Waterford 1-28 Tipperary 0-21
For a while, Tipperary had Waterford on the back foot. They looked impressive both in the easy accuracy of their score-taking and the physical energy with which they contested the frequent rucks that developed.
At 0-9 to 0-3, into the second quarter, they were clearly the better team. But it all crumbled on them before half-time.
A burst of 1-2 in around 90 seconds from the 20th minute provided the home side with a vital transfusion of purpose and they never looked like losing after that even though the scoreboard didn’t come fully under their command until the final quarter.
The vital goal came, predictably, from the rampant Stephen Bennett, whose work and marksmanship left him with 1-16 to his name – 1-4 from play and even a couple of wides to give him what coaching jargon refers to as ‘work-ons’.
It was as a result of clever work in the lead-up from the industrious Mikey Kiely who won a hard ball and Patrick Curran who moved it to Bennett. He wasn’t in the mood for indecision and thundered the ball into the net.
That score was sandwiched between a point from Bennett and another from Curran and Tipp’s handsome six-point lead, albeit with the assistance of a significant breeze, was nearly wiped out.
Waterford manager Liam Cahill reflected on how his team had gone from decidedly second-best to dominant in the second quarter.
“The players are learning to deal with passages of play that might go against them and to correct those during the game and to give themselves a chance as the game goes on.
“It was very simple from where I was standing. It was just our lack of work-rate and lack of anticipation around the middle third, half forwards and midfield working together as a unit.
“When that started to happen and we started to get on top in those areas, the scoreboard reflected accordingly. But that takes a lot of communication, a lot of guys pulling together, lads pulling across the lines to make it happen. We’re happy we were able to do that.”
It had the desired effect and not just on his own team. Tipperary had started so slickly. Corner forwards Mark Kehoe and Jake Morris were causing havoc, getting into space and shooting without inhibition. At one point after another Tipp gain at a ruck, Morris danced out of the heavy traffic and shot a point for 0-8 to 0-3.
Michael Breen was galloping hard from wing forward in support and harvested 0-4 – three before half-time.
Tipp manager Colm Bonner identified what he felt had helped to undo his team: a lack of goal threat.
“We came at Waterford big time; we went into a 0-9 to 0-3 lead and I think we were dominant. We were good value for what we were doing and it was just a pity we didn’t put a green flag on it.
Green flag
“When you dominate a period of a game like that, you do need to get a green flag or two. We were very close to it on one or two occasions and it could have gave us a bit of a leap but in fairness to Waterford, they came back during that second quarter and balanced it up.”
There had been an opportunity for Morris to hit back just after Waterford’s revival, as he got sight of goal at 0-9 to 1-5. He could have pegged a point to reassert the challenge but when he chose to go for goal, he fired the effort just outside the far post.
Tipp did rally when trailing 0-9 to 1-9 and four straight points from Kehoe, Heffernan, Conor Bowe and a free from Jason Forde restored the lead but it had become too nip-and-tuck for a team facing the wind after half-time – by which point Waterford had re-taken the lead anyway, 1-13 to 0-14.
The visitors had also been well beaten on the restarts and so needed better competitiveness in order to create chances.
Requiring a dynamic resumption after the break, Tipp managed to equalise but would lose the rest of the match 0-5 to 15, as Bennett imposed himself on proceedings – a mixture of accurate shooting, ball winning in a slightly deeper position and plenty of energy.
Others provided plenty of support. Tadhg de Búrca finished strongly in imperious form, emphasising how important it is to have him back, running affairs in defence and also getting a point from halfway.
Tipperary simply had no answer either to the scoring capacity or the muscularity with which Waterford drove them out of the way and powered to the top of the table.
WATERFORD: 1. S O'Brien; 4. S McNulty, 3. C Prunty, 2. C Gleeson; 5. J Fagan, 6. T de Búrca (0-1), 7. I Daly (0-2); 8. C Wadding, 9. D Lyons; 10. N Montgomery, 11. P Curran (0-3), 12. K Bennett (0-1); 13. S Bennett (1-16, 0-11 frees, 0-1 65), 14. M Kiely (0-1), 15. J Prendergast (0-3). Subs: 26. Shane Bennett for K Bennett (55 mins), 22. M Mahony (0-1) for Kiely (55 mins), 23. P Mahony for Prunty (63 mins), 24. B Power for Prendergast (70 mins), 17. C Dalton for Fagan (70 mins).
TIPPERARY: 1. Barry Hogan; 4. B McGrath (0-1), 3. J Quigley, 2. C Barrett; 5. D Quirke, 6. R Maher (0-2, 0-1 free), 7. R Byrne; 8. P Cadell, 9. B Heffernan (0-1); 10. C Bowe (0-2), 11. J Forde (0-6, 0-4 frees), 12. M Breen (0-4); 13. M Kehoe (0-4), 14. J McGrath, 15. J Morris (0-1). Subs: 17. P Flynn for Cadell (half-time), 21. D Maher for J McGrath (54 mins), 23. N McGrath for Bowe (64 mins), 26. C Stakelum for Forde (68 mins), 18 C Darcy for Quirke (71 mins).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
