Kerry prove too strong for Waterford at Fraher Field

The possible need for the restructuring of the different Inter county football Championships was clear to be seen at Fraher Field on Wednesday evening when Kerry easily accounted for Waterford at the semi-final stage of the Munster Under 21 Football Championship.

People are quick to say that there is no interest in football in Waterford, but this is total rubbish. There is interest, certainly within the players but they have to be given a fair crack of the whip.

Waterford manager Tom Flynn has had just three weeks to help prepare his side for last night’s game. In those three weeks, the side had two training sessions, something that was hardly a help but it was not helped by the fact that the Under 21 championships are up and running in the county, and games have been played the last few weekends, with clubs having first call on their players, something of course which is only right.

Imagine the outcry there would be within the county if the County Under 21 Hurling manager in any given year was given just three weeks to prepare a team for their first championship game. It is possibly to fair to say that last year had it happened, Waterford would hardly have won an opening round game let alone to go on and win a Munster and All-Ireland Final.

This of course is something that has not just happened over night when it comes to football in Waterford. It is happening with many years and there is no point hiding behind the wall paper and saying otherwise.

What Waterford voted for recently to introduce a super 8 competition for the All-Ireland Championship is mind boggling. Surely we in Waterford instead should be looking after our own interests and be calling for the re-introduction of an All-Ireland ‘B’ Championship when it comes to football for the so called weaker counties to play in and to give them the chance of winning silverware at Croke Park at the end of the competition, and to try and built up interest in younger teams as a result.

And why not go further. While players at this and higher levels might want to play against the best sides, for players coming through in the years ahead, seeing or more over hearing about their County getting a fourteen point lost to a Kerry side that had withdrawn some of their big guns before the end of the game will do little to get others interested in the game and more importantly to pull on the white and blue shirt of Waterford in the years ahead.

A few years back Waterford and Tipperary were on a par when it comes to Inter county Football. But in recent years, Tipperary have somewhat pulled away and when it comes to ranking of the different Intercounty senior team they would be somewhat ahead of Waterford.

Why is this?

Well put it this way, some years back the county board put in place a plan for when it comes to football. Winning the Tommy Murphy Cup a few years back at Croke Park was a help for them as it got young boys, particularly in South Tipperary where football is strong to get involved and many of those youngsters that saw the likes of Declan Browne win the Tommy Murphy Cup were part of a side last year that got so close to contesting an All-Ireland Final.

Wednesday evening’s game against Kerry was well over as a contest before the break by which time the visitors playing in front of just over 360 football die-hards, held a 1-12 to 0-1 lead.

A number of people might be making money from the happenings at Cheltenham this week, but nobody would have made money from this game as the visiting side were unbackable.

With ten minutes played, the side managed by former Senior All-Ireland winning manager Jack O’Connor were six points to the good with Cathal Bambury kicking a brace of scores, with Killinan Spillane, Andrew Barry, Sean O’Shea and Matthew Flaherty all getting their name on the score sheet.

And when Sean O’Shea raced through the Waterford defence and found Killian Spillane who touched to the Waterford net on twenty four minutes, the game was well and truly over as a contest.

Credit must go to Tom Flynn’s side as they tried to battle on with David Looby, Dylan Guiry and Edmond O’Halloran the pick of the bunch, but it was always going to be a struggle for Waterford, not helped of course by the fact they kicked just one point in the opening thirty minutes from the boot of David Looby on 12 minutes.

Waterford it could be argued won the second half on the score board, but there is nothing to be got from moral victories.

David Looby hit a brace of second half points both from placed balls, with Edmond O’Halloran, Conor Gleeson, Conor Murray and Joe Allen from a free all getting their names on score sheet too.

But it must be pointed out that while Waterford fared somewhat better in the second thirty minutes, Sean O’Shea, Andrew Barry, Tom O’Sullivan and Matthew Flaherty who contributed six points between them on the score sheet had exited the game by the forty-seventh minute.

Both sides would finish the game with fourteen players. Cormac Coffey was ordered off for the visitors after forty two minutes when he collected a second yellow card while Cormac Curran was sent off on a straight red card moments later for the home side for a striking incident off the ball, while Waterford also lost Stephen Ryan in the first half after he collected a black card from the County Tipperary referee.

Waterford: Kevin Dwane; Conor McCarthy, Stephen Ryan, Michael Cronin; Edmund O’Halloran, Darach O Cathasaigh, Sean Kelly; Dylan Guiry, Cormac Curran; David Looby, Conor Gleeson, Conor Murray; Craig Brown, Joe Allen, Michael Sweeney. Subs: Ciaran O’Neill for Stephen Ryan (19), Donal Fitzgerald for Michael Sweeney (38), Jake Mulcahy for Craig Brown (54)

Scorers: David Looby 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1 ’45), Edmund O’Halloran, Conor Gleeson, Conor Murray, Joe Allen (f) 0-1 each.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Brian Sugrue; Jack Morgan, Tom O’Sullivan, Cormac Coffey; Barry O’Sullivan, Andrew Barry; Brian Ó Seanacháin, Sean O’Shea, Matthew Flaherty; Lee O’Donoghue, Killian Spillane, Cathal Bambury. Subs: Ivan Parker for Sean O’Shea (41), Brian Ó Beaglaíoch for Andrew Barry (44), Roibeard Ó Sé for Tom O’Sullivan (44), Daniel O’Brien for Brian Sugrue (47), Brandon Barrett for Matthew Flaherty (47), Graham O’Sullivan for Jason Foley (54).

Scorers: Killian Spillane 1-6 (0-3f), Cathal Bambury 0-5, Sean O’Shea 0-3 (0-1f), Tom O’Sullivan 0-2, Andrew Barry, Matthew Flaherty 0-1 each.

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)