Why Waterford's wait will end

JUSTIN McCARTHY knows the pitfalls because he has been through it as a player and coach. He realises only too well the implications for his Waterford team contesting the National Hurling League final at the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow (4pm).

Back in the mid-1970s, working with Fr Harry Bohan (now a selector with Anthony Daly), he helped the Banner win two consecutive League titles.

He can also recall the year Cork hammered Limerick in the League final only to lose sensationally to Waterford in the championship the following week. It's easy for him to name the year - 1974 - because that game, in Walsh Park, marked his last appearance in a Cork jersey, bringing a distinguished career to an inglorious end.

Anthony Daly may be disappointed his side didn't make it to the final, but, the reality is that for the past fortnight Clare have had a single focus. On the other hand, Waterford have had to concentrate on Galway, with next Sunday's game pushed to the back of their minds. For McCarthy, it's a classic catch-22.

"It is an awkward situation to be in. If you win, naturally it would put pressure on you the following Sunday. If you lose you have only a short time to pick up the pieces.''

While it may never have been a stated objective to qualify for the final, the management adopted a serious approach from the outset. It was their intention to try and reach the closing stages and measure progress from there.

"The way things turned out, the other results and scoring differences, we found ourselves in the final. Obviously the championship was our priority.

"Normally we'd be thinking about the Clare game this week, but we have to take the League on board. We would prefer if we had at least an extra week to wind down, recharge the batteries and cope with any injuries.

"Unfortunately we are in the position of having to peak two Sundays on the trot, which is fairly awkward to say the least.''

It would be ungracious to their gallant effort on the day to suggest Waterford flopped against Cork in the 1998 League final with six current players, Tom Feeney, Tony Browne, Ken McGrath, Dan Shanahan, Dave Bennett and Paul Flynn. But they had enough possession to have won the game. For their part, Galway were winners in their last final against Tipperary in 2000 in Limerick, when Rory Gantley's free-taking was one of the decisive factors.

In the preliminary stage of this season's competition, Galway inflicted a heavy defeat on Waterford in Walsh Park, winning 5-13 to 1-14. In the previous round, Waterford had scored a runaway win over Dublin, when they ran up an impressive 6-17.

"We had been up for the Dublin game because they had beaten us the last two years,'' explained McCarthy. "We met Galway on a wild and windy day, they got an early grip on the game and played very well. They are a good team, a team that's playing a good brand of hurling. They move the ball fast. Their main thrust is the inside forwards. Since Conor Hayes came on board their hurling is more direct.''

In the recent past, Galway favoured a type of short-passing game which demanded high fitness levels. It wasn't attractive to watch, but on their good days, it could work to their advantage. The problem was that when they ran into difficulties, they hadn't the capacity to resort to a more orthodox approach. Hayes makes no secret of the way he wants his team to play. He wants the ball to be hit in quickly and accurately to his forwards.

In their last outing, against Limerick in Pearse Stadium, Galway didn't manage to do that too many times in the first half. But once they achieved a general improvement, it produced three quick goals.

They have speed to burn inside through the Damien Hayes-Eugene Cloonan-Kevin Broderick line and it's clear Waterford will have to severely limit them if they are to win.

McCarthy argues that while Waterford achieved three good results in the second phase, there are still parts of the team that have to be patched up. "We have areas we are a bit slack in. We have to be more consistent if we are to win.''

The move of Ken McGrath to centre-back to fill the void created by the retirement of Fergal Hartley has so far been a success. Intriguingly, McCarthy hinted McGrath might not necessarily start there. "We'll see where we play him, But, more than likely it will be in the backline.''

The lack of consistency from both teams means there can be no guarantee about the outcome. And it's clear Waterford will have to match Galway's effort and commitment if they are to end their long wait. On the basis that Waterford have the greater experience, I expect they will succeed.