Power hopes victory can re-energise South-East

The GAA, and sport in general, have always been about much more than the bits between the white lines.

Sean Power recognised that yesterday. This wasn’t just about a group of teenagers winning a title. It wasn’t even just about a county’s sporting aspirations. This felt like more, much more, to people in the South-East.

“When the economy broke down there was a hell of a lot of unemployment and job suffering in Waterford,” said Power. “This might be the little catalyst, the little lift, that we need in Waterford.”

Whatever about the wider ramifications, this is a success that may well prove to be merely the launching pad for more to come. Nine of Power’s players won a Harty Cup with Dungarvan last February and 13 of the panel will be minor again in 2014.

And to Power’s credit, he didn’t shy away from talk of more.

“It’s very hard to win an All-Ireland final, but it must be even more difficult to retain it. Jesus, preparation in earnest will begin again. Like, the school college games will start next month. There is a lot of hurling starting to be played.

“Whoever may be the Waterford minor manager next year or otherwise will be starting to look to guys in October, November in college games and starting to lead into it. Look, the potential is there. The next bunch of fellas coming through.

“There are guys in Waterford this year who didn’t make the panel and will add to it next year. Who knows? The hard yards are done in winter. Please God we can go on and start building a bit of momentum on this.”

All that is mere speculation for now. What Waterford did yesterday was deliver on the stream of expectation that followed them through a championship campaign that demanded eight games of them before they could claim that All-Ireland title.

In losing twice and still winning they will no doubt engineer the ire of some traditionalists who would prefer their champions to be crowned undefeated, but Power saw only positives.

“Well, you’d be disappointed losing the Munster final, but I’ve been [saying] since the Munster final the only way to banish the demons of losing something like that is to win the All-Ireland final. That’s the only way to banish a demon.

“Like, us losing that Munster final will be a niggle for fellas but it is softened a little bit when you have an All-Ireland medal in your back pocket.”

Power never lost his belief in these players, not when Tipperary bettered them on that opening day in Munster last April, not when Limerick pipped them in the provincial replay and not even when Galway dominated the third quarter here.

“I was always confident with this bunch of players. We’ve contested underage All-Ireland finals with them. We’ve had a bit of hard luck but I was always confident.”

For his opposite number, there were no excuses. Galway looked second best for long spells and failed to build on a dominant third quarter when they scored six points and held Waterford to just the one.

What changed it? Mattie Murphy just couldn’t say.

“I’d love to know. We looked at it and we thought we had plugged a few holes but once they went a couple of points up and smelled victory they really drove on and the goal was the real nail in the coffin. No excuses, the better team won.”