Waterford Pull Off Unexpected Win

Waterford’s under 20 (Previously under 20) football team ended a 13 year wait without a championship win at Fraher Field on Tuesday evening last, when they accounted for a Clare side that many had fancied to advance to a Munster Semi Final against Cork.

Manager Gavin Whelan and his selection team had only a short few weeks to prepare their side for this game, for which they deserve great credit, as they scoured the city and county for the best players eligible to play in this grade and who were willing to make themselves available for selection.

While it was a late point from Tom Barron that won this game for Waterford as the Nire club man split the posts with two minutes remaining on the clock, at which time the game looked as if the attendance of 363 would have to sit through another 20 minutes to find a winner, the hero of this game as far as Waterford were concerned was Saint Saviour’s club man Darragh Corcoran.

The youngster from a famous football family hit 1-7 for the home side over the course of the hour, 1-3 of which came from open play. Those that saw Corcoran play would have done so for the county the first time, having never played underage football for the county before Tuesday evening last, proof if ever it was needed that not all inter county players come through from the various underage development squads, and his story shows that there is always hope for players with aspirations of playing for the county.

The sides were locked together 1-6 on the scoreboard at the break with the Saint Saviours man accounting for all but one point of Waterford’s tally of scores up to this point.

Early on it did not look good for Waterford, and the early signs were that Waterford who lost out last year to Kerry in the same grade by whopping 30 points a similar beating could be on the cards again this time.

The visitors had the ball in the Waterford net after just 18 seconds as Cillian Rouine and Sean O’Brien combined for Rouine to fire past Jack Coffey in the Waterford goal.

Waterford however refused to throw in the towel despite the worst possible start and with the next attack win a free which resulted in Jayme O’Sullivan receiving a black card and from the free kick at goal Corcoran made no mistake, and when Billy Power followed up with a point the early Clare lead was whittled down to one.

Clare however restored a three point lead by the seventh minute thanks to efforts from Diarmuid O’Donnell and Seamus Casey. Waterford would hit three wides in a row and Ronan Callinan in the Clare goal was forced to make an excellent save from Stephen Curry as Waterford began to pile on the pressure.

Waterford levelled matters with 12 minutes played when Man of the Match Darragh Corcoran lopped Callinan and then edged his side in front with another point.

Diarmuid O’Donnell levelled matters once more but Corcoran at the other end of the field was proving to be a handful as he hit the next three points to give Waterford a richly deserved 1-6 to 1-3 lead with six minutes of normal time in the first half remaining.

Clare however would finish the half stronger as they kicked the last three points of the opening half, two from O’Donnell and one from Seamus Casey to go in level at the break despite the early lead which they took.

Waterford missed two chances to open their second half account but when the ball went to the other end of the field Diarmuid O’Donnell gave the visitors the lead. Jack Coffey made an excellent save from Cian Shannon before Darragh O’Keeffe levelled matters for the fourth time in this game eight minutes after the restart.

O’Donnell and Corcoran swapped scores for their respective sides with the game entering its final quarter. The Clare contingent inside the ground thought that Dermot Coughlan had a strong shout for a penalty when he appeared to be brought down by Reece Stringer but referee Sean Lonergan waved away any calls from the visitors.

Eleven minutes of the final quarter was played when the next score came as Corcoran put over an effort from the 45 metre line to edge Waterford in front, but Coughlan was showing what Corcoran could do at one end he could do at the other as he split the posts from close range to level matters once more.

Waterford however would end this game advancing to a Munster semi final against Cork as Tom Barron a younger brother of All-Star hurler Jamie split the post with a fantastic effort after he was picked out by Sean Whelan Barrett after Waterford worked a free up field after Coughlan was pulled up for over carrying the ball.

Waterford: Jack Coffey; Reece Power, Reece Stringer, Liam Fennell; Mark Twomey, Tom Barron, Sam Fitzgerald; Dan Booth, Brian Lynch; Sean Whelan-Barrett, Stephen Curry, Billy Power; Darragh O’Keeffe, Larry Walsh, Darragh Corcoran.

Subs: James Walsh for Larry Walsh (39), Dean Beresford for Darragh O’Keeffe (52).

Scorers: Darragh Corcoran 1-7 (4fs), Tom Barron, Billy Power, Darragh O’Keeffe 0-1 each.

Clare: Ronan Callinan; Dara Conneely, Jayme O’Sullivan, Iken Uguaru; Tiernan Hogan, Sean Rouine, Colm McNeilis; Danny Griffin, Dan Keating; Cian McDonough, Cillian Rouine, Sean O’Brien; Colm O’Brien, Diarmuid O’Donnell, Seamus Casey.

Subs: Conor DeLoughrey for Jayme O’Sullivan (BC 3), Dermot Coughlan for Sean O’Brien (20), Cian Shannon for Cian McDonough (HT), Philip Talty for Dan Keating (39), Connor Downes for Seamus Casey (51), Morgan Garry for Colm O’Brien (56).

Scorers: Diarmuid O’Donnell 0-5 (4fs), Cillian Rouine 1-0, Seamus Casey (1f), Dermot Coughlan (1f) 0-2 each.

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)