21,097 Day Famine Ends in Thurles

Something was telling me that when previewing the Waterford and Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship game in the middle of last week that Derek McGrath would be smiling at the end of the game.

While most were opting for a Kilkenny win, possibly because Brian Cody’s side had got the better of Waterford on more than one occasion in the last number of years, I was confident that Waterford would win.

Speaking to a well known G.A.A. man in Dungarvan on Friday evening, he gave an honest opinion to me saying the outcome of the game would be 50/50. Straight away without hesitation I said I felt that Waterford would win, and so it proved to be.

It’s often the case that people say that the best team lost on the day, but on Saturday night there was no disputing the better team won.

Ok, Waterford lost an eight point lead in normal time in this game, but I firmly believe that Waterford always knew they were going to win here.

Maybe the signs were there from an early stage. TJ Reid missed a few frees that he would normally have put over blindfolded and with his back to goal.

Waterford it could be argued looked to have the game won with ten minutes to go when Austin Gleeson who was outstanding on the night along with Tadhg De Búrca put over his fifth point of the evening to go 2-15 to 1-10 in front.

But for whatever reason, Waterford lost that lead. Maybe it was a case that as a county Waterford are not used to having such a lead on our near neighbours and maybe took the foot off the pedal so to speak. Waterford did have a chance at the very end to win the game when a free was awarded with the scores locked at 2-15 each but Maurice Shanahan who was not long on and who is normally very accurate with frees put the sliotar wide of the far upright. Hindsight is always a great thing, but maybe with Pauric Mahony no longer on the field, Patrick Curran who was on the field a little longer than the big Lismore man could be asked to take the free.

Waterford had a good start to this game.

Pauric Mahony put over an early free and followed it up with another inside his own sixty five metre line to give Waterford and early two point lead.

Richie Hogan pulled a point back for Kilkenny but Kevin Moran who some Waterford supporters criticised in recent games restored a two point lead for Waterford.

Respective free takers TJ Reid and Pauric Mahony swapped scores to keep Waterford two points up in a tight start to the game. Mahony would then follow up with efforts from frees following fouls on Jake Dillon and Michael Walsh to give Waterford a four point cushion.

TJ Reid after missing a number of frees put over his second of the game to cut Waterford’s lead to three, but Austin Gleeson and Jake Dillon soon extended Waterford’s lead to five.

Eoin Murphy with a huge free found the range for Kilkenny after which Pauric Mahony with his sixth point of the game made it a five point game with Half time getting closer.

After Richie Hogan won a penalty for Kilkenny when TJ Reid was one on one with Stephen O’Keeffe from about twenty five metres he made no mistake in blasting past the Ballygunner man which must have had some say ‘here we go again’.

Austin Gleeson and Kevin Kelly swapped scores before Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh with the last attack of the half finished to the Kilkenny net from close range to give Waterford a 1-10 to 1-5 lead at the break.

Clearly not happy at the break Brian Cody brought on Ger Aylward and Lester Ryan for the second half and Ryan made an immediate impact scoring very early in the second half.

TJ Reid slotted over Stephen O’Keeffe’s crossbar and with Kilkenny now on a roll Conor Fogarty tried his luck to hit a second Kilkenny goal but Stephen O’Keeffe made an excellent save.

Reid made it a two point game when he put over a ’65. A response was needed now from Waterford. Now was the time to show how good they were. To leave Kilkenny continue their run of scores could well prove costly.

Jamie Barron gave Waterford a three point lead which was followed with a brace by Austin Gleeson which opened up a five point lead for Waterford with twenty minutes left.

Reid pulled a point back for Kilkenny which was followed with a brilliant Shane Bennett goal on fifty four minutes following some good work by Michael Walsh who robbed the ball off his name sake (Padraig) on the Kilkenny team, and when Kevin Moran followed up with a point for Waterford giving Derek McGrath’s side a 2-14 to 1-9 advantage with a quarter of an hour left things were looking extremely good for Waterford.

But you write Kilkenny off at your pearl. TJ Reid and Austin Gleeson swapped scores with over ten minutes of the seventy remaining. This however would be Waterford’s last score in normal time.

Kilkenny began to show why they have won so much as Lester Ryan pointed to leave seven between the sides. TJ Reid put over another free before the same player poked the ball over the Waterford goal line with four minutes remaining. Kilkenny were back in with a shout. Could Waterford hold out?

