Dan Shanahan: Waterford defence alert to Tipperary goal threat

Waterford selector Dan Shanahan has warned that their defence face their toughest examination of the season in Sunday’s league semi-final against Tipperary.

The Déise rearguard have only let in three goals over six league games to date and have kept four clean sheets.

“We have only conceded one goal from play and two penalties against Limerick which were harsh enough. It’s not something we have worked on but if you don’t concede goals it’s a massive boost in games.

“They are playing well as a unit. Our two goalkeepers are flying when they get chances and our six backs have been playing extremely well. Our midfield are playing a bit deeper than other years and that’s no secret. They are working back and chasing back.

“Tipperary on Sunday are really going to threaten that. Tipp can open you up and get goals. We are hoping on Sunday that if we do concede an early goal that we won’t panic and just get on with it.”

Their opponents are shorn of several front-line players for this last-four encounter but Shanahan expects Tipp to pose a serious threat to their mean defence. “Like any Tipp team over the years, they will be fighting for the jersey on their backs. They are going to be extremely tough. They are missing probably the best hurler in the country at the moment in Seamus Callanan. Personally, I would rather that he was there and have no excuses. It’s a pity he’s not there because it would really test our backs and see how far we have come.”

The collective work ethic has been crucial to Waterford’s unbeaten run, according to Shanahan. “It’s the way the lads apply themselves with their hunger and their work-rate. You can’t drill that into players. You can do your best but they have to go out on the field and do it. You can have all the skills in the world and tactics but if they are not willing to work hard tactics go out the window. At the moment, our lads are working extremely hard and they are reaping the rewards.”

That willingness to hunt in packs limited Galway to a mere five points from play in the quarter-final three weeks ago. “A lot of the local papers said Galway never turned up, maybe they weren’t let turn up. Galway can really hurt you but we just didn’t leave them play that day and the same against Wexford. Later on in the year, it could be a different story if we meet again.

“We are playing Tipp on Sunday and looking forward to the game. There is going to be a big crowd in Nowlan Park of probably 20,000 and it’s going to be a great day for our young lads.”

Shanahan claims that Waterford are in better shape compared to this time last year and hails the contribution of physical trainer Fergal O’Brien, who joined the backroom team this season.

“We went back a bit earlier this year than we did last year,” Shanahan explains. “Derek wasn’t able to start until January last year. We snuck in a few weeks here and there to get the lads up to full fitness. It has paid off. Fergal O’Brien, our physical trainer, knows when to peak so we leave it up to him. At the moment, the lads are going extremely well. We wouldn’t mind having one or two more hard sessions but the games have kept coming on top of each other so it’s tough to train hard at the moment. The fitness levels gained over the winter will hopefully bring them through to the Cork game.”

The players have stuck rigidly to the fitness regime and Shanahan says they are seeing the benefits of hard work behind the scenes. “Gary from the Warriors gym and Stephen our dietician have worked extremely hard together. The lads have been brilliant with their gym programmes. Their body fat is down extremely low compared to last year. That shows that the players are putting the effort away from the field as well as on the field, which is very important. When you work away from the field, you get the rewards on the field.”