WATERFORD FOOTBALL: Ian O'Riordantalks to the former county hurler who has no regrets about his decision to opt for county success with the footballers

WHEN GARY Hurney declared his intention to play football this summer rather than hurling some people in Waterford began to wonder. While the Waterford footballers were making slow but steady progress, surely there was a better chance of making actual progress with the hurlers?

That may well be true, but so far Hurney has no regrets. His goal in Sunday’s Munster football quarter-final win over Clare ultimately secured them a date with Limerick in the provincial semi-final on Sunday week – and although no one in Waterford is getting carried away, that represents the chance for them to make a first Munster football final in 50 years.

“I suppose I just missed the football,” says Hurney – who was a regular in Davy Fitzgerald’s hurling panel last summer, starting the Munster semi-final replay against Limerick at full forward. “I said I’d give the hurling a go for a couple of years, and enjoyed every bit of it. Even the beginning of this year I was enjoying it. But I’m happy now to be back with the footballers, absolutely. And delighted to be back with a championship win, following a league final in Croke Park.”

Hurney made his commitment to football midway through the league, and straightaway realised some progress. Waterford secured promotion to Division Three by topping Division Four, and although they narrowly lost the Division Four final to Limerick the signs were already good; John Owens had taken over the ropes from the equally committed John Kiely, and the attitude was right.

“One of the differences as well is we have a massive panel. There is a big pick there now, and we know there were five subs capable of coming on to deliver as well. Training has been going very well also. There is a great appetite. I suppose Waterford football is on the way up, and that’s the way we want it to be.”

Perhaps the real test of their progress will come in a fortnight’s time, back on Fraher Field in Dungarvan, where they beat Clare on Sunday, when Limerick will look to repeat their league victory – and earn the date with Cork or Kerry in the Munster final. Hurney agrees beating Clare is only the first step towards their ultimate goal.

“It was a very important game for us. Promotion was our first objective this year, and we achieved that. But championship matches are always the ones you want to win, and we’re delighted to have won on Sunday. We found ourselves in a different position from maybe the last 20 years, as favourites. I suppose we just took it in our stride. We knew Clare were going to bring the game to us in Dungarvan, and wouldn’t make it easy on us. They gave it their all and I suppose we just got the few vital scores that got us over the line.”

Hurney contributed 1-1 at full forward, with younger brother Patrick chipping in with three fine points of his own alongside him in the corner. Both players are sure to play a vital role in the latest rematch with Limerick, and their efforts to bridge the gap of 50 years, and the 1960 Munster football final – where Waterford lost out to who-else-but Kerry.

“A Munster semi-final is never going to be easy, no matter who you’re playing,” adds Hurney. “You can dream about a Munster final, but if you do that you won’t be winning here in two weeks. So we’ll take Limerick very seriously and will be trying very hard for the win, to turn the result in Croke Park a few weeks ago.

“But it’s a Munster semi-final, and we’re just delighted to be in it. I’m sure Limerick will want to keep that record straight. There were only two points in the game that day, and I’m sure Limerick would have liked to have beaten us by more. We’ll certainly give it our best shot.”