Derek McGrath won’t rush decision to find replacement for Pauric Mahony

Austin Gleeson will not be returned to the Waterford forward unit to compensate for the loss of Pauric Mahony, manager Derek McGrath insists.

The broken tibia suffered by centre-forward Mahony while on club duty over the weekend leaves a gaping hole to be filled in the Waterford attack and McGrath says he will look to the bench rather than redeploying Gleeson, the Mount Sion hurler operating at right half and centre-back in Waterford’s run to league glory.

Gleeson spent his maiden championship campaign last summer in the Waterford half-forward line and the Déise manager accepts the obvious move is to hand the 19-year old the vacant number 11 shirt for their Munster championship opener against Cork next month.