Waterford rewrite history books with unlikely comeback victory over Tipperary
Stephen Curry of Waterford in action against Colm O'Shaughnessy of Tipperary during the Munster SFC quarter-final at Fraher Field in Dungarvan, Waterford. Picture: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
A remarkable turnaround into a gale-force wind earned Waterford a historic first victory over neighbours Tipperary since 1988.
The home faithful among the 1,071 crowd were overjoyed at full-time after two late goals from Tom O’Connell (2-3) sealed a change of fortunes that looked unthinkable at half-time.
The Déise appeared to have blown their chance after wasting the wind advantage in a first half where they scored just one point. They were transformed carrying the ball into the teeth of the breeze.
They took their first lead in the 67th minute when O’Connell fisted home and he sealed it two minutes into stoppage time from a shot that rebounded back off the post.
It was a win to rewrite the record books, their first championship victory since 2018 and first in Munster since 2010. Having finished winless at the foot of Division 4, they are now one game against Clare away from a Munster final and Sam Maguire football.
These two counties were the last to appoint managers for 2024 and they have been playing catch-up since then, finishing in the bottom half of Division 4. But while Paul Kelly will have to dig deep heading into the Tailteann Cup, Paul Shankey was celebrating by the finish.
Tipp entered without captain Steven O’Brien and Seán O’Connor, their vice-captain and top scorer. Last year’s captain Conor Sweeney was fit enough to come off the bench for his first appearance in 15 months.
Waterford had their own injury trouble with centre-back Dermot Ryan withdrawn from the starting line-up before the throw-in.
They had the gusting wind at their backs but a lack of ambition frittered away that advantage and a sequence of errors handed back easy possession. Their first five attacks were all turned over and they only mustered five shots all half, with a 31-minute wait for their first and only point.
Tipp, Munster champions in 2020, weren’t much better in the second half but their story was more inaccuracy and impatience, spraying eight wides and dropping two frees short against three points scored.
Cathal Deely brought huge intensity with four early turnovers which led to two of Tipp’s three scores in the first half.
The first of those brought the goal with little over two minutes on the clock. Deely ended up at the end of the move and while his shot drifted wayward, Mark Stokes collected it at the endline. He ducked inside and drilled a low shot to the net.
Tipp’s tackling was disciplined until the break to deny any cheap shots at the posts and their reward was two points from championship debutant Stephen Grogan and first-time starter Riain Quigley.
When Waterford did take the initiative with a direct diagonal ball into the attack, they were only denied a run at goal by a crucial interception from another debutant Tadhg Condon. Their point was a Curry special, Jason passing to brother Michael and on to cousin Stephen to score. 1-2 to 0-1 at half-time.
They re-emerged with greater purpose and direct running, while Tipp began to cough up some inaccurate passes, poor wides, and like Waterford, conceded the kick-out far too readily.
Stephen Curry kicked a fine pair into the wind and when O’Connell added a pair of frees, the sides were level after 49 minutes.
Tipp had gone 27 minutes without a score but debutant Peter McGarry ended that streak with a huge curler carried over by the wind. An O’Connell free levelled again.
An end-to-end move edged Tipp back ahead, with James Morris winning possession and the ball going through Teddy Doyle twice before the Templenoe native finished.
Waterford were slicing through Tipp at this stage. O’Connell hacked wide after a madcap goalmouth scramble but he wouldn’t miss next time. The ball went through the hands of William Beresford, Jason Curry, and Alan Dunwoody before the Brickey Rangers clubman fisted home.
After a brilliantly converted Jason Curry free, O’Connell put it beyond doubt slotting to the net after Conor Ó Currín’s shot hit the post.
T O’Connell (2-3, 0-3 frees); S Curry (0-3); J Curry (0-1 free).
M Stokes (1-0); S Grogan, P McGarry, R Quigley, T Doyle, C Sweeney (0-1 each).
P Hunt; R Browne, C Walsh, C McCarthy; B O’Keeffe, S Whelan-Barrett, R McGrath; M Curry, J Curry; C Mac Craith, D Fitzgerald, W Beresford; S Curry, T O’Connell, J Power.
Subs: C Ó Currín for McCarthy (56, inj), A Dunwoody for Mac Craith (63), J Walsh for Fitzgerald (70).
E Comerford; T Condon, J Feehan, C O’Shaughnessy; J Morris, P Feehan, K Costello; S Grogan, C Kennedy; C Cadell, C Deely, P McGarry; R Quigley, M Stokes, J Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials).
Subs: E Moloney for Deely (42), C Sweeney for Quigley (42), S Neville for O’Shaughnessy (52), S O’Connell for Condon (53), T Doyle for Stokes (59).
B Griffin (Kerry).
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