Waterford feet firmly on ground after rare defeat of Kilkenny

Waterford won’t be losing the run of themselves but a first victory over Kilkenny in seven years can’t be sniffed at either, says Austin Gleeson.

Derek McGrath warned the Cats will be out to settle the score the next time they meet Waterford. Starlet Gleeson heeds his manager’s words but highlighted how important it was for him and other young players to come off a field having beaten the All-Ireland champions.

“I suppose for the likes of the younger lads on the team, it’s probably 70% of the team’s first time beating Kilkenny so that’s a massive thing to get out of our heads, that we can’t beat Kilkenny and stuff like that.

“We know that they’re only starting now again so they’ll be back and hurting next week. I think it’s Tipp they’re playing so they’ll be right back for this.”

The 20-year-old was thrilled with the graft put in by the Waterford attack.

“It came truly through work-rate; our forward line was phenomenal, like.

“Every time a Kilkenny man got the ball in the back-line there was a Waterford man ready to tackle him and hit him.

“In the end, it paid off for us.”

Gleeson wasn’t making a big deal about his six wides from centre-back, a third of Waterford’s total. Instead, he gleaned the positives from the amount of opportunities created.

“Ah, it’s not too bad. It’s more a team kind of thing now than trying to pick out fellas.

“If you can tell us that it was 32 shots on goal and three or four that dropped short – 36 or 37 attempts – to get that (number) at this time of year and in this weather against Kilkenny is massive.

“That’s the positive we’re taking out of it. We just have to work on it in training and see what we can get out of it.”

On Sunday, the Mount Sion man had Darragh Fives behind him, deputising for the injured Tadhg de Burca, as McGrath again endorsed the plan that worked so well for Waterford last season.

“I suppose it’s working for us because we believe in the plan that Derek, Dan (Shanahan) and Fintan (O’Connor) have put in place for us.

“We think it could bring us places. If we keep using the system or tweak it, we will believe in it.”

Waterford will hope to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to 10 games in Cork on Saturday although Gleeson suspects Cork will have a point to prove.

“We’re not taking the league lightly. We’re all guns blazing for it. We’re not nailing it down but we want to keep building and keep going.

“It’s a massive battle down in Cork next week. They’re going to be ready for us.

“They had a hard loss against Galway and on their home patch with a new manager and their fans are going to be waiting for them so we know today was only the start of what is to come.

“We’re not targeting just the home games to get points on the board. We’re going into every game to win it.

“Last year, we beat Cork twice and the year before they beat us twice so we know what sort of task is ahead of us. We’re under no illusions about what it’s going to be like in Páirc Uí Rinn but we’re looking forward to it.”