Watson ends Waterford League’s 40-year Oscar Traynor famine

Waterford League 1 Galway League 0

A lone goal after three minutes proved enough to win a close-fought game. Try as they might, Galway could not find a way through afterwards, although Waterford played the last 25 minutes a man short when Thomas Fitzgerald was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The only goal of the game arrived after three minutes. A right wing cross from Brian McCarthy was controlled by Joe Watson, who shot low from 16 yards.

Noel Holland in the Galway goal made a fantastic double save after 35 minutes to deny Paddy Dooley and Fitzgerald. A superb Waterford defence in which man of the match Tony Reade played an heroic role kept Galway at bay afterwards as Waterford held on to win the coveted trophy.

WATERFORD LEAGUE: A Walsh, J Phelan, L Russell, A O’Donnell, T Reade, J Power, B McCarthy, P Dooley, T Fitzgerald, J Watson, A Power. Subs: M Walsh for J Watson 74 mins, A Denn for L Russell 88 mins, L Quilty for B McCarthy 90 mins.

GALWAY LEAGUE: N Holland, S Rabbitte, N McDonnell, E Warde, W Trevor, A O’Donovan, S Crowe, J Rojas, O Keogh, A O’Donnell, J Mernagh. Subs: L McKenna for S Rabbitte 68, S Mooney for A O’Donnell 77 mins, T Walshe for E Warde 81 mins.

Referee: D Donovan (Wexford).