'We came out with the vital breaks - Defiant Déise rebound to stun Limerick
A first Waterford victory over Limerick in five years and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Waterford have suffered more than their fair share of defeats to Limerick and others since that league game at this same venue but the hosing they experienced at the hands of Cork last Sunday was firmly put behind them.
The county has been known to bounce back quickly from Munster final trimmings but it hadn’t been expected here. Not with Jack Fagan adding to the who’s who of casualties and the absent Ballygunner contingent, who will return to training this coming week.
Looking at the quality of Waterford players who were at this game but only for moral support, it was difficult to believe their colleagues were going to put up enough of a fight against Limerick. The strong visiting crowd also offset their home advantage.
But it was apparent inside the opening 10 minutes that their attitude was on point. They were tigerish for ball. Shane Bennett personified their relentless work ethic, Reuben Halloran missed one placed ball and Charlie Treen helped himself to three points.
Scorer of the penalty goal, Bennett delivered an all-round performance from wing-back. His marker Gearóid Hegarty may have scored three points in the closing stages but it didn’t take much of the shine off the Ballysaggart man’s contribution.
"Look, he loves it,” said Peter Queally of Bennett’s shift to defence. “It's a throwback to his minor days, if any of ye remember Shane playing as a minor. Number seven was his position and I suppose he's always been thrust up to the forwards since to get scores.
“But he's really enjoying the new lease of life back at number seven again. Not just going forward and getting scores, he's defending really well.
“He had a great battle with Gearóid Hegarty there today. I think that was a crucial line for us, the half-back line. Very happy with Brian Lynch too on the other wing. It was his league debut and I thought he adapted really, really well.
“Very physical, very strong on the ball and Iarlaith (Daly) was number six today and he really steadied the ship there. He was very sure on the ball and shored up the middle there very well. I'd be very happtheth that half-back line today."
Waterford jumped four points ahead in the 44th minute. Colm Lyons issued a black card after he deemed Matthew Fitzgerald had denied Halloran a goal chance. Bennett blasted the sliotar high to the net and Limerick had to contend with a numerical disadvantage.
By the time Fitzgerald returned, the margin was three points. Calum Lyons and Jamie Barron were finding more space and Treen had brought his tally to three points, but Aidan O’Connor and Shane O’Brien were prominent too.
Back-to-back Hegarty points were followed by two great Will O’Donoghue interventions, a climb of a catch in defence and then a free, which O’Connor sent over to put two between the sides.
A monster point by Bennett in the 68th minute was backed up by Halloran’s 10th free won by Seán Mackey having just been introduced. Hegarty cancelled it out but was then whistled for overcarrying and the three-point gap was restored by Halloran. Goalkeeper Billy Nolan’s second free copperfastened a surprise home win.
Queally acknowledged Halloran’s frees were key in keeping Limerick at arm’s length. “But those frees were won in rucks and that was a big thing for us, the breaking ball, that we really came out the right side in that middle third when it came to the breaking ball.
“And when the game was in the melting pot, I think we did come out with those vital breaks. We won them and we battled for them and probably worked a few frees out of that. In fairness to Reuben Halloran, he nailed those frees that weren't easy into the breeze as well."
Waterford’s intent in the first half was a world away from their insipid showing in the opening period against Cork last weekend. Their whole demeanour was different and they stuck with Limerick throughout the half.
The teams were level on eight occasions before Halloran sent over a long-range free in the fifth minute of additional time to give the home side the interval edge, 0-10 to 0-9.
Those extra minutes were required following a series of Limerick players requiring medical attention, the most serious of which befell Adam English who had to retire with a rib setback in the 34th minute (John Kiely later played down the seriousness of the injury).
Waterford were not backing off as they did against Cork although with their wind advantage they could have gone direct earlier than the closing stages when Bennett was either scoring or landing ball at the edge of the square.
In additional time, one of them was caught by Michael Kiely despite serious pressure and he managed to get a strike on the ball but Nickie Quaid was equal to the effort.
Limerick had one goal opening too in the 22nd minute. Hegarty and English combined to set up O’Brien but his one-handed hit went off target.
In trying conditions, Limerick’s inside line’s return of five points was decent and three of them were provided by O’Brien who looked dangerous every time he took possession.
At the other end, Limerick’s full-back line had held their own but it was in the middle in men like Mark Fitzgerald, Shane Bennett and Darragh Lyons where Waterford were the leading lights. And they never went out.
R. Halloran (0-11, 10 frees, 1 65); S. Bennett (1-2, 1-0 pen); C. Treen (0-3); B. Nolan (0-2, frees); B. Lynch, C. Lyons, J. Barron (0-1 each).
A. O’Connor (0-8, 7 frees); S. O’Brien (0-4); D, Byrnes (2 frees), G. Hegarty (0-3 each); C. Lynch, D. Ó Dalaigh (0-1 each).
B. Nolan; M. Power, C. Prunty (c), C. Keane; S. Bennett, I. Daly, B. Lynch; M. Fitzgerald, D. Lyons; C. Lyons, J. Barron, P. Curran; C. Treen, M. Kiely, R. Halloran.
C. Daly for C. Prunty (inj 56); J. Power for P. Curran (59); S. Mackey for C. Treen (68).
N. Quaid; B. Nash, S. Finn, M. Fitzgerald; D. Byrnes, W. O’Donoghue, C. Coughlan; A. English, D. O’Donovan; G. Hegarty, C. Lynch (c), T. Morrissey; A. O’Connor, S. O’Brien, D. Ó Dalaigh.
E. Hurley for D. O’Donovan (blood 28-30); E. Hurley for A. English (inj 34); P O’Donovan for T. Morrissey, H. Flanagan for D. Ó Dalaigh (both 57); O. O’Farrell for S. O’Brien, J. Fitzgerald for D. O’Donovan (both 63).
Black card: M. Fitzgerald (43-54).
C. Lyons (Cork).
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