Galway ease relegation fears with win over Waterford

The Déise brought litle to the contest at Pearse Stadium. 

WHERE'S THE BEEF: Reuben Halloran of Waterford tackles Ronan Glennon of Galway. Pic: INPHO/James Lawlor

Galway 2-18 Waterford 0-16 

A step towards safety. Galway’s second victory of the spring has significantly eased relegation concerns. Cruise control had been entered long before the finish. Eight second half wides, two goal opportunities not taken, and no score in the closing 13 minutes testify to such.

In what was billed as the most important topflight fixture of the weekend, Waterford’s lack of intent was baffling. They brought so little to this drab contest, watched by a paltry attendance of 4,134 famished souls.

Galway move alongside Waterford on four points. Galway now have them on the head-to-head. Put simply, if Peter Queally’s side don’t take something from Tipp’s visit next Sunday, they are destined to make an immediate return to the second tier.

The half-time numbers crunched by the statisticians on either side contradicted the familiar gale blowing from the Rockbarton Road End.

Galway, despite playing into the elements, got off 20 first half shots. Waterford, supported by the elements, got off four less.

Galway, despite playing into the elements, finished the first-half six in front. Both sides registered four wides apiece, but with Galway’s short tally two higher than the visitors, Micheál Donoghue’s charges will justifiably have felt their 2-11 to 0-11 interval lead could have been more impressive and more sizable.

Added to that, Darren Morrissey's loose pass out of defence, which was intercepted and punished by Stephen Bennett right on the stroke of half-time, was one of many such examples, even if all telegraphed Galway passes didn't end with Waterford white flags.

Bottom line, if not already obvious, was that Galway were a distance better.

There was a purpose to their play so lacking in the visitors’ hard-to-decipher approach. There was movement - a basic prerequisite Waterford scored so poorly in.

Aaron Niland, operating on the main stand side, was coming very deep, unmarked, to pick up possession and by the time Waterford got a body onto him, it was invariably too late.

He put over back-to-back points and was then fouled for the next score after that during a 1-7 Galway burst that cannonballed the hosts from 0-6 to 1-2 in arrears to nine clear on 27 minutes.

It was a pleasant scoring parcel. First the seven unanswered points, then the goal. Tieran Killeen fed Colm Molloy, he held off the close attention of Waterford’s last line before swinging one-handed beyond Billy Nolan.

Galway’s opening major had been equally, if not more attractive.

Jason Rabbitte fetched Cianan Fahy's delivery. Ronan Glennon came thundering off his shoulder, took the pop pass, and batted beyond Nolan.

Nolan's free on 29 minutes was Waterford's first score in 18 minutes. Supported by the elements, they failed to score from play between the 10th and 35th minute. Flat. Shapeless. Rudderless.

A second-half comeback was never on the cards. Their afternoon was best summed up approaching the hour-mark. Stephen Bennett’s 20-metre free was stopped on the line by Kieran Hanrahan. Waterford won back possession; Aaron Niland blocked down Patrick Curran before Sean Mackey hit the post.

They had Nolan to thank for the defeat not running into double-digits. He denied Cianan Fahy from close range at the beginning of the half. He diverted around the post an Aaron Niland penalty on 63 minutes. Niland won the penalty himself, Mark Fitzgerald shown black for his foul.

Scorers for Galway: C Mannion (0-9, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65); A Niland (0-4, 0-1 free); C Molloy, R Glennon (1-0); C Daniels, T Monaghan (0-2 each); J Rabbitte (0-1).

Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett (0-8, 0-7 frees); J Prendergast, S Walsh (0-2 each); B Nolan (free), I Daly, J Barron, M Kiely (0-1 each).

GALWAY: S O’Halloran; J Ryan, C Trayers, K Hanrahan; R Glennon, P Mannion, D Morrissey; C Fahy, C Daniels; T Killeen, C Mannion, A Niland; C Molloy, J Rabbitte, T Monaghan.

SUBS: C Whelan for Molloy (52); C Killeen for Fahy (53); TJ Brennan for Glennon (51); D McLoughlin for Rabbitte (65); C Cooney for Niland (66).

WATERFORD: B Nolan; A O’Neill, M Fitzgerald, I Kenny; Shane Bennett, I Daly, B Lynch; R Halloran, P Leavey; M Kiely, J Barron, J Prendergast; S Walsh, Stephen Bennett, K Mahony.

SUBS: C Lyons for Daly, P Curran for Mahony (both HT); S Mackey for Halloran (43); T de Búrca for Shane Bennett (47); J Fagan for Kiely (66).

REFEREE: J Owens (Wexford).