Waterford begin with a loss at Walsh Park

Waterford got their 2018 National Hurling League campaign underway on Sunday last in a disappointing manner losing to South East neighbours Wexford at Walsh Park who had seven points to spare at the end of seventy minutes.

Some will have asked questions after this game which will have to be answered either in private or in public going forward.

The age old problem with forwards once again showed its head as the side hit just eight points from play over the course of the game, and also the decision to not introduce any sub over the course of seventy minutes will have perplexed some, but it seems this was the plan going into the game unless there was any injuries which had to be dealt with. Some may well be questioning how such a decision could be made, but no doubt the management team will have had their reasons.

Questions will also have to be asked of the organising of the game.

At the County G.A.A. Convention held in Dungarvan before Christmas, the chairman of the county board that Walsh Park is the only option open to Waterford within the county when it comes to a county ground, and we were also told that the county board for now plan to host the Munster Championship games against Tipperary and Cork at the Keane’s Road venue.

Just under 7,500 were inside Walsh Park for this game, and it expected that many more would want to attend a Munster Championship game between the two sides.

The game on Sunday afternoon had to be put back by ten minutes to allow for the larger than expected crowd into the game which angered many people.

Mention was also made by some people on Social Media before, during and after the game about other problems around the ground in regarding the game including the state of the Ladies toilets, general parking as well as parking problems relating to disabled people and also the obstruction for possible supports who might have had to watch the game from a wheelchair.

On the field of play two second half goals from David Dunne helped the visiting side managed by former Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald to the maximum points on offer in this game.

The visitors were quickest out of the traps in this game as Mark Fanning and Lee Chin shared five points from frees between them and Paudie Foley and Kevin Foley got one each as Wexford went seven points up without Waterford finding the range.

Jake Dillon hit Waterford’s first score on 20 minutes and Pauric Mahony would add five more points for Derek McGrath’s side before the break, all from placed ball’s but it was not enough to stop them going in trailing 0-12 to 0-6, as Wexford like Galway in last year’s All-Ireland final showed how to beat the sweeper system favoured by Waterford, shooting from out the field, which they did with some success as Aidan Nolan, Diarmuid O’Keeffe and Lee Chin all found the range.

Lee Chin extended Wexford’s lead at the start of the second half, but four points in a row for the home side leaf them trailing 0-13 to 0-10 eight minutes into the second half.

A minute later the game’s first goal arrived when David Dunne got up higher than Barry Coughlan and Conor Gleeson and then bore down on Ian O’Regan who he batted past for a well take goal.

Jamie Barron, Lee Chin and Pauric Mahony kept the fingers of the score board operator busy with swapped scores as Wexford went five points up.

This lead went to eight with 16 minutes to play as Paul Morris and Lee Chin found the range for Wexford after which Pauric Mahony split the Wexford posts.

Dunne again pointed for the visitors and with 12 minutes to go he was picked out by Conor McDonald and he again went in on Ian O’Regan he again planted the ball into the Waterford net, but the Mount Sion man did get a hurley to the sliotar but the power behind it took it over the line to put Wexford 11 in front.

Pauric Mahony, Darragh Fives and Austin Gleeson pulled back scores for Waterford but they were not to be enough.

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Shaun Murphy, Liam Ryan, Damien Reck; Simon Donohue, Paudie Foley, Matthew O’Hanlon; Kevin Foley, Aidan Nolan; Jack O’Connor, Lee Chin, Diarmuid O’Keeffe; Paul Morris, David Dunne, Conor McDonald. Subs: Jack Guiney for Kevin Foley (61), Cathal Dunbar for Paul Morris (66), Harry Kehoe for Jack O’Connor (72), Aaron Maddock for Aidan Nolan (73)

Scorers: David Dunne 2-2, Lee Chin 0-8 (6fs), Mark Fanning 0-3 (3fs), Kevin Foley, Diarmuid O’Keeffe 0-2 each, Paudie Foley, Aidan Nolan, Paul Morris 0-1 each.

Waterford: Ian O’Regan; Shane McNulty, Barry Coughlan, Conor Gleeson; Darragh Fives, Tadhg De Búrca, Philip Mahony; Austin Gleeson, Jamie Barron; Kevin Moran, Stephen Bennett, Pauric Mahony; Jake Dillon, Maurice Shanahan, Thomas Ryan.  

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-12 (9fs, 1 65’), Jamie Barron 0-2 (1 s-l), Tadhg De Búrca, Austin Gleeson, Darragh Fives, Jake Dillon, Thomas Ryan 0-1 each.

Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)