Davy hails heroes but stays cautious

NOT for the first time this month Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald was preaching caution after victory.

In the aftermath of last week’s win over Offaly, Fitzgerald was putting out the ‘must do better’ mantra for their Wexford assignment.

And within minutes of knocking the Model County out of the championship in Thurles, the Clare legend was again playing down their chances when they meet Tipperary in an All-Ireland semi-final next month.

It was a nerve wracking final few moments for the Déise men who are through to the penultimate round for a sixth time since 1998.

Despite warning that “a performance like that” will end in tears if repeated at Croke Park, Fitzgerald was fulsome in his praise of a side written off in many quarters at the start of the year.

Said Fitzgerald: “I am so happy about the way we didn’t give up when the game turned against us twice and even three times. That is the hallmark of a good player and a good team, and while it was far from being our best performance nothing can take from the heart and spirit every player produced.”

Fitzgerald said people had been quick to “do them down” after their Munster championship loss to Clare.

But from the day he replaced Justin McCarthy as manager he believed, that this Waterford team would come good.

Of John Mullane’s second half contribution, when he tormented the Slaneyside defence time and time again he said:

“It may have taken John a bit of time to get into his stride but when he did he was unstoppable.

In that second-half in particular he turned the game for us more than once, he scored himself at crucial times and then set up others for equally vital scores.”

The Déise boss said his biggest concern was the concession of those three Wexford goals, and the element of sloppiness involved in the way that they had been conceded.

“While three in as many games might not be all that many I just didn’t like the way in which we gave them away today. On another occasion we would be brutally punished, especially by a team of Tipperary’s undoubted class.”

Having accounted for Antrim, Offaly, and Wexford in consecutive weeks, Fitzgerald is relishing a rest for him and his players.

“What we need most right now is a breather, and I may give them (the players) a week off.”