year every score could well be important at the end of five rounds of games, and in the time that remained, both sides hit one more score each.

The impressive John McGrath was first to score for Tipperary and at the very end Brian O’Halloran got his second from play for the home side.

Next up for Waterford is an away game with Dublin at Croke Park while Tipperary has a home game against Clare.

Waterford: Ian O’Regan; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Conor Gleeson, Tadhg de Búrca, Shane McNulty; Gavin O’Brien, Kevin Moran; Tom Devine, Mikey Kearney, Pauric Mahony; Shane Bennett, Jake Dillon, Austin Gleeson. Subs: Darragh Lyons for Shane McNulty (43), Stephen Bennett for Jake Dillon (48), Colin Dunford for Gavin O’Brien (48), Maurice Shanahan for Mikey Kearney, (62), Brian O’Halloran for Colin Dunford (63)

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-9 (0-8f), Brian O’Halloran 0-2, Austin Gleeson, Gavin O’Brien, Mikey Kearney, Tom Devine 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Darragh Mooney; Donagh Maher, James Barry, Joe O’Dwyer; Seamus Kennedy, Tomás Hamill, Padraic Maher; Brendan Maher, Kieran Bergin; Dan McCormack, Jason Forde, Steven O’Brien; Aidan McCormack, John McGrath, Niall O’Meara. Subs: John O’Dwyer for Aidan McCormack (28), Noel McGrath for Jason Forde (51), Michael Breen for Kieran Bergin (55), Seamus Callanan for Stephen O’Brien (59), Michael Cahill for Joe O’Dwyer (65)

Scorers: John McGrath 1-6 (0-3f), John O’Dwyer 0-5 (0-4f), Steven O’Brien, Jason Forde 0-2 each, Brendan Maher, Kieran Bergin, Niall O’Meara 0-1 each

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)