Ger Aylward pointed before Richie Leahy regarded as the new kid on the block in Kilkenny hurling got his first championship score for the Cats with a minute of the seventy to play.

Every time the ball went to each side of the field it was important that the backs proved strongest as four added minutes was flashed on the electric board by the four official.

Austin Gleeson had a chance to win the game for Waterford but his free went wide. TJ Reid then missed a chance to level matters as the game got tense. There was no one leaving the ground early.

With three of the four added minutes played Colin Fennelly pointed for Kilkenny to level matters. Everyone was now looking at Referee James Owens and were wondering when would he blow the final whistle and if either side would have one final attempt to stop the game going to extra time.

Deep in stoppage time, Waterford won a free in front of the old stand. Maurice Shanahan who had not long come on for Michael Walsh was given responsibility to strike but he saw his effort just go wide of the far post and the final whistle followed.

Jamie Barron ended a long drought without a score for Waterford by putting over the first in extra time but Lester Ryan responded for Kilkenny.

 TJ Reid edged Kilkenny in front when Stephen O’Keeffe was blown for over playing the sliotar but Patrick Curran quickly followed up with a score for The Déise.

Jamie Barron showed why he won an All-Star last year and why he must be in contention for one again this year by putting Waterford in front once more but TJ Reid made no mistake to tie things once more a 2-18 each.

Maurice Shanahan edged Waterford one in front before Jamie Barron with his first Championship goal on 80 minutes gave Waterford a 3-19 to 2-18 lead at the break in extra time.

TJ Reid at the start of the second period made it a three point lead before Maurice Shanahan in the third minute of the second half planted the sliotar in the Kilkenny net to give Waterford a 4-19 to 2-19 lead.

TJ Reid pointed for Kilkenny before Thomas Ryan and Richie Leahy swapped scores with four minutes remaining. Things were looking very good for Waterford.

Maurice Shanahan and TJ Reid swapped scores from frees with the extra twenty minutes up but with three minutes to be added for stoppages in the second period of extra time.

TJ Reid and Maurice Shanahan again swapped scores before Thomas Ryan with a massive score with the last puck of the game landed the sliotar over the Kilkenny crossbar giving Waterford a seven point 4-23 to 2-22 win and a first over Kilkenny since Waterford beat Kilkenny in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final Replay back in 1959, 21,097 days earlier.

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Tadhg de Búrca, Darragh Fives, Conor Gleeson; Philip Mahony, Jamie Barron; Kevin Moran, Austin Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; Michael Walsh, Jake Dillon, Shane Bennett. Subs: Patrick Curran for Jake Dillon (48), Stephen Bennett for Shane Bennett (61), Maurice Shanahan for Michael Walsh (69), Brian O’Halloran for Pauric Mahony (74), Thomas Ryan for Stephen Bennett (79), Colin Dunford for Patrick Curran (84), Shane McNulty for Noel Connors (86)

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-6 (0-5f, 0-1 ’65), Jamie Barron, Maurice Shanahan (0-3f) 1-3 each, Austin Gleeson 0-5, Shane Bennett, Michael Walsh 1-0 each, Tommy Ryan, Kevin Moran 0-2 each, Jake Dillon, Patrick Curran 0-1 each.

R Hogan (0-1), C Fennelly (0-1), J Farrell.

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Padraig Walsh, Robert Lennon; Conor Fogarty, Cillian Buckley, Joe Lyng; Michael Fennelly,  Paddy Deegan; Kevin Kelly, Walter Walsh, T J Reid; Richie Hogan, Colin Fennelly, Jonjo Farrell. Subs: Lester Ryan for Paddy Deegan (HT), Ger Aylward for Jonjo Farrell (HT), Chris Bolger for Kevin Kelly (48), Richie Leahy for Richie Hogan (62), Liam Blanchfield for Michael Fennelly (73), Richie Hogan for Ger Aylward (85)

Scorers: TJ Reid 2-12 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65, 1-0 pen), Lester Ryan 0-3, Richie Leahy 0-2, Richie Hogan, Eoin Murphy (0-1f), Colin Fennelly, Ger Aylward, Kevin Kelly 0-1 each.

Referee: James Owens (Wexford)