Mahony delivers as Déise get timing just right
As in the throbbing opener between Cork and Dublin, the second NHL semi-final was a gripping affair.
Waterford leaked goals against the wind before regaining their composure to close in on Tipperary and edge them out with a late, late score to book a slot against Cork in the league final.
Delighted Waterford boss Derek McGrath was already analysing the game at the final whistle.
“I thought we started poorly and we looked a bit stuck to the ground early on, but from the 17th minute on, we seemed to get a bit of belief in ourselves, in terms of our communication, and so on.”
The poor start might have been fatal. They shipped two goals before the end of the first quarter, a fine knifing run from Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher ending with a well-struck finish to the corner. Minutes later, Jason Forde and Brendan Maher combined to put John O’Dwyer through for a clever flicked finish.
With Padraic Maher dominating the centre of the Tipperary defence, Waterford were relying on the unerring Padraic Mahony from placed balls, though Austin Gleeson slashed through the centre and came close to a goal before the break.
Tipperary indiscipline before the half left Mahony the chance to cut the lead to 0-11 to 2-8, and with Waterford turning over to play with the wind, their prospects looked good.
However, though Tadhg de Burca and Kevin Moran began to control the middle, Waterford couldn’t get the ball to stick up front; they’ve been criticised for an overly defensive game plan, but at times yesterday they were clearing the ball into Tipperary defenders standing all alone.
“That’s an area of concern,” said McGrath afterwards. “Early in the second half, we were on top but then they came down and Jason Forde got a brilliant point. We had five or six around him but he scored and I thought, ‘that’s a brilliant score.’ It was championship stuff at that stage.
“And to have our lads still positive despite conceding the score — that was the game.”
Long-range Maurice Shanahan and Jamie Barron efforts cut the deficit to the minimum on 45 minutes and then a fine Colin Dunford goal on 51 minutes put Waterford ahead.
Both teams were wasteful as the end approached before Mahony’s nerveless conversion of a difficult free put Waterford one ahead with time almost up. Tipp pressed the issue and won a sideline inside the opposition ‘21, which television pictures showed should have been a ‘65. Instead of working a scoring chance, Tipp conceded a free and the game was over.
In the blue and gold corner, Eamon O’Shea wasn’t wearing those comparisons between Waterford and the Donegal footballers, by the way.
“No, you just go out to play the game. It’s a really good challenge when you have different formats. It would be terrible if we all played the game the same way.
“They deserved the game on merit. I wouldn’t have any qualms at all. Beaten by a team by a point. We go home, regroup and we’re out again 21st of June. That’s the way it is, no more, no less.”
Waterford needed that first half to acclimatise: by the run-in to half-time, they were comfortable on the ball and their structure was intact. Do they need to get Austin Gleeson on the ball more? Yes. Do they need goals? Yes. Plenty to work on, and laboratory conditions coming in which they can try their ideas.
For Tipperary, some careless frees offer food for thought, but that can be rectified. Those smoothly striking forwards will always offer them relief, but, despite his goal, maybe they need ‘Bonner’ Maher’s combative foraging further out the field.
O’Shea has other challenges to confront as well, as he told the press yesterday that John O’Dwyer picked up a broken hand. Overall he was realistic: “One defeat at the end of the league here doesn’t mean we didn’t get a lot from the league, even from today’s game. I thought we got a lot from today’s game in terms of what we want to do in the future. Look, it was very disappointing, we wanted to win the game, obviously.”
Both teams — all four teams who featured in Kilkenny, actually — may consider lengthening their games, as some of the eye-of-a-needle passing on view in Kilkenny would be downright dangerous in Thurles or Croke Park come July or August.
Or are they all aware of that and treated yesterday the way Donegal viewed last weekend? Doubtful. Derek McGrath observed: “Whatever shadow boxing any other team are doing, I don’t think we’re in a position to be able to shadow box with anyone, in terms of our development.”
As a Tipperary guru used to say, steak is meat (pronounced mate), chicken is chicken, and hurling is hurling.
Yesterday? That was hurling.
P. Mahony (0-13, 0-11f, 0-1 65); C. Dunford (1-1); M. Shanahan (0-3); J. Dillon, J. Barron (0-1 each).
S. Callanan (0-8, 0-5f, 0-1 65); J. O’Dwyer (1-1); P. Maher (1-0); N. O’Meara (0-2); Padraic Maher, J. Forde, J. Woodlock, C. Kenny (0-1).
B. O’Halloran for Bennett, 50; T. Devine for J. Dillon, 55; S. O’Sullivan for Walsh, 62; E. Barrett for Moran, 70; .
J. Barry for Stapleton, 42; S. Bourke for O’Dwyer, 43; C. Kenny for Forde, 53; G. Rhan for S. McGrath, 57; J. Maher for Curran, 65.
B. Kelly (Westmeath)
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