THE belief that Ballyduff Upper would stroll to victory in this Waterford SHC quarter-final at Fraher Field, Dungarvan, on Saturday was well wide of the mark, and the odds-on favourites had to pull out all the stops before eventually seeing off Fourmilewater’s brave challenge.

THE importance of Ronan O’Brien’s scrambled goal in the final minute of the opening half only assumed its real significance at the end of this game as Tipperary held on for the narrowest of victories over luckless Waterford in an exciting Munster IHC semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.