Waterford relegated to Division 1B after Tipperary reel in eight-point lead

DOWN AND OUT: Waterford’s Peter Hogan dejected at the end of the game. Pic: ©INPHO.

Tipperary 2-24 Waterford 1-23

Waterford fall through the trapdoor. A third consecutive defeat has delivered the Déise straight back to Division 1B.

Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng was an interested spectator at Walsh Park. He made the short distance home comforted by the knowledge that danger has bypassed his team.

For even if Kilkenny fall to Tipp on the final day, they having the head-to-head on Waterford preserves their topflight status.

Half-time chat centred on whether Waterford’s eight-point interval advantage would be sufficient. That was the sole question being debated.

The strength of the gale was captured in a Rhys Shelly restart 10 minutes in. The puckout was held up to such an extent that it failed to cross the Tipperary 65-metre line.

The answer to the half-time question was not the one Waterford wanted. An eight-point lead was not sufficient. Waterford’s second-half offering was nowhere near sufficient. Of their six second-half points, only one was from play.

The lead was taken off them on 58 minutes. Jake Morris played through sub Gearóid O’Connor for Tipp’s second goal and a 2-18 to 1-20 lead. A Reuben Halloran free six minutes later, for a foul on Dessie Hutchinson, was the last occasion the teams stood level.

Both Ronan Maher of Tipperary and Seán Walsh of Waterford fail to catch the sliotar. Pic: McManus/Sportsfile

Jake Morris won frees and laid off further assists. His 0-2 total makes a mockery of his influence on second-half proceedings. John McGrath swelled his total to 1-4.

Darragh McCarthy came off the bench and converted a pair of frees. Oisín O'Donoghue was a standout figure under the struggling Waterford restart.

Waterford will still have their regrets. Sean Walsh was halted by Bryan O’Mara as Jack Fagan stood idle on the far side of the large parallelogram. Darragh Stakelum appeared to be the Premier player who intercepted Dessie Hutchinson’s dangerous across-the-square delivery. Waterford just couldn’t find the necessary second goal late on.

When enjoying the backing of such a gale, it isn’t necessary to let every possession be carried by the elements, but you can imagine the home frustration when Tipperary’s opening goal on 22 minutes came from a short puckout gone horribly wrong.

Billy Nolan’s strike to Ian Kenny, who was standing on the 20-metre line, was turned over by Jake Morris. He fed the nearby John McGrath for an opening goal that halved Waterford’s lead from six to three.

A Jason Forde free in the ensuing play left the travelling Tipp men just two adrift. Not bad for a crowd who found themselves 0-6 to 0-1 adrift inside the opening 10 minutes.

Nolan’s restart following Forde’s free was put on the wind. It landed inside the opposing 20-metre line.

Sean Walsh, in the company of Ronan Maher, had not been enjoying a fruitful start in the long-ball department. But on this occasion, he won the aerial duel and duly finished.

It was the opening score in an unanswered Waterford 1-4. Shane Bennett was among the contributors.

A superb first-half saw the right half-back raise four white flags. Jake Morris, having started on Bennett's wing, was switched to the far flank midway through the opening half.

Bennett’s haul was bettered only by Dessie Hutchinson’s collection of five points. The last of those, on 35 minutes, increased their lead to double digits for the first time.

Rhys Shelly of Tipperary is tackled by Seán Walsh of Waterford. Pic; Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Stefan Tobin and sub Andrew Ormond clipping the last two points of the half for Liam Cahill's side felt a crucial, if minimal swing at the time. They did indeed prove a crucial pair.

Mikey Kiely was afforded a rousing reception when introduced in the final quarter. He could well have been awarded a free when going through for yet another Waterford second-half goal chance.

Referee Thomas Gleeson did not endear himself to the locals.

A minute's silence was impeccably observed before the throw-in for Kiely’s later father, Benny.

Scorers for Tipperary: J McGrath (1-4); J Forde (0-6, 0-5 frees); S Tobin (0-4); G O’Connor (1-0); E Connolly (0-1 free, 65), D McCarthy (0-2 frees), A Ormond, J Morris (0-2 each); C Stakelum, O O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: R Halloran (0-8, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65); D Hutchinson (0-5); S Walsh (1-1); S Bennett (0-4); M Fitzgerald, S Mackey, D Lyons, J Prendergast, P Hogan (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: R Shelly; R Doyle, R Maher, M Breen; C Morgan, B O’Mara, E Connolly; C Stakelum, O O’Donoghue; J Caesar, K McCarthy, J Morris; J McGrath, J Forde, S Tobin.

Subs: A Ormond for McCarthy (25); G O’Connor for Caesar (HT); D Stakelum for Morgan (48); D McCarthy for Forde (65); S Kenneally for Tobin (72).

WATERFORD: B Nolan; A O’Neill, M Fitzgerald, I Kenny; S Bennett, P Leavey, T de Búrca; S Mackey, D Lyons; P Hogan, J Barron, R Halloran; D Hutchinson, S Walsh, J Prendergast.

Subs: C Lyons for Hogan (28, inj); M Kiely for Mackey (56); J Fagan for Lyons (58); B Lynch for Bennett (60).

Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin).