Waterford new kings of Munster

Waterford 2-8 Kerry 1-9

It's a final that will be lived and relived in the Decies for years and even decades to come. A night when a new name was written into the celebrated roll of honour with a first title win for a great Waterford team that denied Kerry a record 25th provincial crown in the grade.

It may have taken a goal by Shane Walsh 60 seconds into injury time to bring Waterford their greatest ever footballing triumph, but over the hour not even the most partisan Kerry supporter could deny that the victory went to the better side.

The never-say-die spirit of Niall Hennessy and his men drew them forward in droves in the nail-biting closing minutes as they surged forward in search of an equalising point which doubtless they would at that stage have gladly settled for.

Twice the beleaguered Kerry defence repulsed menacing raids, and then their own attack missed a great chance of extending the lead before Waterford - and Walsh - struck for glory.

Fittingly, two of the most influential players of this final were directly involved in the 61st minute match-winning goal.

Niall Hennessy, inspirational in his leadership all through, won a vital ball around the middle of the field and floated a high delivery into a very crowded goalmouth.

A dozen or more pair of hands reached out for it, but it was the outstanding Walsh who got his fist to it and the ball whizzed into the corner of the net giving goalkeeper Bryan Sheehan no chance of saving his citadel.

Six thousand home fans roared their approval, but they and the team had to sweat out another 90 seconds as Kerry came in quest of what would have been an even more sensational last-gasp winner.

The bit was now firmly between those Waterford teeth, however, and the sweet smell of victory was embedded in the nostrils.

Standing on the precipice of victory it wasn't the time to concede the glory. And they didn't.

Right from the off any fears that Waterford might freeze on the big stage were dispelled as they enjoyed as much territorial possession, and probably more, in the early sequences.

Declan Quill, set up by Colm Cooper, cancelled out Billy Harty's lead point for the Kingdom in the 10th minute, but that was as good as it was to get for them in an opening half decisively dominated by the homesters.

They struck for a priceless goal in the 16th minute when Mark Power met the outstanding Michael Walsh's perfectly flighted "45' and smashed it to the net with his fist to open up a four point advantage. The ever dangerous Liam O'Lionain increased it with a superb point in the 18th minute but the Gaeltacht clubman missed a glorious goal chance two minutes later and as the ball broke free to Bob Costelloe he too failed to finish it from close range.

By now Kerry had their three senior stars, Cooper, Declan O'Sullivan, and Quill operating in the full forward line and the free-taking accuracy of DJ Fleming, added to by a great Cooper point enabled Kerry to go in at the break just four adrift, 1-5 to 0-4.

Costelloe put five between them within a minute of the restart before Kerry picked up the tempo of the game and began to steadily eat into that Waterford lead.

Quill had two points from play, Fleming another from a free, and when Michael Collins soloed 40 metres before planting the ball in the back of the net for a magnificent lead goal on forty minutes Kerry finally looked to have taken the measure of the homesters.

But with Michael Walsh continuing to lord midfield and Shane Walsh roaming with telling effect all over the place, Waterford were far from finished. Harty's pointed free levelled matters again on the three quarter hour, but a minute later came possibly the game's most defining moment when Fleming's penalty for a foul of Ross Donovan came back off an upright and was cleared to safety.

A Kerry goal at that stage might have killed off Waterford's vibrant challenge, but the favourites still looked good when Cooper kicked two super points to put them back in the driving seat. But there was to be one final twist in this dramatic and tension-charged finale. Walsh's injury-time goal changed everything, utterly, and Waterford were left to celebrated a famous and richly deserved first title win.

Scorers for Waterford: S Walsh(1-1); M Power(1-1); L O'Lionain(0-2); B Harty(0-2); T Whelan, B Costelloe(0-1) each.

Kerry: M Collins(1-0); C Cooper(0-3); D Quill(0-3); DJ Feming(0-3, frees).

WATERFORD: D Hickey; M Crotty, G Hayes, J O'Reilly; N Hennessy, E Rockett, J Hurney; S Dempsey, M Walsh; L O'Lionain, M Power, T Whelan; B Costelloe, S Walsh, B Harty; Subs: Eoghan Walsh for Power; Eamonn Walsh for Hayes; T Halpin for Costelloe; A O'Loughlin for Hurney.

KERRY: B Sheehan; N Lynch, E Lawlor, F Griffin; P Sheehan, C O'Connor, E Kavanagh; S Scanlan, P Kelly; R Donovan, D O'Sullivan, M Collins; D Quill, C Cooper, DJ Fleming; Subs: B O'Mahony for Kavanagh; K Aonaghy for Quill.

Referee: Ger Haugh, Limerick.