Dan and dusted

SIX foot four and growing. Growing in every sense. That's big Dan Shanahan, hat-trick hero of Waterford's demolition job on Clare in yesterday's first-round Munster championship game in Thurles.

His 3-1 from wing-forward did more than just slay the Clare dragon that had terrorised Waterford for so many years - it also stamped the arrival of a new and powerful forward force in Waterford hurling.

Used to be that when it came to scoring threats and exploits, all the talk about Waterford centred around Paul Flynn and Ken McGrath, two members of hurling's established elite, with John Mullane a more recent addition. Recently, that had changed.

Mullane is still very much on song, four points in a four-star display in this win; the enigmatic Flynn however has been slipping out of focus, and had one of his quieter afternoons again yesterday, a most untypical contribution of just one point to a 3-21 scoreline bespeaking a guy not yet in top gear.

Ken McGrath has been moved to defence where his undoubted class is equally apparent - laying an early claim yesterday to this year's All-Star centre back award with a display reminiscent of his father, Pat McGrath, in his considerable pomp. The question in Waterford, spoken and whispered, where were the scores to come from? Who, when the chips were down, would be their big-game hero?

Question no more. In last Sunday's disappointing Allianz Hurling League final loss to Galway, Dan Shanahan notched 1-3, emerged as the outstanding Waterford forward; yesterday he was even better.

His first goal, a 14th minute grab-and-smash, put the Decies 1-3 to no score ahead; his second 15 minutes later, off a long Dave Bennett delivery, put them a scarcely-believable 2-7 to 0-1 in front; his third, in the 67th minute, gobbling up a Michael Walsh rebound off the upright with nary a Clare defender in sight, was simply the icing on the cake, garnishing a scoreboard that was scarcely believable. A sterling day for any player, an absolutely unforgettable afternoon for a man who has known more bad days than good in the white-and-blue.

"I'm absolutely delighted for him," said Mullane, "he's one that's come in for some criticism down the years, from our own supporters, the stick he got. He was excellent last week, and again today. He thoroughly deserves this day."

It had been a tough week for Waterford, following that League final defeat. It wasn't so much the loss itself, more the manner of it.

Waterford did not play well, were well criticised for it; it struck a nerve or two. "We got a bit of a slating, that we hadn't put in any effort in the League final," said Shanahan, "but I can assure you right now that we did go out to win that League game, it just didn't fall right for us on the day.

"We're definitely fit enough, Justin (McCarthy) and Gerry (Fitzpatrick, trainer) have seen to that. We went into training Tuesday night, a bit loose starting off, then the meeting with the lads started getting going. By Thursday night, last Sunday was gone, forgotten about; who'll remember it now, after this result? Justin McCarthy had a chat with us, told us we're as good as any team. We went out and proved it today."

Beg to differ, Dan. This was a day, admittedly, when Waterford laid down a marker, when Dan Shanahan laid down a marker. They were brilliant, Shanahan was brilliant, blew Clare off the pitch. It was 1-6 to 0-0 after 25 minutes and in truth, such was the Waterford dominance front to back, Clare had never even looked like scoring. But Waterford have laid down such markers before.

Munster final 2002, they destroyed All-Ireland champions Tipperary, but lost next time out in the All-Ireland semi-final to Clare. Rounding off a few squares now, Clare beaten, Tipperary next up; question is, can Waterford replicate this performance? Can Dan Shanahan?

"That's the challenge. This (coming back to win a big game a week after losing another) happened before for us, in '98. Clare hammered us in the Munster final, then we went up and beat Galway in Croke Park. We have the ability in this team, we know it's there, it's getting it out of us is the problem.

"We'll go out tonight now and enjoy this; I don't know if we have club games next weekend, they'll probably go ahead, but we'll sit down and have a chat about it. This game is gone now, we've nothing won, our feet are firmly on the ground. Tipperary will be gunning for us, but we'll go out and give them one hell of a game."

A repeat of yesterday's performance by Waterford, and it could be one hell of a day for Tipperary; a repeat of last Sunday's effort could be hell for Waterford.

A repeat of either day's performance by big Dan Shanahan could just be the difference. In the meantime, one for the memory banks of Dan, The Man. "Never in my life will I forget this, lads."

In Clare, the hope will be to eradicate that memory, as soon as possible. They face a daunting task.