Minor All-Ireland final victory well worth the wait for Waterford

Waterford 1-21 Galway 0-15: Game on, and the weight of 65 years since Waterford's last All-Ireland minor hurling title comes bearing down on their gifted young shoulders.

Galway, one of the reigning kings of the grade, who beat them in their last final appearance in 1992, have drawn level, 15 minutes left to play.

If there was to be a turning point in Waterford hurling history this would be it.

So what happens is that the young Waterford players outscore Galway 1-6 to 0-1 in the time that remains. If that didn’t prove them worthy winners of Waterford’s first minor title since 1948 – and only third such title ever – then nothing would.

In some ways it was almost worth the wait – and for the handful of Waterford survivors from that last team, in 1948, no doubt a weight off their shoulders too. In the end it was as fine a minor performance as ever delivered in Croke Park on All-Ireland hurling final day, with so many standout performances in the winning team that it’s hard to know where to start.

Picture of calmness
Yet chief among them has to be full forward Patrick Curran who not only hit 1-7 but was a picture of calmness throughout, especially when the Waterford supporters were biting their nails.

Galway drew level twice in the first half, and were really playing second best all the way, but drew level again for the third time with three-quarters of the game gone.

It was then that Curran stepped up another gear, setting up one of the points that eased Waterford back in front, before closing out the deal – his goal on 56 minutes after brilliantly batting down a poor Galway clearance, struck with such clever determination that nothing was about to stop it.

Curran was surrounded by equally able young men, especially fellow forwards Stephen Bennett and Michael Kearney – who both hit four points – and Colm Roche, who hit 0-3.

Mark O’Brien and Tom Devine helped lord midfield, with the half-back line of Micheal Harney, Austin Gleeson and Shane Bennett (younger brother of Stephen) proving the platform for them all.

Playing a leader’s role was full back and captain Kevin Daly.

A and while it was a complete team display, manager Sean Power couldn’t help singling out Curran for praise.

“Yeah, just fantastic,” said Power of his young full forward.

“There was talk during the week of similarities between the Waterford minor team of 1992 and this team, and similarities between Patrick and Paul Flynn. We know Paul Flynn and how well he went in the game of hurling. We all respect him and some of the great things he’s done. Hopefully it’s the beginning of Patrick Curran’s adult career, if you like.

Senior club
"He's also playing fantastic for his club, a senior club as well, Dungarvan, so he's a great bit of stuff. What I'm very impressed with as well, and these are the things you don't often see, when he's not in possession of the ball he's a devil for hooking and blocking as well. If you were a corner back in possession of the ball with Patrick marking you, you're not going to get the ball out easily and that's the sort of thing we went from a forward in Waterford."

In fact that was Waterford’s tactic throughout the field, so much so that Galway were never allowed to settled.

Captain Darragh Dolan and Ronan O’Meara hit some crucial scores in the first half but the truth is Galway were doing very well to be just three points down at half time, trailing 0-12 to 0-9.

Then, with corner forward Brian Molloy finding greater range, and Brian Burke (who didn’t start because of a calf injury) also hitting a big point, Galway were suddenly back in it, level at 0-15 apiece.

Waterford’s nerves were suddenly strung, the memory of their two defeats this summer, to Tipperary early on, then Limerick in the Munster final replay, possibly coming back to haunt them.

Instead they simply stuck to their task and proved themselves the best minor team in the country for the season.

Winning confidence
Waterford also boasted five players (Kevin Daly, Tom Devine, Michael Harney, Cormac Curran and Patrick Curran) from the Dungarvan team that won the All-Ireland colleges title in April, that winning confidence unquestionably helping them through.

“No excuse whatsoever,” said Galway manager Mattie Murphy. “

We were out-scored 1-6 to a point in the last quarter, and that says it all, doesn't it?"

WATERFORD: G Power; W Hahessy, K Daly (capt), C Leamy; M Harney, A Gleeson (0-1, a free), Shane Bennett; M O'Brien, T Devine (0-1); Stephen Bennett (0-4), DJ Foran (0-1), M Kearney (0-4); A Farrell, P Curran (1-7, 0-4 frees, 0-1 65), C Roche (0-3). Subs: C Curran for Foran (37 mins), C Gleeson for Farrell (45 mins), P O'Connor for Roche (57 mins), B Whelan for Shane Bennett (60 mins), S O'Neill for Hahessey (60 mins).
GALWAY: C Tuohy; M Ó Conghaile, D O'Donoghue, M Conneely; S Linnane, S Cooney (0-1 a free), R Doyle; E Burke, D Dolan (capt, 0-3); C Whelan (0-1), R O'Meara (0-4), A Morrissey (0-1, a sideline); B Molloy (0-5, three frees), J Hastings, C Shaughnessy. Subs: V Doyle for R Doyle (27 mins), B Burke (0-1) for Whelan (37 mins), R Bellow for Hastings (53 mins), S Burke for E Burke (58 mins).
Referee: C McAllister (Cork).