The Waterford Famine Goes On

Waterford’s quest to win a third All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship goes on to 2018 after Derek McGrath’s side lost to Galway in this year’s championship decider at Croke Park, with the Tribesmen having three points to spare at the end of seventy minutes of hurling.

The win means that the side from Connacht who play in the Leinster Championship end the year having won all they can, adding the Liam McCarthy Cup to the Walsh Cup, National League Title and Leinster Championship titles won earlier in the year.

There can be no disputing that the better team on the day ran out winners in this battle. The winners hit twenty six scores on the day, all of which were white flags and never looked like breaching the Waterford defence to have a green flag waved.

Waterford while only three points separated the sides in the end had it not being for two goals scored in the first half could be well beaten in this game, but it could be also argued that Waterford could have won the game, as Thomas Ryan attempted for a third Waterford goal late in the game, and the Munster side also won a free late on, but a strange decision was made to bring Austin Gleeson back into his own half of the field and lob it in around the Galway house when maybe the best call would be to have him and Maurice Shanahan in front of the Galway goal and hope that one of them could pluck the ball out of the air and strike for goal.

Both sides on the day had their heroes. For Galway, David Burke, Gearoid McInerney and Joe Canning impressed throughout while Niall Burke and David Flynn also impressed after coming on, while for Waterford Kevin Moran and Michael Walsh were impressive while Tadgh de Búrca was possibly the side’s best player on the day.

Galway made a flying start to this game, hitting over the first four scores of the game inside the opening five minutes.

Joe Canning opened the scoring in the first minute after which Johnny Coen, Joseph Cooney and Cathal Mannion all split the Waterford posts.

Waterford on the day were not allowed to play the short passing game they like to play. As soon as any of the Déise players got on the ball they came under immediate pressure and were forced to shoot quickly rather than to look up and pick out a player.

Waterford scored their first goal on five minutes through team captain Kevin Moran. He was picked out by Michael Walsh as he laid off to Moran who ran from deep and struck a sweet shot past Colm Callanan.

Conor Cooney and David Burke opened up a three point lead for the Tribesmen by the seventh minute but these scores were cancelled out with efforts from Pauric Mahony and another score from the impressive Kevin Moran.

Cathal Mannion, Joe Canning and Conor Cooney all added on scores for Galway but Pauric Mahony and Michael Walsh with a delightful effort made it a two point game with the game having entered its second quarter.

David Burke put three between the sides when he found the range on nineteen minutes, but the sides were level for the first time seconds later as lady luck shun on Waterford as a long ball from Kieran Bennett playing in only his second championship game bounced in front of the Galway goal and go all the way to the net without younger brother Shane getting a touch.

 Joe Canning edges Galway back in front and Conor Whelan extended his sides lead to two with another point on the half hour mark.

Waterford went to the dressing rooms under the Hogan Stand trailing by a single score, as Pauric Mahony and Jamie Barron added late points but Galway in the same time registered scores through Joseph Cooney and Joe Canning.

Trailing 0-14 to 2-7 at the break, Waterford hit the first score of the second half through top scorer Pauric Mahony.

Joe Canning and Pauric Mahony swapped scores to keep the sides level after 41 minutes, and took the lead for the first time seconds later when the dependable Ballygunner man again found the range.

Galway’s response was to bring on Niall Burke and he made a big impact after coming one.

Joe Canning leveled matters once more eight minutes after the restart, Pauric Mahony and David Burke swapped scores in quick succession, before Mahony gave Waterford the lead once more on forty six minutes.

David Burke landed a brace of scores to give Galway the lead with just over twenty minutes to play, and Joe Canning soon doubled his sides lead.

David Burke landed his fourth of the afternoon before Brian O’Halloran put over a good point minutes after coming in for Jake Dillon to leave two between the sides and the Galway lead was just one with a quarter of an hour to play when Pauric Mahony found the range.

Jason Flynn made an impact two minutes after coming on pointing to put his side two in front, but it was cancelled out by another sub on the Waterford side Thomas Ryan.

Joe Canning and Conor Cooney found the range for Galway with eight minutes remaining to put them 0-24 to 2-15 in front, a lead that was extended when Jason Flynn got his second of the game.

Pauric Mahony and Joe Canning swapped scores with the game going into four minutes of stoppage time, and while the last score of the game went to Waterford, when Pauric Mahony hit his eleventh of the game it was to prove to be but a mere consolation score for the Munster side.

GALWAY: Colm Callanan; Daithí Burke, Adrian Tuohy, John Hanbury; Pádraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Aidan Harte; Johnny Coen, David Burke; Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion, Joe Canning; Conor Whelan, Jonathan Glynn, Conor Cooney. SUBS: Niall Burke for Glynn (42),  Jason Flynn for Cathal Mannion (54), Shane Maloney for David Burke (68).

SCORERS: Joe Canning 0-10, (6f, 1 sideline), David Burke 0-4; Conor Cooney 0-3, Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion, Niall Burke, Jason Flynn 0-2 each, Johnny Coen, Conor Whelan 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Kieran Bennett, Tadhg de Búrca, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran; Darragh Fives, Austin Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; Shane Bennett, Michael Walsh, Jake Dillon. SUBS: Maurice Shanahan for Shane Bennett (22), Brian O’Halloran for Jake Dillon (48), Tommy Ryan for Michael Walsh (56), Colin Dunford for Jamie Barron (64), Patrick Curran for Kieran Bennett (64).

SCORERS: Pauric Mahony 0-11, 8f; Kevin Moran 1-1, Kieran Bennett 1-0, Jamie Barron 0-2; Michael Walsh, Brian O’Halloran, Tommy Ryan 0-1.

REFEREE: Feargal Horgan (Tipperary)